MLB Player News

Moustakas (finger) is starting at second base and batting cleanup Friday against the Mets.

Moustakas has not seen the field since fracturing the tip of his right ring finger last Saturday against the Dodgers, but he'll end up avoiding a trip to the injured list after five days off. The 30-year-old has enjoyed a quality start to the season and is slashing .239/.349/.549 with six home runs through 21 games.

Escobar is not in Friday's lineup against the Cubs.

After a slow first week of the season, Escobar is hitting .371/.467/.629 with three home runs and a 15:9 K:BB in his last 18 games. Ildemaro Vargas will start at the hot corner, hitting second against righty Kyle Hendricks.

Rendon (elbow) will start Friday against the Padres, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Rendon was withheld from the lineup the last four games with a left elbow bruise, but he is apparently good to go following Thursday's scheduled off day. The 28-year-old was said to be available as a pinch hitter in the last couple games, but ultimately wasn't used. Rendon has been raking to begin the season with a .371/.451/.771 slash line and six home runs in 82 plate appearances.

Kieboom was called up from Triple-A Fresno on Friday.

It was reported Thursday that Kieboom would receive his first promotion to the big leagues, and the Nationals have made that move official. The 21-year-old was putting up some of the best numbers of his minor-league career at Fresno through 18 games this season with a .379/.506/.636 slash line and three home runs. Kieboom -- Washington's top prospect -- figures to take over at shortstop while Trea Turner remains on the injured list with a broken finger.

Kieboom will be promoted from Triple-A Fresno ahead of Friday's game against the Padres, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

With Wilmer Difo struggling and Trea Turner (finger) presumably still multiple weeks away from a return, the Nationals decided to summon Kieboom for the first time in his career. The well-regarded prospect has been on a tear with Fresno, slashing .379/.506/.636 with three homers and a stolen base through 18 games. While it remains to be seen whether he'll be in the starting lineup Friday, Kieboom figures to see his fair share of opportunities during his time with the big club. A corresponding roster move will have to be made Friday.

Segura (hamstring) is on track to be activated from the 10-day injured list Saturday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Segura is expected to rejoin the Phillies ahead of Saturday's game against the Marlins after a minimum stay on the shelf. The shortstop appeared in 16 games prior to landing on the IL, slashing .328/.384/.478 with one homer and one stolen base in those contests.

Senzel (ankle) started in center field for Triple-A Louisville in games Tuesday and Wednesday, going a combined 2-for-8 with a double and a run scored.

Senzel's ability to play on back-to-back days suggests the Reds no longer harbor any concern about the condition of his right ankle, which he sprained late in spring training. After a layoff of nearly a month, Senzel's main focus will be getting regular at-bats to make up for the lost time while continuing to get more comfortable in center field after playing exclusively in the infield prior to 2019. His callup date remains unknown, but Senzel will almost certainly be deployed as the Reds' everyday center fielder once he does receive a long-awaited promotion.

Newman (finger) drew starts in center field and left field during rehab games Tuesday and Wednesday at Triple-A Indianapolis. He went a collective 3-for-7 at the plate between the two games.

Prior to kicking off the rehab assignment, Newman hadn't seen any action in the outfield during his professional career. According to Adam Berry of MLB.com, Newman is scheduled to play his natural position (shortstop) in rehab games Friday and Saturday, so his usage in the outfield may have just been an experiment to gauge his viability as a super-utility player. With four outfielders (Corey Dickerson, Lonnie Chisenhall, Starling Marte and Jose Osuna) already on the 10-day injured list and another banged up (Bryan Reynolds), the Pirates could certainly benefit from adding more depth to that group.

Muncy is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

With the Cubs deploying lefty starting pitchers for each of the last three days, Muncy has been on the bench for every game of the series. Muncy's usage suggests that manager Dave Roberts views him as a pure strong-side platoon player, at least while the team is at full strength. David Freese will garner the start at first base in Muncy's stead.

Vargas will start at second base and bat out of the two hole in Thursday's game against the Pirates.

The Diamondbacks are holding out several regulars for the day game after the night game, opening the door for Vargas to pick up his fourth start of the season. The 27-year-old has displayed some solid contact skills and speed during his time in the minors but has yet to make much of an impression in a limited sample of action at the big-league level (66 wRC+ over 62 plate appearances).