MLB Player News

LeMahieu (back) will start at second base and bat leadoff Sunday against the Mariners, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

LeMahieu was held out of Saturday's 4-1 win with lower-back tightness, affording Pat Valaika a turn at the keystone. The injury was never considered significant, and the fact that LeMahieu was included in the starting nine for the Rockies' final game before the All-Star break rather than being rested implies as much.

Asuaje went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's loss to the Cubs.

Asuaje has wrestled the Padres' starting second base job (against righties) from Jose Pirela, slashing .353/.476/.441 in 42 plate appearances since being recalled from the minors at the beginning of July. The 26-year-old doesn't provide much in the power department -- just one extra-base hit over that span -- but he can help deep-league owners in terms of batting average and run production while batting second in the order.

LeMahieu's late scratch Saturday was due to lower-back tightness, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Given the timing of the injury, it wouldn't be surprising if LeMahieu were also held out Sunday in order to rest until after the All-Star break, though no official timeline has been announced. Pat Valaika will enter Colorado's lineup as the second baseman.

LeMahieu was scratched from Saturday's game against the Mariners for undisclosed reasons, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

LeMahieu was not battling any injuries recently, but the reason for his absence should become clear soon. Pat Valaika will start at second base in his place.

Muncy went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI in the Dodgers' 3-2 victory over the Angels on Friday.

Muncy kept his ridiculous power binge right on rolling with his latest homer, a first-inning blast off Felix Pena that leaves him with 22 long balls on the season. It seems unlikely that he'll keep his OPS up around its current mark of 1.032 all year, but Muncy has legitimately been functioning as one of the best hitters in baseball through 217 at-bats. There's simply no reason to consider getting off this train until he shows signs of slowing down.

Suarez went 3-for-5 with three doubles and a pair of runs in Cincinnati's 9-1 over St. Louis on Friday.

Suarez's monster campaign continues, with this three-double performance boosting his OPS to a ridiculous .990 through 290 at-bats. The 26-year-old is fully deserving of the All-Star nod he received for his first-half efforts, and he looks poised to continue delivering huge returns throughout the season.

Longoria (hand) is 7-to-10 days from beginning a minor-league rehab stint, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Longoria managed to take some swings in the cage Friday. He continues to eye an early-August, although he'll likely need a fair amount of at-bats in the minor leagues following surgery on his left hand.

Riley (knee) went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Riley has been on the minor-league disabled list since early June with a right knee sprain, and Thursday was his first game back with the Stripers. The 21-year-old also had a six-game rehab stint with the Rookie-level GCL Braves. Riley has a .283/.347/.425 slash line in 27 games with Gwinnett since being promoted from Double-A in early May, although his 39 strikeouts in 106 at-bats could use some improvement..

Rendon went 3-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored Thursday against the Mets.

Rendon was a one-man wrecking crew Thursday, accounting for all three of the earned runs that Steven Matz allowed by launching home runs in each of his first two at-bats. He now has 15 home runs for the season, nine of which have come since June 21. That stretch has brought his slugging percentage up to .534, equaling the career-best mark he set in 2017.

LeMahieu went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a walk and four runs Wednesday in the Rockies' 19-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

After a 2-for-18 slide at the plate for the past four games, LeMahieu busted out in a big way Wednesday along with a number of his teammates. The pair of two-baggers boosted LeMahieu's season count to 21, putting him well in striking range of surpassing the career-high 32 he tallied in 2016. With eight home runs on the campaign as well, LeMahieu is on pace to reach double digits in the category for only the second time in his career.