MLB Player News

Muncy went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's loss to the Padres.

Muncy's solo blast was his 21st, and it broke up San Diego starter Eric Lauer's bid for a complete game shutout with two outs in the ninth inning. The breakout 27-year-old has continued to excel in July, smacking four homers in the month -- all solo shots -- to go along with a .313 average and a .450 OBP over nine games.

Arenado went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Tuesday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

It was Arenado's 23rd home run -- moving him into a tie with Jesus Aguilar for the NL lead -- and fifth in his last 11 games. The 27-year-old is hitting .333 in July and is well on his way to another terrific season. Approaching the All-Star break, he's driven in 64 runs to go along with a .309/.393/.593 line.

Plouffe's contract was selected by the Phillies on Tuesday.

Plouffe was called upon to provide a veteran bat off the bench and the ability to fill in at multiple positions around the diamond. Neither the bat nor the glove are particularly good, though, as the 32-year-old has posted a .242/.304/.410 in parts of eight big-league seasons and a negative UZR at every position other than first base. Dylan Cozens was optioned in a corresponding move, with Pedro Florimon transferred to the 60-day disabled list to clear room on the 40-man roster.

Asuaje is out of Monday's lineup against the Dodgers.

He will take a seat with lefty Clayton Kershaw on the hill for the Dodgers. Righty-hitting Jose Pirela will start at second base and hit sixth.

Rivera entered Sunday's win over the Nats in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter, going 1-for-1 with a run scored and a stolen base.

The 26-year-old is back to coming off the bench now that Martin Prado has rejoined the lineup, and Rivera's .202/.316/.253 slash line on the season may keep him there even if injuries open up playing time around the Marlins' infield again. He currently qualifies at second base, third base and shortstop in most leagues and could add first base and outfield to his portfolio in the second half, but even in deep NL-only leagues, there's little reason to carry him on a fantasy roster.

Asuaje will start at second base and bat second in the order Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Asuaje began his recent callup with a four-game hit streak, and though he's hitless in his last two, Sunday will mark his third start in the last four games for the Padres. He seems to have more than a slight chance of eventually passing Jose Pirela on the depth chart, as Pirela owns a .619 OPS since June 1. Asuaje also typically hits second in the order when he starts, which could allow for plenty of run-scoring opportunities in front of the likes of Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers.

Rendon is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Marlins, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Rendon had started 46 consecutive games for the Nationals, so this is just likely a rest day for the third baseman. The 28-year-old has a .280/.347/.511 slash line with 12 home runs in 264 at-bats. Mark Reynolds draws the start at third base in his stead Sunday.

Suarez went 2-for-3 with two walks and a three-run homer in Saturday's 8-7 loss to the Cubs.

He extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his 18th home run of the year in the third inning, but Suarez has been locked in at the plate for a lot longer than that. The 26-year-old is hitting .320 (39-for-122) with eight home runs, 21 runs and 23 RBI in 32 games since the beginning of June, pushing his slash line on the season to .312/.402/.580.

Anderson is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Nationals, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Anderson has started all 90 games this year but will take a seat Saturday as he is slashing only .162/.279/.351 over the last 10 games. The 25-year-old has a .284 average, a .774 OPS and a team-leading 44 RBI in 2018.

Longoria (hand) is close to taking ground balls and hitting off a tee, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Longoria continues to make steady progress after undergoing hand surgery June 19, as he's nearing the next step in his recovery. Manager Bruce Bochy stated he hopes Longoria will be activated from the disabled list sometime during the first week in August.