MLB Player News

Duffy (back) is out of the lineup Tuesday against Cleveland.

Duffy remains day-to-day with back tightness, Juan Toribio of The Athletic reports. He'll be available to pinch hit if needed but doesn't expect to return to the starting lineup until Friday. Joey Wendle starts at third base in his absence, opening up second base for Brandon Lowe.

Devers is on the bench against lefty Ryan Borucki and the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Since returning from his hamstring injury, Devers has started two of three games against righties and zero of three games against lefties. His role is clearly diminished heading into the final weeks of the regular season. Eduardo Nunez will get the call at third Tuesday.

Donaldson (calf) was activated from the disabled list as expected Tuesday. He'll bat fifth and play third base against the Rays in his Cleveland debut.

Donaldson hasn't played in a big-league game since late May. He will likely be eased back into action after the long layoff, and he hit just .234/.333/.423 prior to being shut down. If the time off has allowed him to get anywhere close to his previous form, however, he'll be a weapon for the Indians and for fantasy owners down the stretch.

Escobar went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run Monday in the Diamondbacks' 13-2 loss to the Rockies.

It was Escobar's first multi-hit effort since Aug. 18, with the third baseman slashing a lowly .176/.260/.294 in the 19 games in between. While the prolonged slump has come at an unwelcome time with the Arizona offense struggling as a whole, Escobar has more than justified his low cost of acquisition in drafts and auctions heading into the season. The 29-year-old sits on a career-best .271 average and has already established personal highs in RBI (79), runs (68), hits (137) and doubles (45), with his mark in the last category trailing only the Astros' Alex Bregman (49) for the major-league lead.

LeMahieu went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI in Monday's win over the Diamondbacks.

LeMahieu registered his fifth straight multi-hit game, raising his average to .278. He's also shown more power this season with a career-high 14 home runs despite missing time with a thumb injury. He'll look to keep the hot streak going as the Rockies continue their crucial series with Arizona.

Ramirez will play second base once Josh Donaldson (calf) returns from the disabled list Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Donaldson is slated to take over at the hot corner upon his return, pushing Jose Ramirez to second base and Jason Kipnis to the outfield for the stretch run. The soon-to-be 26-year-old Ramirez split time between third base and the keystone in 2017, though he's worked primarily at the hot corner this season. He's in the midst of an MVP-caliber year, slashing .282/.395/.574 with 37 homers, 97 RBI and 30 stolen bases.

Donaldson (calf) will be activated from the disabled list Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Donaldson is set to join the Indians on Tuesday when first eligible to return from the 10-day disabled list. The 32-year-old is expected to play third base Tuesday and Friday while being available off the bench for Wednesday's series finale. Jose Ramirez will move to second base upon Donaldson's return, with Jason Kipnis shifting to center field and Greg Allen to a reserve role. Donaldson has been limited to just 36 games this season due to shoulder and calf injuries, hitting .234/.333/.423 with five homers in those contests.

Duffy is not in the lineup Monday against the Indians due to back tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's unclear when the issue crept up on Duffy, but it helps explain why he's on the bench Monday for the second time in three days. He'll be further evaluated in the coming days to determine the severity of the issue. In the meantime, Joey Wendle is starting at the hot corner Monday, with Brandon Lowe picking up a start at the keystone.

Muncy sits for the third straight day Monday against the Reds as the Dodgers face their third consecutive lefty in Cody Reed.

Muncy has now started against every righty while sitting against every lefty over the Dodgers' last 21 games. He actually hasn't demonstrated any noticeable platoon split this season, posting a 155 wRC+ against lefties and a 157 wRC+ against righties, but he appears to be locked into that role going forward. David Freese starts at first base in his place Monday.

Duffy is not in the lineup Monday against the Indians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy has started six of the team's eight games in September, slashing a solid .308/.400/.385 with seven RBI over that stretch. He'll head to the bench for Monday's series opener against Corey Kluber and the Indians, with Joey Wendle sliding over to cover third base and Brandon Lowe picking up a start at the keystone.