MLB Player News

Moustakas went 1-for-4 with a solo homer Saturday against the Angels.

Moustakas hit his third home run of the season in the eighth inning against Blake Parker. He also extended his hitting streak to seven games, which includes three multihit games, six runs scored, seven RBI and five extra-base hits. He hasn't been affected by an otherwise sluggish Royals offense and should continue to bat third in the lineup.

Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in Saturday's loss to the Red Sox.

The veteran slugger is hot at the plate, as he's now hitting .304 on the season to go with a massive 1.136 OPS. The sample size is small, but it is worth noting that he has an outstanding 8:5 BB:K this year. If he keeps up this good approach, Alvarez could maintain a larger role even after Mark Trumbo (quad) returns from the disabled list.

Asuaje is out of the lineup for the first time Saturday against the Giants.

Asuaje started each of the Padres' first 15 games. His performance has hardly merited such a steady role, though, as he's off to a .185/.249/.278 start at the plate. Cory Spangenberg will start at second base in his place.

Arenado will start his five-game suspension Saturday, which will allow him to be eligible for the Rockies' series against the Cubs next weekend, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

Arenado was levied the suspension stemming from his role in Wednesday's bench-clearing brawl. The third baseman will miss both of this weekend's tilts against Washington and the entire three-game set in Pittsburgh before returning versus Chicago on April 20. In his place, Ryan McMahon will start Saturday and receive a majority of time at the hot corner over the next week.

Candelario went 1-for-5 with home run -- his first of the season -- in Friday's loss to the Yankees.

Candelario has mostly struggled to start the season, as his slash line sits at .200/.290/.364 after Friday's game. It's good to see him connect on his first home run, though, and the Tigers will likely keep the young third baseman in the No. 2 spot in the lineup to see what they have in a rebuilding season. As is the case with many young players, Candelario may not prove to be a consistent performer this year, but the talent is there for some strong performances on occasion.

Rendon (toe) is out of the lineup against the Rockies on Saturday.

Rendon was removed from Friday's contest after fouling a pitch off his left toe. Though Rendon's X-rays came back clean, manager Davey Martinez will give the third baseman a day off to recover. In his place, Matt Reynolds will draw a start at the hot corner.

Chapman went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Mariners.

The 24-year-old now has five homers and 12 RBI through 14 games to go along with a surprising .358 (19-for-53) batting average. Don't expect that batting average to last -- his 81 percent contact rate is almost certainly unsustainable for a player who was usually in the high 60s in the minors -- but Chapman's power is very much for real, and 30 or even 40 home runs in his first full MLB campaign is entirely within his reach.

Devers went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Friday's win over the Orioles.

The double was Devers' fifth on the season, and he's hitting .271 with one home run and 10 RBI in 12 games. Batting near the middle of the lineup is giving Devers some RBI opportunities, and he's been taking advantage so far.

Rendon exited Friday's loss to the Rockies after fouling a pitch off his left toe, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

The good news for Rendon is that X-rays came back negative, but his status for Saturday's game remains uncertain. The 27-year-old will see how he feels in the morning and determine his status from. Wilmer Difo is the likely candidate to step in at third base if Rendon -- who should be considered day-to-day -- is ultimately unable to play Saturday.

Longoria is slashing a meager .163/.182/.302 through 11 games in his first season with San Francisco.

The veteran went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's win over the Padres, but useful stat lines like those have been few and far between at the onset of the 2018 campaign. Longoria saw his production tail off last year (.261/.313/.424 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI) from his impressive 2016 season, but even those totals weren't far off from what he provided in 2014 and 2015. It is still early, so owners shouldn't jump ship and assume that this anemic production will stick all year. Longoria's teammate, Andrew McCutchen, proved that players can turn their early season slump around in just a game or two, so practice patience with your proven vets this early.