MLB Player News

Moustakas went 2-for-6 with his eighth homer and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Rays.

He'd been patently awful over his last nine games, going 6-for-37 (.162) with no homers and nine strikeouts. Moustakas tends to be a streaky hitter, so this could be the start of a powerful stretch from him. The 28-year-old's counting stats have been rather disappointing, but it won't take that much of a rally for him to pull them back in line with expectations.

Candelario will start at third base and bat cleanup in Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Rockies, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Candelario will step into a prominent spot in his third career major-league start, batting fourth against lefty Kyle Freeland. As the designated 26th man for Tuesday's twin bill, Candelario will have to head back down to the minors following the nightcap. However, Candelario is batting .340/.443/.649 in 115 plate appearances at Triple-A Iowa this season and it may not be long before he forces his way up for good.

Moncada is going to be with Triple-A Charlotte for a while, according to general manager Rick Hahn, CSN Chicago's Dan Hayes reports.

While Moncada has cut down on his strikeouts of late (seven in his last 39 at-bats), the White Sox apparently want to see "all the proof" that the top prospect in baseball is ready to return to the big leagues after he struggled mightily in a brief sampling last September. Those who were banking on a promotion shortly after May 13, when the White Sox would gain an extra year of control, will apparently have to wait until perhaps June or July. Of course, this tactic should make it more likely that Moncada hits the ground running when he does arrive. He has 30/30 potential down the road, and could still be a major asset down the stretch in single-season leagues. His owners just need to be patient.

Asche is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins.

Asche is not in the lineup against southpaw Hector Santiago after picking up consecutive starts before the off day. Matt Davidson will serve as the designated hitter in his place. The 26-year-old is off to a slow start this season, slashing just .107/.180/.179 through 56 at-bats.

Candelario will be added as the 26th man for Tuesday's doubleheader with the Rockies, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

MLB rules allow teams to add a player to their 25-man rosters for doubleheaders, so the Cubs will call up Candelario. The young third baseman will provide depth on Tuesday, but is likely ticketed for a return to Triple-A Iowa after the two games.

Newman, 23, is hitting .260/.327/.350 with one home run and seven RBI through 24 games for Double-A Altoona.

Newman certainly showed he could handle the bat in 2016, hitting .366 at High-A before ending the season at Double-A. He has returned to the same level with mixed results. While he has an advanced approach at the dish, he managed just five home runs and 10 steals last year. As a result, he may not prove much of a fantasy asset.

Plouffe went 2-for-4 with a double and solo home run in Monday's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Angels.

The veteran slugger's bat may finally be awakening, with Monday's outing marking his second straight two-hit effort. Despite just a .250 average over the last five games, Plouffe is boasting an impressive 41.2 percent hard contact rate over that span. However, the fact that he's still striking out at a 29.5 percent clip is helping keep his OBP at an unsightly .277.

Duffy (heel) is expected to start his minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Charlotte on Tuesday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After an encouraging day of workouts Monday that saw him push his running to 90 percent, it appears Duffy is finally nearing a return to big-league action. While manager Kevin Cash refused to specify how long the rehab assignment might be, Duffy said he hopes to be back with the Rays in around two weeks. The 26-year-old is expected to take over for Tim Beckham as the primary shortstop upon his activation.

Donaldson (calf), who was previously expected to return during the nine-game homestand that begins Monday, still does not have an exact timetable to come off the disabled list, Jeff Odom of MLB.com reports.

The Jays are currently having Donaldson rehab on an anti-gravity treadmill; he's used up to 60 percent of his body weight thus far. Before he's cleared to return, Donaldson will need to run with 100 percent of his body weight, then move on to running the bases at game speed. In addition to progressing through his running program, Donaldson will most likely embark on a short rehab assignment to get his timing back at the plate.

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

Moustakas will head to the bench as Cheslor Cuthbert gets the start at third base in his stead. Although he hasn't connected on a long ball yet in April, Moustakas is leading the Royals with seven homers this year, putting him in position to make a run at surpassing his career high of 22 homers, set back in 2015.