MLB Player News

Plouffe is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Plouffe returned from the DL last Monday following a rib injury, but he hasn't immediately been handed back an everyday role at third base. He'll sit for the fourth time in eight games, paving the way for Jorge Polanco to log another start at the hot corner. Look for manager Paul Molitor to juggle three players (Plouffe, Polanco and Eduardo Escobar) for two lineup spots (third base and shortstop) over the next several days, with the hottest hitters likely seeing the most at-bats.

Peterson is out of the lineup Sunday against the Nationals.

Peterson will have a maintenance day as Gordon Beckham starts at second and bats sixth. The club has Monday off, so look for Peterson to return to his spot in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins.

Moncada is likely to be playing third base in the Arizona Fall Leauge, Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe reports.

The organization recognizes the athletic ability in Moncada, who made his first start at the hot corner Friday night for Double-A Portland. His initial exposure to baseball in the States has been spent getting him comfortable while playing a position he knows well, before transitioning him to third base, a position of uncertainty at the major league level. Having him start the 2017 season as Boston's Opening Day third baseman might be a reach, but he's close to major-league ready and should see MLB at some point next season.

Reynolds was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, ESPN's Adam Rubin reports.

With the activation of Jose Reyes to play shortstop while Asdrubal Cabrera is on the DL, Reynolds was no longer needed to provide infield depth at the big league level. Reynolds posted a .211/.231/.382 slash line with two home runs and a 36.3-percent strikeout rate in 80 plate appearances with the Mets this season.

LeMahieu went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and walk in Friday's 10-6 loss to the Phillies.

The second baseman provided the second of back-to-back dingers in the ninth to close the Rockies' deficit to 10-6, which ended up being the final score. LeMahieu has now hit safely in four straight and is slashing .400/.529/.575 over 40 at-bats in August.

Longoria went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, solo homer and a walk in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Yankees.

The veteran third baseman continued his best season in years with a 403-foot solo shot to left to open the scoring in the first, and then followed up with an RBI single in the third that plated Bobby Wilson. Longoria now has multi-hit efforts in three of his last six contests and five RBI over the last three games.

Rendon went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 8-5 loss to the Braves.

The veteran third baseman is enjoying a successful August, now having hit safely in five straight and reaching safely in 18 consecutive games overall dating back to July 22. The home run was his first since July 30 and he's now slashing .344/.421/.625 over 32 at-bats this month.

Peterson went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs in an 8-5 victory over the Nationals on Friday.

He extended the Braves' lead to 2-0 in the second with a 398-foot solo shot, and later came home on Anthony Recker's blast in the sixth. It was Peterson's first round-tripper since July 22 versus and only his fourth hit in 26 at-bats in August.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.

With the Orioles playing in an NL park this weekend, they'll have to make do without the luxury of a DH. Alvarez is the odd man out Friday, and his lack of viability as a defender could prevent him from starting any game this weekend. He'll likely get a few at-bats as a pinch hitter during the interleague series, however.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin wouldn't commit to Asche returning to Philadelphia when rosters expand in September, Meghan Montemurro of the News-Journal reports.

The Phillies would like Asche to work between first and third base at Triple-A to increase his versatility and value to the team. The 26-year-old has seen his numbers decrease each of his last three seasons for the Phillies.