MLB Player News

Moustakas (knee) underwent surgery to repair his torn ACL on Thursday and he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2017 season, Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City reports.

Moustakas was ruled out for the season in late May after what was initially diagnosed as a knee contusion turned out to be a torn ACL. In his absence, the Royals have been turning to a mix of Chelsor Cuthbert and Whit Merrifield to take Moustakas' place at third base. Fortunately, Moustakas' surgery Thursday was deemed a success by Dr. James Andrews, so he figures to begin rehab in the near future with the goal of being ready for Opening Day in 2017.

Asche is in the lineup and batting sixth for Thursday's game against the Brewers Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

After battling an oblique injury since the end of February, Asche is finally fully healthy and ready to make his season debut. The 25-year-old hit .245 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI in 2015 with the Phillies and will look to compete for everyday playing time in the outfield.

Asche (oblique) was activated from the 15-day DL on Thursday.

Asche has yet to play a game at the big league level but he appears to finally be ready for action. The former fourth-round pick has struggled in his rehab starts at Triple-A, hitting just .200/.231/.520 with two home runs and four RBI through six games. Asche will likely serve as depth at third base, first base, and could snag a starting outfield spot upon his return, while David Lough was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Alvarez went 3-for-5 with a RBI and scored a run in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

Alvarez has failed to produce much in his first 36 games with Baltimore, slashing just .213/.306/.370 through 108 at-bats. He's never hit much for average (career .234 hitter), but the 29-year-old's power outage is a major concern. Many thought a move to the AL would ignite Alvarez, who was embarrassingly bad playing the field for the Pirates over the past six seasons, but he's actually performing worse than ever at the plate through the first two months of the 2016 campaign.

Duffy (wrist) is back in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Braves.

After a one-game absence due to a sore wrist, Duffy returns to the lineup Wednesday and will hit third in the order against Williams Perez. With his return, Conor Gillaspie will return to his role off the bench Wednesday.

Valencia went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBI and two runs in Tuesday's win against the Twins.

The third baseman's riding career-best marks in average, OBP and slugging, with his slash line sitting at .333/.370/.558. He's now played in a season-high 18 straight contests and seemingly has moved past the hamstring issue that sent him to the DL in late April.

Escobar is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the A's, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

He will sit for the second time in eight games since his return from a groin injury, as Eduardo Nunez takes over at shortstop. Escobar should continue to play regularly for Minnesota, but he's still without a home run through 34 games after launching 12 homers in 127 games a year ago.

Segura went 1-for-5 with a double and two RBI Tuesday against Houston.

The leadoff man only recorded one hit, but he made it count as it was a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning. Segura has recorded hits in three straight games, and his average remains above the .300 mark even though he's hit only .186 over the past 10 games. As long as he makes contact, he will be fine.

Duffy (wrist) is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Braves.

Duffy was removed from Monday's game after taking a pitch off the wrist. While X-rays returned negative, Duffy will sit out Tuesday while dealing with residual soreness and swelling, and he should continue to be considered day-to-day. Conor Gillaspie will get the nod at third base Tuesday.

Suarez went 2-for-5 with a single and homer Monday against the Rockies, the homer being his first since May 18.

It's a testament to how well he hit in April that he's still slugging .408 despite a lengthy slump. He still struck out two more times Monday, giving him a disturbing 53 strikeouts in 184 at-bats.