MLB Player News

Moustakas (thumb) is expected to miss roughly 2-3 weeks, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas hit the DL on Saturday after it was revealed that he sustained a fracture to his thumb. Considering the timetable, it doesn't look to be overly severe, but Moustakas, who initially hoped to play through the injury, could still remain out until close to the end of the month.

Ramirez went 3-for-3 with two doubles, five RBI and a walk in Friday's 7-1 victory over the Royals.

The No. 9 hitter came out of nowhere to almost singlehandedly topple the Royals, plating Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, and Lonnie Chisenhall with a two-out double in the third and bringing in Mike Napoli and Chisenhall with another two-out two-bagger in the fifth. The output represented Ramirez's fourth multi-hit outing over the last nine games and raised his batting average to .324. While he's only produced one home run this season, he now has six doubles and 12 RBI.

Escobar (groin) was placed on the 15-day DL on Saturday, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports.

As expected, Escobar will hit the DL after straining his groin during Friday night's game. The Twins will call up Jorge Polanco, who figures to team with Eduardo Nunez to handle most of the shortstop duties in Escobar's absence.

Moustakas (thumb) was diagnosed with a fracture in his thumb and placed on the 15-day DL on Saturday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas missed two games early in the week with a swollen thumb, but he returned to action Wednesday, going 0-for-3 at the plate. The third baseman was then scratched from the lineup Friday, and he'll now hit the DL with the fracture obviously requiring more than a few days off to heal. It's unclear how long the Royals expect Moustakas to remain out, but considering the diagnosis, it's possible he could miss time beyond the allotted 15 days. To fill Moustakas' spot on the roster, Kansas City recalled infielder Cheslor Cuthbert from Triple-A Omaha. He and Christian Colon figure to handle third base as long as Moustakas remains out.

Escobar (groin) is likely headed to the DL after getting injured in Friday's game, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

He left with a strained left groin, so it's not surprising that he will miss at least 15 days with the injury. Eduardo Nunez figures to get a good chunk of the playing time, but Jorge Polanco also figures to get the call from Triple-A to help out at shortstop while Escobar is out.

Escobar exited Friday's tilt with the White Sox early due to a strained left groin, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Escobar was 0-for-1 before leaving Friday's game. He was replaced in the lineup by Eddie Rosario. The severity if of Escobar's injury is currently unknown, but his status for Saturday's contest is certainly up in the air. Expect an update when more information becomes available.

Moustakas (thumb) has been scratched from Friday's lineup, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

He was able to return Wednesday after sitting a couple days with a swollen thumb, but apparently the thumb is still an issue. Christian Colon will take over at third base in Moustakas' absence as Omar Infante mans the keystone. Moustakas currently leads Royals regulars in both home runs (7) and slugging (.536).

Alvarez is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the A's.

With lefty Rich Hill due up for Oakland, Alvarez will head to the bench while Mark Trumbo gets a day off from playing the field. Alvarez has logged all of nine at-bats against lefties thus far, and he's not getting the job done against righties, recording 10 hits and just one home run in 47 at-bats.

Valencia is back in the lineup Friday against the Orioles, batting seventh and playing third base.

Valencia was reinstated off the disabled list earlier in the day Friday, and he'll slot right back into the lineup at the hot corner without spending any time on the bench. The third baseman's .345 OBP should be a nice addition to many fantasy owners' lineups, but his re-entry into the Oakland lineup will make playing time hard to come by for Chris Coghlan, who will likely move back into a reserve role.

Duffy went 3-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored in Thursday's 17-7 loss to the Rockies.

Duffy has gotten off to an inconsistent start in 2016, regularly alternating multi-hit performances with empty stat lines. For example, Thursday's three-hit game followed up an 0-for-10 cold spell. He simply isn't providing enough value at third base outside of deep and NL-only leagues. It may be wise to look at more productive options in standard leagues until he shows more consistency at the plate.