MLB Player News

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson hit two home runs in Tuesday's win over Philadelphia.

Donaldson went 3 for 4 with three runs scored and four RBI. He has 33 home runs on the year and three multi-homer games this season.

The two-home game was his first since May 26.

A shoulder injury is sidelining Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela for a second straight game. Urshela is being held out of Tuesday's starting lineup against the Red Sox. 

Mike Aviles will cover the hot corner on Tuesday while Urshela recovers.

A sore shoulder has the Indians giving rookie third baseman Giovanny Urshela a break Monday in Boston per MLB.com. Mike Aviles is set to man the position instead.

Urshela, who should return to the lineup Tuesday, has been a mainstay since his promotion. But he has slumped recently with just three hits in his last 26 at-bats and five no-hit games in the last seven. His average has dropped from .251 to .234 during that stretch.

Danny Valencia returned to the Athletics' lineup on Sunday. 

Valencia was scratched from Saturday's game after struggling with back and hamstring issues. 

On Sunday, he'll start at third for the seventh time in 11 games since joining the team. He also has two starts at DH. 

Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar isn't in the starting lineup for Sunday's game.

Replacing him at short is Eduardo Nunez, who gets his 18th start of the year and third in the last five games. 

The Twins gave Joe Mauer a break from playing the field on Sunday. Mauer will start at DH for the 14th time this year and third time in the last seven games. 

Regular third baseman Trevor Plouffe moves across the diamond to first base to replace Mauer in the field. Plouffe gets his ninth start there. 

Regular DH Miguel Sano moves to third base for the sixth time this year. 

Giants hot-hitting third baseman Matt Duffy certainly made the most of his two doubles Saturday night against Washington.

His first cleared the bases in the third inning and provided a lead his team would not relinquish. The second drove in a run in the eighth.

Duffy has five hits and seven RBI over his last two games. His latest effort sweetened his slash line to .310/.346/.475. His slugging percentage is at its highest point since July 2.

Danny Valencia has been scratched from the Athletics' lineup on Saturday against the Orioles. Valencia had been penciled in to play third base, but he is dealing with soreness in his back and hamstring.

Brett Lawrie, who originally had the day off on Saturday, will handle the hot corner and bat sixth.

Giants third baseman Matt Duffy led the charge against Max Scherzer and the Nationals on Friday night. Duffy was perfect at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a walk and finished a triple shy of the cylce. He also drove in three runs and scored one of his own, as the Giants topped the Nats 8-5.

Duffy got the scoring started for the Giants, as he hit a solo home run in the first inning to tie the game at 1-1. He added in an RBI double in the next inning, as part of a four-run second. 

"Typically, if you can get a guy to throw pitches over the middle of the plate and take advantage of him, that's when good things happen," Duffy said, per MLB.com. "We got a few pitches over the middle and we were able to capitalize."

It's the fifth time this season that Duffy has finished a game one hit away from hitting for the cycle.

Slumping second baseman Anthony Rendon and left fielder Jayson Werth have both been benched by the Nationals for the Friday night game in San Francisco. Danny Espinosa and Clint Robinson will assume those positions, respectively.

Rendon hasn't produced a multi-hit game since Aug. 2. He is 7-for-38 since then. Werth has just five hits in 42 at-bats this month.