MLB Player News

Suarez is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Twins.

Suarez had started each of the previous eight games but went just 2-for-24 over that stretch to drop his season-long batting line down to .192/.274/.312. The Diamondbacks will give Kevin Newman a start at third base Thursday.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs in a loss to the Angels on Wednesday.

Fresh off a three-hit night Tuesday, Alvarez drew a second consecutive start and continued contributing in small-ball fashion Wednesday. The 29-year-old rookie's stolen base was a nice bonus, as he's not been very prolific in that category throughout his long minor-league career (28-for-42 across 709 games). Alvarez's encouraging play could continue to allow him to carve out semi-regular playing time around the infield for the time being, with Abraham Toro's (hamstring) recent placement on the IL being the primary catalyst for the former's long-awaited arrival in the big leagues.

Wendzel started at third base and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Milwaukee.

With Corey Seager resting, Josh Smith started at shortstop, opening up third base for Wendzel. Prior to Wednesday, that used to mean Ezequiel Duran would play the hot corner, but the Rangers optioned the underperforming Duran to Triple-A Round Rock amid a mini roster shakeup. Wendzel is 6-for-40 with a home run, two doubles and two RBI over 23 games this season. Eventually, Josh Jung (wrist) will return to solidify third base.

Miranda went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI in Wednesday's win over the Diamondbacks while also drawing a walk.

Miranda kicked off the scoring for Minnesota with a three-run double in the second and went on to reach base four times in the contest -- which he's now done twice in his last three games. It marked the third time that the third baseman has driven in three runs and logged multiple hits over his last five contests, increasing his average to .329 in June. Miranda has also drawn a walk in four straight games.

Espinal started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to Pittsburgh.

Espinal started at third base for the seventh time in the last eight games, as Jeimer Candelario's knee and hamstring issues are impacting his usage. Candelario, who sat out Wednesday, has been used at first base or DH in four of his last five games. Espinal is 5-for-25 with a walk, a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored over his last seven games.

The Brewers recalled Dunn from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday and placed him on the 10-day injured list with a back strain.

Dunn was optioned to Nashville last week, but it turns out that he had been dealing with a back injury so he will go on the IL instead. It's not clear how long he might be sidelined, but the infielder could be optioned again once he's healthy.

Arias went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a stolen base against Baltimore in a loss Wednesday.

Arias accounted for two of Cleveland's five hits in the defeat and plated the team's final run with his fifth-inning solo homer. The utility man has perked up at the plate of late, batting an even .400 (10-for-25) with a pair of long balls and five RBI over his past nine games. Arias missed some time due to a family medical emergency during that span and isn't an everyday player for the Guardians, so the hot stretch extends back to the beginning of June.

Noel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Orioles.

Noel enjoyed a storybook first big-league plate appearance, blasting a solo shot 413 feet to center field. The 22-year-old was promoted from Triple-A earlier in the day after blazing to a .295/.359/.578 slash line with 18 homers and 59 RBI over 65 games with Columbus. Noel's power is unquestioned -- he went deep 27 times at Triple-A last season -- though he has had some strikeout issues during his time in the minors. There isn't an obvious path to everyday at-bats with the big club, but if Joel is productive, he could work his way into fairly regular playing time by moving between first base, the corner-outfield spots and designated hitter.

Arenado went 1-for-8 over both games of Wednesday's doubleheader versus Atlanta.

Arenado played all 18 innings Wednesday at third base in his return from a left forearm injury. He didn't make much of an impact at the plate, but it's encouraging to see the 33-year-old play both halves of the twin bill. He's down to a .254/.310/.364 slash line with six home runs, 32 RBI, 26 runs scored and one stolen base over 73 contests this year. The Cardinals have occasionally used Brandon Crawford and Brendan Donovan at the hot corner, and they could continue to be an option there if Arenado is out of the lineup or limited to designated hitter at any point in the future, as his forearm issue is believed to be a lingering one.

Biggio is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

The lefty-hitting Biggio has typically only sat against left-handed starting pitchers since joining the Dodgers earlier this month, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday while right-hander Erick Fedde takes the hill for the White Sox. Enrique Hernandez steps in for Biggio at third base.