MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Muncy (oblique) has started taking swings off a tee, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Muncy did not feel any soreness in his right oblique while swinging off a tee, as he continues to move in a positive direction with his recovery. It's not clear what the next step is for the third baseman, but he could be ready to take batting practice soon.

The Red Sox announced that Mayer underwent a successful right wrist arthroscopy Wednesday, Lauren Campbell of MassLive.com reports.

After initially spraining his wrist in late July, Mayer had hoped that a cortisone shot plus extended rest and recovery time would be enough for him to heal up from the injury and return to action before the end of the season, but surgery was ultimately deemed necessary. Mayer has now sustained season-ending injuries in each of the last three years, as his 2023 campaign was cut short by a shoulder injury, and his 2024 season ended prematurely due to lumbar strain. The 22-year-old -- who previously suffered the same wrist injury in 2022 but avoided surgery -- will face a three-month recovery timeline from his procedure, putting him on track to be back to full health ahead of spring training. Mayer will likely need a strong camp to solidify himself as an everyday player for the Red Sox heading into 2026, after he produced a .228/.272/.402 slash line with a 30.1 percent strikeout rate over 136 plate appearances with Boston prior to being shut down with the sprained wrist.

Karros is out of the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Dodgers.

Karros will miss a second straight start while he deals with back tightness. He's considered day-to-day and will attempt to return to the lineup sometime over the weekend in Pittsburgh. Orlando Arcia will man the hot corner and bat eighth for the Rockies on Thursday.

Jung is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

After starting at third base and going 0-for-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win while lefty Noah Cameron was on the hill for Kansas City, the right-handed-hitting Jung will head back to the bench as the Royals send righty Michael Lorenzen to the bump for the series finale. Jung has now been held out of the lineup for four straight matchups versus righties and looks to have moved into a platoon role after slashing just .163/.217/.279 so far in August. Cody Freeman will draw the start at the hot corner Thursday, but super-utility player Josh Smith is more likely to occupy the strong side of a platoon at third base with Jung once right fielder Adolis Garcia (ankle) returns from the injured list.

Shaw is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Brewers.

Shaw slugged his 11th home run of the season in Wednesday's 4-3 victory but will get a breather in Thursday's series finale. Willi Castro will man third base and bat seventh for the Cubs.

Arcia went 1-for-2 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Arcia drew the start at third base with Kyle Karros (back) sidelined, and he's now been in the lineup twice across four games since being activated from the injured list. He drew his two RBI with a sacrifice fly and an infield single and also tallied an insurance run in the sixth inning. Assuming Karros is able to avoid the injured list, Arcia will likely shift to a bench role moving forward.

Baty went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Nationals.

Starting at third base and batting seventh, Baty took Brad Lord deep in the fifth inning to get the Mets on the board as they attempted to rally from an early 4-0 deficit. Baty has homered four times in his last eight games, hitting .370 (10-for-27) over that stretch with a steal, six runs and six RBI while seizing an everyday role in the lineup between the hot corner and the keystone.

Jung started at third base and went 0-for-2 in Wednesday's 6-3 win over Kansas City.

Jung returned to the starting lineup after getting a three-game break, but his night ended after five innings. Josh Smith entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth against right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke. It looked like a brief July stint in the minors had straightened out Jung, who went 13-for-34 (.382) with four walks, three home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored over his first 11 games back in the majors. Since then, however, the third baseman is batting .128 with two walks and two RBI over 12 games.

Machado went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in an 8-1 win against the Giants on Sunday.

Machado flashed his power with a 425-foot solo blast in the third inning. The long ball was his first since July 29 -- a span of 19 games. The veteran third baseman had only four RBI during that homerless span, and the Padres could really benefit if he's able to turn things around down the stretch. Despite the recent struggles, Machado still has a healthy 21 home runs and 74 RBI on the campaign, and his .837 OPS is on pace to be his best mark since 2022.

Moncada went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 2-1 win against the Reds on Wednesday.

Offense was sparse on both sides, and Moncada hit the only homer in the contest with a solo shot to center field in the fourth inning. The long ball snapped a 20-game homer drought for the third baseman dating back to July 19. Moncada batted a meager .208 with 19 strikeouts during that rough stretch, though he may be turning things around -- over his past eight contests, he's batting .333 (8-for-24) with three extra-base hits and four RBI.