MLB Player News

Duffy has progressed to light baseball activities but is being conservative with his recovery in hopes that his back spasms don't flare up, per MLB.com.

Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad indicated July 15 that Duffy has been able to play catch and swing a bat, but the veteran infielder hasn't yet started a rehab assignment. He last played June 26 before departing with what was later diagnosed as lower back spasms. Duffy slashed .261/.308/.291 with no homers, seven runs and five RBI over 143 plate appearances before landing on the IL.

Jung (shoulder) is taking batting practice and is on track to serve as the designated hitter in minor-league games during the 2022 season, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Jung has been sidelined all season after undergoing shoulder surgery, but he is currently at the team's spring training facility and is expected to participate in sim games shortly. From there, he'll likely go on a rehab assignment and could be activated from the injured list in time to play in a few games with Triple-A Round Rock prior to the end of the campaign.

Madrigal (groin) will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Iowa, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Madrigal was shut down for nearly two weeks after aggravating a groin injury in a rehab game earlier this month, but he is ready to get back on field. It's not clear how many games he will play with Iowa before being deemed ready to return, but expect the Cubs to proceed with caution.

Segura (finger) hopes to begin a rehab assignment next week, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Segura resumed hitting in a cage and fielding grounders last week and is close to returning to game action. It's not yet clear when the 32-year-old will report to a minor-league affiliate, but he's hoping he can rejoin the Phillies in early August following a road trip to Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

Sosa (leg) isn't starting Friday against the Reds, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Sosa exited Saturday's game against Cincinnati with an apparent leg injury and won't be in the lineup for the Cardinals' first game after the All-Star break. The team wants to give him an additional day of rest, but he'll be available off the bench if needed, Denton reports.

Moustakas isn't starting Friday against the Cardinals.

Moustakas was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Monday but won't be in the lineup for the Reds' first game following the All-Star break. Donovan Solano will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth.

Longoria went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 9-6 loss to the Dodgers.

When healthy, Longoria has shown solid power numbers with nine homers and a .469 slugging percentage through 47 contests this year. The third baseman has slashed .304/.394/.536 with four long balls, seven RBI and 11 runs scored since June 20, though he also had a minimum stay on the injured list with an oblique injury in that span.

Bregman went 4-for-8 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored across both games of Thursday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Bregman collected a pair of hits in each game and also slugged his 12th home run of the season in the second contest. He's shown an uptick in power for much of July, going yard three times while also racking up four doubles to maintain a .528 slugging percentage across his last 14 games. Overall, Bregman is hitting .245/.359/.420 across 382 plate appearances on the campaign.

Candelario went 3-for-7 with a solo home run and two runs scored across both games of Thursday's doubleheader against the Athletics.

The home run in Game 1 was Candelario's seventh of the year and second this month. The 28-year-old has seen a dip in playing time recently, though he did start both contests Thursday at third base. Candelario will continue to jockey with Willi Castro and Harold Castro for playing time, and the former will need to improve his .198 average and .590 OPS if he wants to hold off his challengers down the stretch.

LeMahieu is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader at Houston.

LeMahieu hit leadoff in Game 1 and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks, and he'll rest in the nightcap on the first day of the season's second half. Matt Carpenter will start at first base while Aaron Judge rests his legs as the designated hitter.