MLB Player News

Moustakas went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run, his 24th of the season, in Tuesday's win over Seattle.

The third baseman continues making a strong case for the final spot on the AL All-Star squad. Moustakas ranks third in the AL in home runs, and his .559 slugging percentage is seventh best in the league. Over his last seven games, Moustakas has eight hits (four long balls), six RBI and seven runs. The 28-year-old is now on pace to challenge 50 homers and 100 RBI this season.

Donaldson extended his slump to 1-for-26 after going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts Tuesday against the Yankees.

The slugger has just one hit over his last eight games, and Donaldson's batting average is down to a season-low .238. He hasn't homered since June 11, and the third baseman owns a 16:6 K:BB over his last 11 contests. To say Donaldson has struggled of late would be an understatement, but the 31-year-old is too good to allow this slump to work its way past the upcoming break.

Chapman will start at third base and bat sixth Tuesday against the White Sox, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The continued absence of Ryon Healy (back) will open up consecutive starts for both Chapman and Rajai Davis, but one of the two players will likely lose out on an everyday role once Healy is cleared to return. Given that the Athletics are 13 games under .500 and probably eager to evaluate younger assets than the 36-year-old Davis, Chapman looks like the better bet to retain regular starts. The 24-year-old, who returned from the disabled list Monday, has gone 3-for-18 with three RBI over his first five games in the big leagues.

Escobar will start at second base and bat fifth in Tuesday's game against the Angels, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Escobar will pick up his fourth consecutive start and fifth in six games, this time as a result of Brian Dozier (back) being given the day off. Dozier is expected to rejoin the lineup Wednesday, but Escobar's ability to play either spot on the left side of the infield or serve as the club's designated hitter will continue to afford him a handful of starts per week. The utility man has provided surprising value for those who have leaned on him in AL-only or deeper mixed leagues, as he's hit .282 while chipping in eight home runs and 26 RBI this season.

Valencia went 3-for-4 in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Royals.

The veteran infielder was responsible for 75 percent of the Mariners' hit output on a night in which the Royals' Ian Kennedy and three relievers stymied their offense. Valencia has four multi-hit efforts in his last eight games, although all but one of the 11 hits he's amassed in those contests have been singles. After a dreadful start at the plate this season, Valencia is now slashing .277/.337/.421 and ranks fourth on the team with 40 RBI. Long known for being particularly effective against left-handed pitching, he's actually been slightly better against righties this season, slashing .278/.328/.429 in 229 plate appearances versus that handedness.

Chapman (knee) was activated from the disabled list Monday.

Chapman was able to get through a pair of minor-league rehab games over the weekend with no issue, clearing the way for him to return to the A's for Monday's series opener against the White Sox. The 24-year-old was slashing .214/.313/.286 in four games for the big club before landing on the disabled list. He should reclaim his role as the starting third baseman upon activation, with Ryon Healy sliding back to DH and Khris Davis returning to the outfield. Matt Olson was optioned to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move.

Segura went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run during Sunday's win over the Angels.

Segura is 14-for-43 through 10 games since returning from the disabled list, and he projects to remain a strong fantasy asset leading off for the Mariners. His year-long numbers are going to suffer from his two DL stints, but he's still posted a rock-solid .846 OPS with five homers, 25 RBI, eight stolen bases and 36 runs through 242 plate appearances.

Moustakas is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins.

Moustakas receives the afternooon off one day after he slugged his team-leading 22nd homer of the season in Game 1 of a doubleheader. It's likely that Moustakas will be back in the lineup Monday against the Mariners to take aim at extending his hitting streak to seven games, but he'll take a seat in favor of Ramon Torres in the series finale.

Longoria went 2-for-5 with an RBI single and two runs in Saturday's 10-3 win over the Orioles.

Longoria opened the scoring on the day when he plated Mallex Smith with a first-inning single, and he went on to produce his third two-hit effort in the last four games. The 31-year-old has upped his batting average in each of the first three months of the season and has boosted his season figure a full 57 points since May 3.

Bregman is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees.

With Bregman on the shelf, Marwin Gonzalez will move over to third base while Norichika Aoki gets the nod in left field. It will be just the second day off since June 18 for Bregman, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Saturday night.