MLB Player News

Valencia is day-to-day with right hamstring tightness, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Valencia was a late scratch from Sunday's home contest against the Rangers with an undisclosed issue, which has now been addressed as what sounds like a minor concern. The utility man hasn't exactly been an asset at the dish thus far in 2017 with his new team (.219, 11 RBI, 10 runs in 96 at-bats), so his absence shouldn't make many fantasy waves. Taylor Motter took Valencia's place at first base Sunday.

Valencia was scratched from Sunday's lineup for an undisclosed reason, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.

Valencia had been set to bat sixth and start at first base, but he'll be replaced by Taylor Motter for the afternoon contest. No reason was disclosed initially, but check back for an update once the team provides a reason.

Segura went 3-for-5 with two runs in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Rangers.

The talented infielder is now slashing .458/.519/.625 over his first 24 at-bats of May, a line that includes a double, a home run and four RBI. Segura has rattled off four straight multi-hit efforts and has six overall since coming off the disabled list April 25. The 27-year-old has generated stellar production despite a notable jump in strikeout rate (14.6 percent to 20.2 percent) and a corresponding decrease in contact rate (84 percent to 79 percent) compared to last season, with a .429 BABIP playing a substantial role in negating those undesirable trends.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a walk in Saturday's 6-5 victory over the White Sox.

Machado's eighth blast of the campaign gave the Orioles a four-run lead in the fourth inning of a winning effort. Despite getting off to a slow start with a .234 batting average, he's still an elite fantasy option, and owners can expect the batting average to improve as the season progresses.

Plouffe is out of Saturday's lineup against the Tigers, MLB.com's Jane Lee reports.

He is in a 3-for-29 (.103 average) funk over his last nine games, striking out at a 25.8 percent clip over that span. Ryon Healy will get the start at third base with Khris Davis getting the nod at DH.

Longoria went 3-for-4 with a double and a run in Friday's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

The veteran slugger was due for a breakout game after enduring a 4-for-37 slump over the prior nine games. It was Longoria's first multi-hit effort since the game prior to that slump on April 22, and his two-bagger served as his seventh of the season after he racked up 41 in 2016.

Duffy (heel) is scheduled to take grounders Saturday and run the bases Sunday and Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy felt good after running the bases for the first time since undergoing heel surgery last September, so he'll continue to ramp up his activity before heading out on a rehab assignment. If Duffy is able to get through the weekend without a hitch, he could be headed out on a rehab assignment sometime next week, though the Rays haven't confirmed a possible return date and figure to continue to be cautious with the 26-year-old. When Duffy does return, he's expected to take over at shortstop for Tim Beckham.

Bregman is out of the lineup Friday against the Angels, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman has now sat out two of the last five games after resting just once in the first 25 games. That said, he has been starting to find a groove lately -- although he is hitting just .265/.360/.316, he is working on a seven-game hitting streak and has drawn three walks over his last four games. His power has yet to show up, but slugging numbers tend to be the slowest to stabilize, and he's just one hot week away from getting back to the .478 slugging percentage he posted in 2016.

Longoria is playing third base and batting third Friday against the Blue Jays.

Longoria missed a couple games with a foot injury earlier in the week, so it's good to see the 31-year-old back on the field after serving as the Rays' designated hitter over the last two games (going 1-for-8 with a double and RBI). A healthy Longoria will look to turn around a slow start to the season that has him slashing .202/.282/.367 through 109 at-bats.

Longoria is 1-for-8 with a double and RBI in the two games since his return from a two-game absence due to a foot injury.

The one hit during the stretch was a well-hit shot to deep right center that opened the fifth inning Thursday, but Longoria has been putting good wood on the ball overall, as evidenced by the 55.6 percent hard-contact rate he's managed in those two contests. Small as that sample is, it could be an encouraging sign for a player who's seen precipitous drops across his slash line this season, as well as a 68-point reduction in BABIP to .234.