MLB Player News

Plouffe injured himself in the middle of an at-bat in the eighth inning Tuesday and was replaced by a pinch hitter, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports.

It is unclear what the nature of the injury is, but it was serious enough for Kennys Vargas to have to come off the bench to take Plouffe's place mid at-bat. Stay tuned for an update on the nature of the injury.

Duffy (Achilles) has been scratched from Tuesday's lineup, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE Tampa Bay reports.

The Rays said earlier Tuesday that they would hold off on shutting Duffy down, but it would not be a surprise if they sent him for surgery following this latest setback. Expect an announcement from the team regarding Duffy's status in the coming days. Nick Franklin is now slated to man shortstop Tuesday with Steven Souza in right field.

Duffy (Achilles) will play several more games before being shut down for the season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It was announced Monday that Duffy would undergo season-ending Achilles surgery in the near future, but it looks like that will not happen immediately, as he is in the lineup for Tuesday's game. It's not exactly clear when Duffy's season will come to a close, but that will be known when the Rays set a date for him to go under the knife.

Longoria (hand) is in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Longoria was forced from Monday's game early after being struck by a pitch on the hand, but he apparently was no worse for the wear Tuesday. Longoria will play third and hit third like he regularly does.

Bregman walked, scored twice, knocked in a pair and hit his seventh home run in a 2-for-4 game Monday against Cleveland.

Bregman has now reached base in 19 consecutive games dating back to August 16, with all seven of his home runs as well as five doubles and a triple over that span. He owns a ridiculous .704 slugging percentage over those 19 games, which should put to rest some of the concerns over his power production that were raised by his slow start.

Valencia walked, scored twice, and hit a two-run home run in a 3-for-4 game Monday against he Angels.

Valencia had been struggling mightily since his altercation with teammate Billy Butler, with just a .194/.310/.250 batting line and no home runs in 12 games. He finally broke the home run drought Monday and added his 19th double as well. Power is Valencia's biggest asset (.470 SLG), and unless he's able to provide some pop, he won't bring much value to either the A's or a fantasy roster.

Duffy will be shut down for the rest of the season so that he can undergo surgery on his left Achilles to address lingering soreness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy will end the season with just 90 total games under his belt, 70 of which were spent with San Francisco and 20 with Tampa Bay. Ultimately his 2016 campaign will be defined by persistent Achilles complications, although the corrective surgery gives him a chance to be ready in time for 2017 spring training. In his absence, Nick Franklin and Brad Miller could split time at shortstop to close out the season, unless the Rays decide on bringing back Taylor Motter or Tim Beckham. The 25-year-old will finish with a .260/.312/.360 line in addition to five home runs, 28 RBI, 41 runs, and eight stolen bases.

Donaldson went 0-for-2 with two walks in Monday's loss at Yankee Stadium.

Donaldson, who saw his 12-game hitting streak end Sunday, has reached base in 38 straight games in which he's started. He's currently on pace to be the first third baseman ever to lead the AL in runs scored in consecutive seasons. Donaldson has already notched career highs in walks (89) and triples (five) this season, and he's hanging on to a .407 OBP and .574 slugging percent, both of which would also be personal bests through six MLB seasons.

X-rays on Longoria's right hand have returned negative, Rich Dubroff of CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Longoria was an early exit Monday after getting hit in the right hand with a pitch, but he appears to have avoided a serious injury. He'll likely rest a day or two before returning to action.

Longoria left Monday's game due to what the team is describing as "right hand soreness," Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Longoria was hit on the hand with a pitch in the first inning, and ended up scoring after Logan Morrison left the yard. He did not make it to the dish again, however, as he was replaced in the game by Matt Duffy. Consider Longoria day-to-day heading into the second game of the series.