MLB Player News

Muncy is out of the lineup Monday against the Angels.

Muncy was the Athletics' regular starter at the keystone for much of August, but after accruing a .133/.246/.233 batting line over 69 plate appearances, it appears his run as an everyday player is over. He'll ride the pine for the fifth straight game Monday as manager Bob Melvin opts to lean on a platoon of Joe Wendle and Chad Pinder at second base.

Duffy is out of the lineup Monday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's only Duffy's second day off in the last 12 games, as he's firmly entrenched himself as the primary shortstop with the slugging Brad Miller moving over to first base. However, with Duffy resting Monday for the day game, Miller will revert to his natural spot at shortstop.

Moncada had two hits Sunday, giving him four in three games since being called up from Double-A Portland, but also committed an error and was picked off first base in a 1-0 loss to Oakland.

Perhaps Moncada can use the miscues to figure out how the game is played and the speed with which it is played at the major league level. The knock on Moncada defensively has been that while he has all the tools, his big issue is fundamentals and focus -- things like footwork or getting down all the way on grounders. These are correctable, but the fact remains that Moncada made three errors at third base in nine games with Portland, and the stakes are much higher in MLB when a team is fighting for postseason positioning. Additionally, the Boston Globe's Nick Carfado has observed that the 21-year-old, who is new to third base, holds the ball a tick too long. With the speed that major league runners can get down the line, that can be a difference when reacting from third base, relative to second base. As for the pickoff, we can never know whether it cost Boston a run or perhaps a bigger inning, but that man who stole 45 bags in the minors, needs to learn from it. Whether it was due to an overaggressive lead, or not knowing the pitcher's move, or reading the pitcher incorrectly, it all speaks to underestimating the speed of the game in MLB. So, while the excitement of seeing him up with Boston is warranted, Moncada still requires some finishing work.

Duffy went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays.

He had a big series against Toronto, going 4-for-11 with two doubles, two runs scored and four RBI. Duffy hasn't made much of an impact with the bat since coming over to Tampa Bay, but he may be starting to find his stroke.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Sunday that Chapman isn't likely to receive a promotion to the big leagues in the final month of the season, Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Chapman turned heads with a three-homer game for Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, but that apparently didn't move the needle enough for the organization. Though he's shown exceptional power in the minors this season, Chapman has generally scuffled since being promoted to Triple-A, slashing .194/.284/.528 across 81 plate appearances.

Moncada will start at third base and bat eighth Saturday against the A's, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports.

After coming off the bench in his major league debut Friday, Moncada will slot in for his first career start Saturday against right-hander Daniel Mengden. It appears the switch-hitting Moncada will start exclusively against right-handed pitching for now, with Aaron Hill drawing the starts against lefties, and he will bat in the bottom third of the Red Sox's lineup. That said, there's still plenty to get excited about with the game's top prospect as he profiles as a potential five-category producer even in a platoon role.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Saturday against the Yankees.

He will head to the bench with lefty CC Sabathia due up for New York, as is typically the case whenever the Orioles face a southpaw. Alvarez did get a start Tuesday against a lefty (J.A. Happ) and finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, but he's 8-for-33 against left-handers on the year and his exposure to them will remain limited.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, a walk and two runs in Friday's 8-0 victory over the Yankees.

The veteran slugger's 425-foot shot in the second brought home Adam Jones and made Alvarez a 20-homer man for the second straight season. The homer was his first since Aug. 19 against the Astros, with that round-tripper also having served as his most recent RBI prior to Friday.

Moncada made his major league debut Friday night, entering Boston's 16-2 win over Oakland in the seventh inning and getting two at-bats.

Moncada's highly anticipated debut came in a low-pressure situation, with Boston leading by 10 runs. He walked in his first plate appearance, scoring on a Travis Shaw double, then struck out in his other appearance. The plan going forward is to have Moncada start at third base whenever Boston is facing a right-handed starter, which will happen Saturday when the A's throw right-hander Daniel Mengden.

Bergman went 2-for-5 with a triple, homer, three RBI and two runs Friday against the Rangers.

Bregman has displayed a lot more power in his rookie time in the big leagues this year than he has the past two seasons in Single-A. His power is especially valuable at shortstop, and along with multi-position eligibility, the 22-year-old has shown good plate discipline through a solid walk rate.