MLB Player News

Donaldson (hamstring), who was a late scratch from Monday's lineup, is not expected to require a stint on the DL, the Toronto Sun reports.

The reigning AL MVP tweaked his hamstring when legging out an infield single in Saturday's 9-1 win over Baltimore. He was the designated hitter Sunday and even came in to play third base late in the game. Obviously, something didn't feel right before Monday's contest, and manager John Gibbons wasn't in the mood to push the issue. "Can't risk it turning into anything long term," Gibbons said. "That would be a disaster." An injury to Donaldson this late in the fantasy season could indeed spell disaster for fantasy owners looking to win a championship. It might not be a bad idea to find an insurance policy just in case this thing spirals.

Duffy (Achilles) will play some shortstop for the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy struggled this season with the Giants, as he managed just a .253/.313/.358 batting line in 70 games. That makes him far from a viable fantasy option at third base, but he becomes much more interesting if he qualifies at shortstop, where the MLB average line is just .265/.320/.412. Duffy hit a sharp .295/.334/.428 in 149 games in 2015, so it will be worth watching if he can rediscover that form as a Ray once he's ready to return from the DL.

Donaldson was scratched from Monday's lineup, Barry Davis of Sportsnet reports.

Donaldson will be replaced by Darwin Barney, who will bat eighth and play third base. More information regarding the reason Donaldson was scratched should be released shortly.

Duffy (Achilles) was traded to the Rays on Monday as part of the package for Matt Moore, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Lucius Fox and Michael Santos are headed to the Rays along with Duffy, who has endured a disappointing season to this point. He's slashed .253/.313/.358, down from .295/.334/.428 last year in what was seen by many as a breakout campaign. The 25-year-old is currently on the DL, but he played in two rehab games last weekend and may be ready to step into a regular role at first base soon with Steve Pearce having been traded to Baltimore.

Donaldson who left Saturday's game in the eighth inning with a sore hamstring, started at DH and went 0-for-4 with a walk Sunday against the Orioles.

Donaldson also entered the game as the third baseman in the eighth inning, so it doesn't appear as if the hamstring issue is too worrisome. The reigning AL MVP has slowed a bit since the All-Star break, going just 15-for-57 (.263) with nine strikeouts.

Valencia is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians.

Valencia is believed to be one of the better position players available for trade as Monday's non-waiver deadline approaches, so rather than risking him suffering an injury that would torpedo any deal, the A's will hold him out Sunday. With Valencia resting, Yonder Alonso will man first base and Ryon Healy will get another turn at third base.

Bregman will make his fourth straight start at third base Sunday against the Tigers.

Bregman was expected to see time at multiple positions after being recalled from Triple-A Fresno on Monday, but with Luis Valbuena (hamstring) landing on the DL on Friday, the highly-touted prospect should be in line for regular duties at third base. The 22-year-old enters Sunday's game still searching for his first big-league hit, as he's gone 0-for-17 in his five games to date.

Escobar went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and two runs in a 6-5 defeat against the White Sox on Saturday.

The 27-year-old is on a mini-hot streak, having gone 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles and a homer in the last three games. He will likely continue to see regular at-bats at shortstop since Eduardo Nunez was traded to San Francisco. Escobar is hitting .269 with four home runs, 25 RBI and 21 runs in 212 at-bats.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Saturday's 9-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

The veteran slugger was the sole source of offense on a day when Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ throughly frustrated the Orioles lineup. Alvarez has hits in three straight, and is now hitting .300 over 60 July at-bats.

Plouffe (ribs) took grounders during batting practice before Saturday's game, Brandon Warne of ColdOmahaMN reports.

Plouffe showed continued progress from a cracked rib by taking groundballs with Miguel Sano and Danny Santana before the game. He'll begin a rehab assignment Monday, and after several minor league tuneups, he figures to return to the Twins sometime in the first week of August.