MLB Player News

Donaldson got the start at DH on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a walk and a three-run home run in a win over the Tigers.

The home run was his 23rd of the season, but more importantly the run he scored was his 80th, making him the first player to cross the plate 80 times before the All-Star break since Ian Kinsler and Hanley Ramirez did it in 2008 and just the sixth American League hitter in history with 20-plus homers and 80-plus runs before the break. The other five? Merely Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Reggie Jackson, Frank Thomas and Alex Rodriguez. Donaldson heads into the second half with a .304/.418/.598 slash line and clearly has every intention of repeating as AL MVP.

Longoria went 4-for-5 with a solo homer, two RBI and a run in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Red Sox.

Perhaps feeling a bit of extra motivation following his All-Star snub, Longoria is now 7-for-13 over his last three games, and his ninth-inning homer was his first since June 20. Despite the season-long malaise the Rays offense has been mired in, the 30-year-old slugger is on pace for his best homer total since hitting 32 in 2013.

Escobar (hamstring) lined out as a pinch hitter and then played second base in Thursday's win over Texas.

Escobar hadn't played since July 2 due to a sore hamstring. It looks like he'll avoid the DL and return to his backup role. He's lost the starting shortstop job to Eduardo Nunez and will get occassional starts at shortstop when Nunez plays third base.

Alvarez was reinstated from the bereavement list Thursday.

Alvarez has been out since Monday following a death in his family. The 29-year-old should be back in the lineup for the Orioles' game against the Angels on Friday.

Escobar (hamstring) is out of the lineup Thursday against the Rangers, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports.

Even though Escobar isn't in the starting lineup, he will still be available to pinch hit. Escobar is medically cleared but will remain out for Thursday's game, which will mark his fifth straight game out of the lineup.

Bregman has played solely shortstop since being promoted to Triple-A, as the Astros want him to feel comfortable against the pitching at the new level without having to worry about learning a new position at the same time, the Houston Chronicle's Jake Kaplan reports.

General manager Jeff Luhnow admitted that Bregman will move to third base for Triple-A Fresno in the near future, as he has clearly had little trouble adjusting to the pitching at the highest level of the minors. He is slashing .400/.438/.900 with four homers in 30 at-bats since the promotion, and his season line across Double-A and Triple-A is a preposterous .308/.418/.598. Obviously Bregman would be the internal replacement at shortstop if something happened to Carlos Correa, but more than likely he will slot in as the team's long-term third baseman. It's a matter of when, not if, the Astros will promote Bregman to the big leagues, so he should be rostered in most formats at this point.

Alvarez (personal) will be activated from the bereavement list Friday, MASN Sports reports.

The move was confirmed after the Orioles optioned Dariel Alvarez following Thursday's game. Alvarez has been out since Monday. The Orioles get a break Thursday following a west coast swing, so Alvarez will get one more day off. He figures to enter the lineup right away Friday against Angels starter Matt Shoemaker.

Escobar (hamstring) will be available off the bench for Wednesday's game against Oakland, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Escobar has missed the last four games with a strained hamstring, but the fact that he will be available is a good sign that he will avoid the DL. He should still be considered day-to-day in advance of a four-game series against the Rangers that starts Thursday.

Escobar (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the A's, Brandon Warne of Cold Omaha reports.

Wednesday will mark the fourth straight absence for Escobar, who continues to deal with a hamstring strain sustained during Saturday's game. The Twins are hoping he'll avoid a DL stint as the All-Star break approaches, so Escobar should be considered day-to-day until further notice.

Valencia hit his 12th homer as part of a 2-for-4 game with three RBI Tuesday against the Twins.

Valencia is following up his career year from last season with almost identical production. After a .290/.345/.517 batting line last year, Valencia is now at .310/.359/.512. He set a career high with 18 home runs last season, and at 12 already, he's on pace to set another career high with 23.