MLB Player News

Plouffe is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

It looks to be just a routine day off for Plouffe, who returned from the DL earlier this month with a rib injury. Since rejoining the Twins, Plouffe is batting .229 with one homer and three RBI in 35 at-bats. Miguel Sano will cover third base in Plouffe's stead Sunday.

Valencia (hamstring) went 2-for-4 with two solo homers in Friday's 6-3 victory over the Rays.

The veteran third baseman returned to the lineup in fine fashion after missing the last two games of the series versus the Red Sox due to his hamstring ailment. The performance continued a streak of hot hitting for Valencia, who's now hit safely in four straight games. The effort also marked the first time that the 31-year-old had gone deep all season, and brings his 2016 line to .323/.362/.462 over 65 at-bats.

Ramirez, who is starting at third base and hitting fifth Saturday, could be in line for a short-term bump in playing time with Michael Brantley (shoulder) landing on the 15-day DL.

Rajai Davis is starting in left field Saturday, but when Ramirez is not starting at third base, he should be the go-to option in left while Brantley is out. He's not much of a power hitter, but his position flexibility, strong hit tool, and advantageous placement in the Indians lineup makes him a valuable player in many formats.

Bregman will start at third base for Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday, the Houston Chronicle reports.

This is certainly an interesting development, as third base has been a black hole for the major league team and Bregman has been raking with the Double-A affiliate to this point (.311/.414/.662, 10:7 BB:K) while playing exclusively at shortstop. General manager Jeff Luhnow declined to say how often Bregman will play third moving forward, but he did gush some about the 22-year-old on Friday. "[Bregman's] been terrific," Luhnow said. "He's exceeded my expectations, which were high, for him this season, and I think he's put himself into consideration to quite frankly maybe help our club this year."

Moustakas (thumb) was able to take dry swings and play catch Thursday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Thursday marked a big step in the right direction for Moustakas as he was able to resume baseball activities for the first time since being placed on the disabled list with a fractured thumb. His initial timetable as of May 7 was a 2-3 week absence, and the fact that he's already playing catch and taking dry swings suggests that he's on track to return in that time frame. The next step in the recovery process for Moustakas will likely be taking live batting practice.

Ramirez (hand) is back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Twins.

A hit by pitch Wednesday gave Ramirez a bit of a scare, but X-rays were negative and it seems the bruising has diminished enough to where Ramirez can give it a go. Ramirez is still not playing quite every day, but he's been hot to begin the 2016 campaign and figures to be in the lineup more often than not for the foreseeable future.

Valencia (hamstring) is back in the lineup Friday against the Rays, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Renewed hamstring tightness cost Valencia a couple starts, but he will return Friday to take on right-hander Jake Odorizzi. The 31-year-old Valencia continues to hit both lefties and righties at a good clip, but there hasn't been any power to speak of to this point, and until he starts barreling the ball more consistently Valencia will remain merely a deep-league option.

Donaldson went 4-for-6 with a double, two runs, and a walk in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Giants.

The slugger didn't go deep, but he still provided his fantasy owners with a very solid day. He has consistently been Toronto's best hitter and is looking to follow up his 2015 MVP performance with another strong campaign this season.

Valencia (hamstring) is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Red Sox.

This is the second consecutive game Valencia is missing after coming out of Monday's game with hamstring tightness. Valencia's off to a strong start on the season, hitting for a .311/.354/.361 slash line. Throughout his career, he's always been an excellent hitter against lefties, but is hitting .319 against righties versus .286 against lefties this season. Yonder Alonso remains in the lineup at third base on Wednesday.

Ramirez (hand/wrist) is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Astros.

He was hit on the hand/wrist by a pitch in Tuesday's game and was sent for X-rays, although the team said those X-rays were a precaution. Ramirez does not play every day, even when healthy, so with Thursday being an off day, the team may be taking advantage of the opportunity to give him a couple days to rest in advance of the weekend series against the Twins. Marlon Byrd will start in left field with Juan Uribe manning the hot corner Wednesday.