MLB Player News

Plouffe's right intercostal strain still bothers him when he swings, and will be checked out on Monday, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports.

It appears Plouffe isn't fully recovered from the intercostal strain that placed him on the disabled list in April. He insists that he is okay and will keep playing, however his performance since returning has been a bit lackluster, getting just three hits in his last 20 at-bats. His two-hit performance Sunday was easily his best performance since returning from the DL.

Moncada belted his third homer of the week for High-A Salem in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Moncada hadn't homered in his first 80 at-bats, but has gone yard three times in his previous 20. We were wondering about an adjustment to this new level, but there's been no noticeable dip in Moncada's bat relative to his 81-game stint at Low-A Greenville in 2015. In his past six games, he's sporting a 1.452 OPS, fueled by six extra-base hits and five walks in 26 plate appearances. A promotion to Double-A Portland this season isn't too far off.

Alvarez contributed a pinch-hit, two RBI double in his only at-bat in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the A's in the first game of a doubleheader.

The struggling slugger was able to come through in his pinch-hit opportunity, after going 0-for-7 over his previous three games. Alvarez had closed out April with somewhat of a flourish, collecting three multi-hit games in the last four contests of the month. However, he's been unable to string an extended stretch of successful hitting together, and has produced a .211/.313/.351 line over his first 57 at-bats in Baltimore. His strong suit, the long ball, has also been missing in action, as the 29-year-old has only had one ball leave the yard.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the A's during the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

The 23-year-old slugger continues to knock the cover off the ball, and is slashing .348/.400/.652 after Saturday afternoon's effort. Machado already has three multi-hit efforts in the first five games of May, including four doubles. While he hasn't homered since April 28 against the White Sox, his seven dingers rank behind only Mark Trumbo's eight on the team.

Moustakas (thumb) is expected to miss roughly 2-3 weeks, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas hit the DL on Saturday after it was revealed that he sustained a fracture to his thumb. Considering the timetable, it doesn't look to be overly severe, but Moustakas, who initially hoped to play through the injury, could still remain out until close to the end of the month.

Ramirez went 3-for-3 with two doubles, five RBI and a walk in Friday's 7-1 victory over the Royals.

The No. 9 hitter came out of nowhere to almost singlehandedly topple the Royals, plating Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, and Lonnie Chisenhall with a two-out double in the third and bringing in Mike Napoli and Chisenhall with another two-out two-bagger in the fifth. The output represented Ramirez's fourth multi-hit outing over the last nine games and raised his batting average to .324. While he's only produced one home run this season, he now has six doubles and 12 RBI.

Escobar (groin) was placed on the 15-day DL on Saturday, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press reports.

As expected, Escobar will hit the DL after straining his groin during Friday night's game. The Twins will call up Jorge Polanco, who figures to team with Eduardo Nunez to handle most of the shortstop duties in Escobar's absence.

Moustakas (thumb) was diagnosed with a fracture in his thumb and placed on the 15-day DL on Saturday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas missed two games early in the week with a swollen thumb, but he returned to action Wednesday, going 0-for-3 at the plate. The third baseman was then scratched from the lineup Friday, and he'll now hit the DL with the fracture obviously requiring more than a few days off to heal. It's unclear how long the Royals expect Moustakas to remain out, but considering the diagnosis, it's possible he could miss time beyond the allotted 15 days. To fill Moustakas' spot on the roster, Kansas City recalled infielder Cheslor Cuthbert from Triple-A Omaha. He and Christian Colon figure to handle third base as long as Moustakas remains out.

Escobar (groin) is likely headed to the DL after getting injured in Friday's game, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

He left with a strained left groin, so it's not surprising that he will miss at least 15 days with the injury. Eduardo Nunez figures to get a good chunk of the playing time, but Jorge Polanco also figures to get the call from Triple-A to help out at shortstop while Escobar is out.

Escobar exited Friday's tilt with the White Sox early due to a strained left groin, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Escobar was 0-for-1 before leaving Friday's game. He was replaced in the lineup by Eddie Rosario. The severity if of Escobar's injury is currently unknown, but his status for Saturday's contest is certainly up in the air. Expect an update when more information becomes available.