MLB Player News

Donaldson went 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, and four RBI in Saturday's 9-3 victory over the A's.

The slugging third baseman lit up his old team, taking Chris Bassitt deep in the second inning with two on to stake Toronto to a 5-1 lead at the time. Donaldson has now reached base safely in eight straight games, and is slashing an outstanding .307/.388/.680 with seven homers and 19 RBI over 75 at-bats.

Plouffe (intercostal strain) is still experiencing discomfort, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Plouffe was diagnosed with a right intercostal strain April 17. He's eligible to return from the DL on May 3, but this report suggests he could be out longer than two weeks.

Bregman was placed on the disabled list with Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday with a hamstring injury, although it is not expected to be a long stay, the Houston Chronicle's Jake Kaplan reports.

Assuming the report about it being a minor injury is true, this is a small blip on the radar, as Bregman was unlikely to contribute much, if anything, in single-season leagues this year, barring an injury to Carlos Correa or Jose Altuve. Prior to the injury Bregman had been on a monster tear through the Texas League, hitting five home runs with two steals in his last nine games, while also sporting a .340 average on the season. He is a high-end minor league asset in dynasty leagues, despite being seemingly blocked at the big league level.

Moustakas stayed hot Friday versus Baltimore, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI.

Moose has come to life during his current five-game hitting streak, during which he has raked at a .450 clip with three home runs and five RBI. He finally broke out as a fantasy force in 2015 and seems headed in that direction once again after struggling to begin the season.

Valencia's MRI Friday confirmed the initial diagnosis of a mild-to-moderate hamstring strain, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports.

This confirms what was already widely acknowledged, although the A's have still not released a timetable for Valencia's return. He will be out at least 15 days, and Chris Coghlan and, to a lesser extent, Jed Lowrie, will presumably get the bulk of the at-bats at third base in the meantime.

Valencia (hamstring) was sent to the 15-day disabled list Thursday, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports.

An earlier report suggested this move was coming, and now it's been made official. The team hasn't announced a corresponding move to this point, but Hickey suggests Tyler Ladendorf is expected to be recalled Friday. Ladendorf will likely take on a utility role for the Athletics while Chris Coghlan could take on an everyday role at third base until Valencia returns. There's no official timetable yet but that should come out as he begins his progression back from the issue.

Valencia (hamstring) will likely head to the disabled list, Susan Slugger of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Valencia strained his hamstring in the fourth inning of Wednesday's bout with the Yankees, and it appears that it has not improved much since then. If this speculation does come to fruition, Chris Coghlan could be in line for more playing time at the hot corner.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Alvarez will take a seat Thursday with manager Buck Showalter adjusting the lineup to put Mark Trumbo in the DH spot and slide Nolan Reimold into right field. The former Pirate hasn't found his rhythm at the plate thus far this season, going 4-for-32 to start the year.

Oakland's manager, Bob Melvin, said Valencia (hamstring) will miss Thursday's game against the Yankees, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Valencia suffered the a hamstring strain in Wednesday's game against the Yankees, and will now miss at least one game while he recovers. Melvin also stated that beyond Thursday's game, a timeline for Valencia's return is unknown.

Valencia suffered a left hamstring strain during the fourth inning of Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Valencia was removed after a rough slide into the plate for the inning's last out. It's unclear how serious his hamstring injury is, so it remains to be seen if he will be ready for the A's next game Thursday in New York.