MLB Player News

Chapman is not in the lineup Thursday against the Red Sox.

Chapman will get what appears to be a routine day off after starting the first nine games of the season, slashing .303/.425/.636 with a trio of homers and a 5:4 BB:K in those contests. Chad Pinder will cover third base and hit fifth in his place.

Lewis will open the year back with High-A Fort Myers, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

The Twins' top prospect and one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Lewis hit .255/.327/.399 (good for a 110 wRC+) with five home runs and six steals in 46 games at High-A last year. We should expect him to dominate in a return trip to the Florida State League before receiving a promotion to Double-A in the first half.

Astudillo went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Royals.

Getting the start at third base, Astudillo shifted to left field in the eighth inning. It's the 27-year-old's first appearance of the season anywhere other than catcher, but it won't be his last if he keeps raking -- through three games, Astudillo is 6-for-9 with three doubles, five runs and three RBI.

Moncada went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, a double, two walks and three runs during an 8-3 victory against the Indians on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old went deep against the Indians' bullpen, smashing his homer in a lopsided game during the eighth. Five of Moncada's nine hits this season have gone for extra bases, as he now has three doubles and two homers. That gives him a dazzling .900 slugging percentage through about the first week of the season. He also sports a .522 on-base percentage in five games.

Chapman went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Red Sox.

His first-inning shot off Chris Sale ended up being the difference in a duel between the two pitching staffs. Chapman already has three homers through eight games, and the 25-year-old is off to a flying start as he looks to top last year's career-high 24 round trippers.

LeMahieu went 2-for-4 with a run in the Yankees' 3-1 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday.

A day after being named the primary third baseman with Miguel Andujar (shoulder) put on the injured list, LeMahieu was the only Yankee to notch multiple hits and came around to score his team's only run. The main question surrounding LeMahieu coming into the season was not his hitting ability, but how many at-bats he would garner as a utility man in a crowded infield. With the job at the hot corner now his for as long as Andujar remains out, the veteran infielder's value is on the rise.

Bregman went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored Tuesday against the Rangers.

Bregman was hit by a pitch in the first inning and later stole second base as part of a double steal. He's gotten off to a slow start this season, though his willingness to steal bases is a decent sign that he's healthy after offseason surgery on his elbow.

Candelario went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Yankees.

Candelario is now 7-for-14 over the past three games with three doubles, pushing his slash line to .308/.308/.423 so far this season. The 25-year-old had a disappointing 2018 campaign, but the rebuilding Tigers figure to give him plenty of leash in 2019, and the early returns have been positive.

Madrigal is opening the year at High-A Winston-Salem, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

There was some thought that Madrigal, who has one of the best hit tools in the minors, may be kept on a fast track with an assignment to Double-A after he played in 26 games at High-A last year. However, the White Sox will opt to take a more conservative approach with his initial assignment, letting him dictate when he's ready for Double-A with his play on the field. He could stand to pull the ball more (33.3 Pull% at High-A last year) and cut down on his groundball rate (57.3 GB%).

Chapman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Red Sox on Monday.

Chapman followed up his third multi-hit effort of the season Sunday with a 408-foot solo shot in the eighth Monday to extend the Athletics' lead to 5-0 at the time. The 25-year-old is off to just as good a start at the plate as in the field, as he's hit safely in each of the Athletics' first seven games.