MLB Player News

Chapman went 2-for-4 with two-run homer and two runs scored during Friday's 13-9 loss to the Angels.

The third baseman has exploded out of the gate with three homers, seven RBI and seven runs through the first nine games, and he's also cut his strikeout percentage down to 21.6 after recording a 28.2 mark last year. Continuing to minimize his strikeouts will help him prolong his hot start, and his glove should keep him in the lineup through any slumps. While it's obviously still early, Chapman is definitely trending in the right direction.

Alvarez went 2-for-2 with a walk and a grand slam in the top of the 14th inning during Friday's 7-3 win over the Yankees.

The timely homer was his first of the season and came after Alvarez pinch hit for Danny Valencia in the 10th inning. Even with Mark Trumbo (quad) sidelined, the 31-year-old hasn't been seeing consistent playing time, and his at-bats will likely dry up once Trumbo comes off the disabled list -- assuming Trumbo's return doesn't cost Alvarez his roster spot entirely.

Machado went 4-for-5 with two walks, two solo home runs and a third run scored in Friday's 7-3 extra-inning win over the Yankees.

He took CC Sabathia deep twice in the first three innings for his first two homers of the year, and the huge performance pushed his early-season OPS to .952. Machado is looking for avoid a repeat of the BABIP woes he struggled through in the first half of last year, and so far he looks to be on course for a rebound.

Alvarez is not in the lineup against the Yankees on Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Alvarez will take a seat on the bench for the fourth straight contest after starting three of the first four games as the Orioles' DH. Danny Valencia will man the position and bat fifth in Friday's contest.

Duffy went 1-for-6 with a home run and two RBI Thursday against the Red Sox.

After finding himself on the bench Wednesday due to a defensive miscue, Duffy hit his first home run of the season to give the Rays a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning. It was also encouraging to see that he was slotted back into the leadoff spot in the lineup, which should put him in a decent position to score runs despite a poor supporting cast around him in Tampa Bay.

Robinson returned to the lineup Thursday and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a caught stealing in a 6-3 win over the Athletics.

Robinson, who was given the day off Wednesday, has been the primary center field replacement for the injured Delino DeShields (hand). The 25-year-old has hit hits in four straight games and reached base safely in all five that he's played. He's part of the lower half of the order, which ignited and sustained rallies Thursday, but overall those same lineup spots have done little over the first week of the season. If Robinson continues to get on base and move runners along, he should be in the lineup regularly during DeShields' absence.

Chapman went 2-for-4 with two runs in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Rangers.

That's three straight two-hit outings for Chapman, who owns a five-game hitting streak overall. The season-opening surge has the infielder in sole possession of the Athletics' offensive leaderboard in the early going, an encouraging sign given the subpar .234 average and .313 OBP he generated as a rookie in 2017.

Reyes will open the season back at High-A Frederick, MLB.com's Mike Rosenbaum reports.

This is a pretty big surprise, as Reyes has 176 games at High-A under his belt, and he hit .302/.333/.434 in 50 games there before his season was cut short by surgery to repair a broken pinky finger. The Orioles have likely stressed a more patient approach that could allow him to access more of his huge raw power in games. If he shows progress in that area, he could receive a very early promotion to Double-A.

Escobar is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest against Seattle, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Escobar will take a seat after starting the past three games, as manager Paul Molitor elected to go with Ehire Adrianza at shortstop for the club's home opener. Through the first week of the season, Escobar has gone 7-for-16 with one home run and five RBI.

Bregman went 1-for-3 with a walk and the game-winning RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Orioles.

Bregman, who has started every game so far, is hitting just .200 (5-for-25) through seven games, but has walked seven times and is currently riding a quiet four-game hitting streak. He's a good hitter and will eventually get his timing down.