MLB Player News

Riley went 2-for-4 with two walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 8-1 win over the Yankees.

The 27-year-old slugger has flipped the switch in June. Riley has at least one extra-base hit in six of his last seven games, batting a blistering .545 (12-for-22) over that stretch with four doubles, four homers, nine runs and nine RBI. After a rough, injury-plagued start to the season, the power surge has pushed his slash line up to .251/.324/.420.

Candelario went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Friday's 5-2 win over Boston.

Candelario had been battling tendinitis in the back of his right knee, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, but he was ready to go Friday with the help of the Reds' training staff. The knee didn't cool off Candelario's scoring bat. He homered in his first two plate appearances -- the second two-HR game this month -- and is batting .347/.351/.736 over 18 games in June.

The Dodgers shifted Muncy (oblique) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Muncy was placed on the 10-day IL on May 17 due to a Grade 1 right oblique strain. It took him nearly a month to begin taking dry swings, and he has otherwise been limited to fielding grounders and running the bases. As he's still not close to beginning a rehab assignment, the Dodgers opted to move Muncy to the 60-day IL, meaning he won't be eligible to return until after the All-Star break. In a corresponding move, the Dodgers activated Kyle Hurt (shoulder) from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, per Harris.

Biggio isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels.

Biggio has been platooning with Enrique Hernandez at third base since being acquired by the Dodgers. With lefty Patrick Sandoval on the mound for the Angels, it will be Hernandez who fills the hot corner Friday.

Candelario is batting third and the designated hitter for Friday's game against Boston.

Candelario had been battling unspecified tendinitis the past few days and missed the Reds' most recent game. However, he'll be back in action Friday, claiming DH duties.

Arenado (elbow) isn't in the starting lineup Thursday against the Giants, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Arenado said Wednesday that he's aiming to return to the Cardinals' lineup Saturday, so his absence from Thursday's starting nine hardly comes as a surprise. Brandon Crawford will get the nod at the hot corner and bat seventh while Arenado continues to recover.

Biggio is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies.

Biggio will join fellow left-handed hitters Gavin Lux and Jason Heyward on the bench for the series finale in Colorado while the Rockies send southpaw Ty Blach to the hill. Enrique Hernandez will enter the lineup at third base as Biggio's replacement.

Espinal started at third base and went 1-for-3 in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Pittsburgh.

Espinal received a second consecutive start at the hot corner, as Jeimer Candelario (tendinitis) was unavailable. This could be a situation where manager David Bell is giving Candelario multiple days to rest up, including a team day off Thursday, so that he'll be ready to go Friday when the Reds open a home series against the suddenly hot Red Sox.

The Brewers optioned Dunn to Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.

Playing time has been hard to come across recently for Dunn, and the emergence of Joey Ortiz hasn't helped. The 26-year-old Dunn has slashed .221/.282/.316 through 104 plate appearances in the big leagues this year and will now head back to the minors to get back on track. Tyler Black was recalled from Nashville in a corresponding move.

Arenado (elbow) said after Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Marlins that he expects to return to the lineup Saturday versus the Giants in St. Louis, Paige Leckie of MLB.com reports.

Arenado was lifted for a pinch runner in the top of the eighth inning after he took a 94 mile-per-hour sinker to his right elbow in his fourth plate appearance of the afternoon. Before departing, Arenado went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored. Though Arenado has been diagnosed with a bruised right elbow after initial X-rays returned negative, he noted that the pitch hit him in a nerve in the elbow that caused his hand to cramp up. Based on his postgame comments, Arenado already seems to be ruling himself out for Thursday's series opener with the Giants at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., but he's counting on being ready to go coming out of Friday's off day.