MLB Player News

Muncy (oblique) took swings off a tee, fielded groundballs and did some throwing Friday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Muncy's progress from a Grade 1 right oblique strain has been slow to the extent that he was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 21. However, the third baseman appears to be beginning to ramp up, and the Associated Press reports that his next step will be to take live batting practice before potentially beginning a rehab assignment. Muncy isn't expected to return to the Dodgers' lineup until after the All-Star break.

Candelario (hamstring) isn't in the Reds' lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals.

Manager David Bell said Friday that Candelario is trending toward a return for Sunday's series finale, so it isn't too surprising to see the 30-year-old infielder absent from Saturday's lineup. Spencer Steer will once again get the nod at first base, and Noelvi Marte will cover the hot corner.

Chapman went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a stolen base in Friday's 5-3 win over the Dodgers.

Chapman's power has come back, as he has three extra-base hits -- including two homers -- over his last five games. The third baseman gave the Giants their first lead Friday with his sixth-inning blast. For the season, he's up to 10 homers, 35 RBI, 53 runs scored and seven steals while posting a .235/.316/.399 slash line over 80 contests.

Candelario (hamstring) is on track to play Sunday against the Cardinals, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Candelario hasn't played since Tuesday as he tends to hamstring tendinitis. However, he's set to make his return for the series finale Sunday and will avoid a stint on the IL. In his stead, Noelvi Marte should continue to start at third base while Spencer Steer handles first base work, but it's not yet clear how the workload at the infield corners will be divided between the trio once Candelario is healthy.

Ortiz (neck) is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Cubs.

Ortiz has been dealing with a neck injury since last week's series against the Angels, and he was removed in the sixth inning of Wednesday's game against the Rangers after going 0-for-2. Despite having a day off Thursday, Ortiz will be in the dugout for at least the series opener against Chicago. Andruw Monasterio will start at third base Friday and bat ninth against Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon.

Candelario (hamstring) remains out of the lineup for Friday's game in St. Louis.

It's the third straight day on the bench for Candelario, who has been dealing with hamstring tendinitis since last week. There are no indications to this point that he might require a trip to the 10-day injured list, but the Reds will be forced to consider a move if he remains sidelined much longer. Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer are again handling the infield corners for the Reds on Friday.

The Rockies selected Schunk's contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.

Schunk posted an .811 OPS in his first taste of the Triple-A level in 2023 and has followed up with a .291/.339/.469 slash line through 69 contests this year. That production has come in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, so those numbers can't be taken at face value. Schunk will be making his big-league debut when he gets into a game, and he should see some playing time between second and third base while up with the Rockies, though those opportunities could be limited with both Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon currently healthy.

Marte went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, three runs and a stolen base Thursday against the Cardinals.

The 22-year-old made his season debut after sitting out the first 80 games of the season due to a PED suspension, and he immediately provided a boost to Cincinnati's lineup. Marte batted just .151 in 12 games during his minor-league rehab assignment, but he didn't show any of that rust in his first game with the Reds. He should operate as the club's primary third baseman the rest of the way after he posted an .822 OPS over 35 games in his first taste of the majors in 2023.

Arenado went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 11-4 loss to the Reds.

Arenado cut the deficit to 5-2 with his third-inning blast, but the Cardinals weren't able to build off it. While he's battled a couple of arm injures recently, the third baseman has still put together a decent June. He's batting .260 with a .698 OPS this month, though just five of his 20 hits have gone for extra bases over the last 21 contests. Overall, Arenado is at seven homers, 34 RBI, 27 runs scored, one stolen base and a .258/.313/.378 slash line for the year.

Burger went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in a 7-4 win against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Burger came up big late in the game, blasting a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and providing an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth. The third baseman finished with his first multi-hit performance since June 15, and he had been struggling coming into Thursday with an .083 average (3-for-36) across his previous nine contests. Burger has just seven homers over 59 games this season after smashing a career-high 34 long balls in 141 contests last year.