MLB Player News

Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Saturday in a 3-1 win against Cincinnati.

All of Milwaukee's runs in the contest came on Ortiz's fifth-inning homer off Reds starter Andrew Abbott. The long ball was Ortiz's first since May 17 -- a span of 24 games. Power isn't a big part of Ortiz's profile, but he's proven plenty capable with the bat in his first full season in the majors, slashing .281/.381/.472 with six home runs, 27 RBI, 26 runs, four stolen bases and a 28:31 BB:K through 211 plate appearances.

Muncy (oblique) is at least a week away from swinging a bat and doesn't have a timeline for return, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Muncy's recovery from a right oblique strain has been unexpectedly slow, and he doesn't seem particularly close to returning. The 33-year-old hasn't swung a bat in a few weeks and won't be cleared for swings for at least another week. Cavan Biggio and Enrique Hernandez should handle most of the work at third base until Muncy returns.

Hayes went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base Friday against the Rockies.

Hayes hasn't hit well across 13 games since returning from a back injury, as he's maintained only a .240 average with one extra-base hit. However, he has shown the desire to steal bases by recording all five of his thefts on the season since his return.

Candelario went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Friday's 6-5 win over the Brewers.

Candelario belted a two-run home run in the fifth inning to help the Reds overcome a sloppy day in the field (five errors) and on the mound (eight walks). The home run was his third in the last two games and sixth during the month of June. After an inconsistent first two months, Candelario's bat is heating up this month. He's batting .346 (18-for-52) with nine extra-base hits, 13 RBI, two steals and eight runs over 12 contests.

Suarez went 1-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run in Friday's 7-1 win over the White Sox.

Suarez led off the fourth inning with his sixth home run of the season. His struggles at the plate have put his job at the Diamondbacks' primary third baseman in jeopardy, but Suarez has started two of the three games since manager Torey Lovullo indicated Blaze Alexander would see more time at third base.

Riley went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's win over Tampa Bay.

Riley hit an RBI double in the first inning before hammering a two-run homer in the second. It was just his fourth homer of the year and first since May 3, snapping a 23-game drought. During that homerless streak, he posted a brutal .462 OPS. Riley is now slashing .230/.296/.357 with 17 extra-base hits and 23 RBI through 54 games.

Ortiz (hamstring) is playing third base and batting seventh Friday against the Reds.

Ortiz missed a pair of contests with a sore right hamstring, but he's back in the Brewers' lineup following the team's day off. In 12 games before sustaining the injury, Ortiz went 14-for-43 (.326) with seven runs, five RBI and three stolen bases.

Burger went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Mets.

The third baseman appears to be breaking out of his early season slump. Burger has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, slashing .333/.373/.479 over that stretch and going yard twice in the last four contests. His 31.4 percent strikeout rate during that time is still a concern, however. On the season, the 28-year-old is batting .228 with only six homers in 47 games, a far cry from the 34 in 141 games he slugged in 2023.

Arenado (hand) is starting at third base and batting cleanup Friday against the Cubs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The 33-year-old had X-rays come back negative on his right hand after being hit by a pitch Thursday, and he's apparently fine given he's back in the lineup a day later. Arenado is 8-for-20 with two doubles and two RBI in his past five games, and he has a .273/.340/.386 slash line through 12 contests in June.

Riley went 0-for-5 with a strikeout in Thursday's win over the Orioles.

The third baseman's been dropped down to fifth in the order, even with lefty-hander Cole Irvin on the mound for Baltimore on Thursday, but it hasn't helped wake up Riley's bat. His last homer came May 3, and in 16 games since he returned from an intercostal strain he's slashing just .161/.212/.194 with two RBI and a 4:17 BB:K. Riley's track record says he will heat up at some point this summer, and his Statcast profile suggests there's a great deal of bad luck contributing to his numbers this season -- he's in the 91st percentile in max exit velocity, 90th percentile in bat speed and 82nd percentile in hard-hit rate.