MLB Player News

Riley (side) isn't overly concerned with his long-term availability after being removed early from Sunday's game, and he considers himself day-to-day, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Riley experienced left side tightness in batting practice Sunday and was ultimately removed from Atlanta's contest against the Mets in the fourth inning after going 1-for-2 at the plate. The third baseman doesn't know yet if he'll be sent for an MRI. With the team launching a three-game home series against the Cubs on Monday, there's a chance that Riley misses some, if not all, of the series as Atlanta will likely be cautious with the talented 26-year-old.

Espinal went 2-for-5 with a stolen base in Sunday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Giants.

Espinal was one of two Reds with multiple hits in the game, and it was his first such performance since April 24. The infielder hit a poor .121 (4-for-33) over 11 contests in between multi-hit efforts. He's slashing .186/.245/.244 with one home run, 12 RBI, six runs scored and five steals over 30 games this season. Espinal has sat out the last four games in which the Reds have faced a right-handed pitcher, though he's still been in the lineup against the last three southpaws they've faced.

Riley was removed from Sunday's contest against the Mets in bottom of the fourth inning with left side tightness, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Riley's removal from the contest has been described as precautionary according to Atlanta. The third baseman finished his night going 1-for-2 with a single and a strikeout. Riley's status will likely be updated following the conclusion of the team's series finale with New York.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Arenado will be out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Milwaukee, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Arenado isn't dealing with an injury, as Marmol characterized the third baseman's absence from the lineup as an off day. The 33-year-old had started each of the Cardinals' first 39 games of the season and is maintaining a .703 OPS, the lowest mark of his career. He didn't appear to be turning a corner at the plate over the first three games of the series in Milwaukee, as he went just 1-for-12 with three strikeouts.

Lipscomb is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Lipscomb had started each of the Nationals' last seven games, but he recorded just three hits in 20 at-bats with five walks against four strikeouts over that stretch. Since his April 24 promotion from Triple-A Rochester, Lipscomb is getting on base at a .370 clip over 15 games, but he isn't hitting for much power (.283 slugging percentage). He still looks to be the Nationals' primary third baseman for now, but Lipscomb could be at risk of losing out on some playing time if Washington wants to open up regular work for Joey Gallo (shoulder) when he likely returns from the 10-day injured list during the upcoming week.

Morel (knee) will start at third base and bat cleanup Sunday against the Pirates.

Morel exited in the fifth inning of Saturday's 10-9 loss to Pittsburgh with right knee soreness after he appeared to get hurt on a stolen base attempt in the top of the third. The injury looks to be a minor one, however, given that the 24-year-old is back in the lineup a day later. Morel has gone 8-for-34 with four home runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases in May.

McMahon went 4-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Rangers.

McMahon entered Saturday just 2-for-21 (.095) over his last six contests. The only downside to his performance in this contest was that all four hits were singles. The third baseman is up to a .303/.391/.462 slash line with five home runs, 21 RBI, 16 runs scored and no stolen bases over 39 contests this season. He's never hit higher than .254 or slugged better than .450 in a full season, so the first quarter of the 2024 campaign has essentially been McMahon at his absolute best, which consequently raises a red flag for regression later in the year.

Chapman went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Reds.

Chapman has multiple hits in two of his last three games, and Saturday also saw him go deep for the first time since April 16. The third baseman's first-inning blast was all the Giants needed in the win. Chapman is up to five homers, 18 RBI, 20 runs scored, seven doubles and three stolen bases with a .213/.261/.355 slash line over 40 contests. He's yet to really find a rhythm at the plate, and he's also not showing as much power or plate discipline to make up for his shaky contact.

Morel was removed from Saturday's game versus the Pirates in the fifth inning with right knee soreness, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Morel looked to hurt the knee on a stolen base attempt in the top of the third inning. He remained in the game initially but was removed for a pinch hitter following a rain delay. The Cubs could have more on Morel's condition after the game.

Hayes was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a back issue, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Hayes hasn't played since Tuesday amid a 3-for-30 slump, and perhaps the back issue is part of the reason he's only hit one home run in 35 games. Alika Williams is getting the call from Triple-A in a corresponding move.