MLB Player News

Rivera went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs and a walk in Saturday's 6-0 win over the Rockies.

Rivera is picking up his power pace -- he's hit safely in his last six games, logging four homers and three doubles while going 9-for-19 (.474). For perspective, he had all of six long balls in 63 contests with the Royals to begin the year. The third baseman is up to a .253/.304/.466 slash line with 10 homers, 28 RBI, 32 runs scored, 11 doubles and three triples through 237 plate appearances this year. Rivera sees roughly half of the playing time at the hot corner, while the more defensively versatile Josh Rojas gets the rest of it when the latter does play third, though that balance could change if the former stays productive at the plate.

Hayes (back) isn't starting Saturday against the Giants.

Hayes is dealing with back spasms and will be excluded from the lineup for a second consecutive game. He remains day-to-day for now, but Rodolfo Castro will start at the hot corner and bat seventh Saturday.

Escobar (side) isn't starting Saturday against the Phillies.

Escobar will be held out of the lineup for at least one game after he exited Friday's matchup with a side injury, but the Mets hope that he'll avoid a trip to the injured list. Luis Guillorme is starting at the hot corner and batting seventh.

Longoria isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Pirates, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Longoria has gone 2-for-10 with two runs, an RBI, a walk and four strikeouts over the last four matchups but will be on the bench for the third time in the last four games. LaMonte Wade is serving as the designated hitter and leading off.

Segura isn't starting Saturday against the Mets.

Segura started the last four games and went 4-for-13 with a solo home run, two total runs, a stolen base, a walk and three strikeouts. Nick Maton will start at second base and bat eighth.

Anderson isn't starting the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Anderson returned to the field Friday after a three-week absence due to a shoulder injury. He went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and a strikeout in his return. Charles Leblanc is starting at the hot corner and batting seventh.

Castro went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a triple in Friday's 5-3 loss to the Giants.

Castro has gone 4-for-12 with a homer and a pair of triples in four games since he was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. He started the first two contests after his recall at second base, and he picked up a spot start at the hot corner Friday. For the season, the infielder is slashing .217/.286/.386 with a pair of homers, five RBI, eight runs scored, two stolen bases and three triples through 91 plate appearances. If the switch hitter can stay productive with the bat, he should carve out a fairly steady role despite not having a set position.

Arenado went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 3-1 win over the Brewers.

Arenado has homered in three straight games and already has six through 10 contests in August. He's hit safely in every game this month, going 16-for-38 (.421) during that impressive span. The 31-year-old is up to 25 long balls, 73 RBI, 58 runs scored, two stolen bases and a .303/.370/.570 slash line through 104 contests this year.

Hayes is day-to-day with back spasms, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

The issue explains why Hayes is on the bench Friday against the Giants. While the problem doesn't appear to be a major one, the Pirates have no incentive to rush him back in a long season, so it's possible Rodolfo Castro gets a handful of starts at third base.

Escobar left Friday's game against the Phillies with a side injury, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The specific nature and severity of Escobar's injury are not yet clear. He'd already seen a significant drop in playing time, as he slipped into a short-side platoon role behind Luis Guillorme at third base to begin August, so his short-term outlook won't change much if he's shut down for a few days.