MLB Player News

Muncy is not in Thursday's lineup against the Padres due to back tightness, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Muncy is expected back in the lineup Friday against Colorado, so his absence is seemingly a precaution after the team's 16-inning game Wednesday. Billy McKinney enters the lineup at first base while hitting seventh.

Sosa will start at shortstop and bat seventh Thursday against the Pirates, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Sosa will crack the lineup for the fourth time in five games, with three of his starts coming at shortstop. At this stage, Sosa may have played himself into a timeshare in the middle infield with Paul DeJong, who is sitting for the third time in five games and is slashing a meager .229/.306/.375 since the All-Star break.

Hayes isn't starting Thursday against the Cardinals.

Hayes will get a rare day off after he recorded hits in each of his last five appearances and went 5-for-20 with a triple, a double, four runs, three RBI and a stolen base during that time. Wilmer Difo will start at the hot corner and bat fifth.

Moustakas will sit against lefty Brett Anderson and the Brewers on Thursday.

The Reds have largely stuck to a platoon between Moustakas and Eugenio Suarez at third base since the former's return from a heel injury in early August. As expected, it will be Suarez handling the hot corner against a southpaw here.

Farmer will sit Thursday against the Brewers.

Farmer has handled a heavy workload at shortstop recently, as Thursday's off day will be just his third in the last 36 games. Jose Barrero will handle shortstop in his absence.

Peterson went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and an RBI in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Reds.

Peterson provided some insurance in the seventh with an RBI ground-rule double that extended the Brewers' lead to 2-0. The 31-year-old hasn't gotten a ton of consistent playing time since returning from the COVID-IL earlier this month, but he may have a window of opportunity for some additional starts at the hot corner while Eduardo Escobar (hamstring) is on the 10-day injured list. Peterson is now slashing .268/.393/.427 with five homers, 27 RBI, 29 runs scored, eight steals and 33:41 BB:K over 201 plate appearances.

Anderson went 1-for-2 with three walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Nationals.

He gave the Marlins a 2-0 lead by coming around on a Jorge Alfaro single in the second inning and then taking Josiah Gray deep in the sixth for his seventh homer of the season. Anderson's big on-base performance came out of the blue, as he hadn't drawn multiple walks in a game since May 21, and through 21 contests in August he's slashing a sluggish .183/.284/.310.

Wisdom went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Game 1 of a doubleheader versus Colorado on Wednesday. He scored two runs and drew a walk while going 0-for-4 in the nightcap.

Wisdom struck out four times overall in the twin bill, but his three-run shot in the fifth inning of Game 1 provided the margin of victory for the Cubs. The 29-year-old is in the midst of a breakout campaign, slashing .251/.313/.539 with 21 homers and 44 RBI over 79 games. His massive 39.2 percent strikeout rate is certainly problematic, but Wisdom has at least provided a jolt of power for a team that parted ways with three of its biggest bats in separate trades.

McMahon went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's win over the Cubs in the second game of a doubleheader.

McMahon started the nightcap on the bench while Taylor Motter drew the start at third base, but he entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. After coming up empty in his first two at-bats, McMahon connected for a two-run homer in the 10th to give the Rockies an 11-9 lead. It was the 19th long ball of the season for McMahon, putting him on the verge of a second 20-homer campaign in three years.

Longoria (hand) felt too much pain to hit high-velocity pitching Tuesday and still has considerable swelling in his right index finger, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

The veteran hopes to return from the injured list Aug. 31 when first eligible, but he'll first need to hit pain-free against all types of pitches before manager Gabe Kapler gives him any plate appearances. More updates about Longoria's recovery should become available by the end of the week.