MLB Player News

Sosa will start at shortstop and bat eighth Sunday against the Royals.

After going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs in Saturday's 9-4 win while filling in at shortstop for the banged-up Paul DeJong (back), Sosa will pick up another start in the series finale. Sosa is making his third consecutive start overall -- he manned third base in Friday's 6-0 win -- but he'll likely fade into a reserve role in the infield beginning next week. DeJong is expected to be good to go for Tuesday's series opener versus the Brewers.

Duffy is starting at third base and batting cleanup Sunday against the Marlins.

After sitting out Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Marlins, Duffy is back in the lineup at the hot corner for the fifth time in six games. Manager David Ross has shown a willingness to rotate Patrick Wisdom between the two corner-infield spots and left field of late, which should allow all of Wisdom, Duffy and Frank Schwindel to hold down near-everyday roles for the time being. Duffy is batting .196 with one stolen base, zero RBI and seven runs since being reinstated from the injured list July 23.

Wisdom is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Wisdom will take a seat for the series finale after he started each of the past three games at a different position (first base, third base and left field). Expect him to rotate among all three spots over the final month and a half of the season, though he should retain a near-everyday role while he continues to supply power. Wisdom owns an .870 OPS over 230 plate appearances on the campaign.

Anderson went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Cubs.

Anderson's sixth long ball of the season came with two outs in the sixth inning and allowed the Marlins to overcome a 1-0 deficit. The third baseman will carry a four-game hitting streak into Sunday's series finale and will bat fifth for Miami.

The Reds activated Senzel (knee) from the 60-day injured list Sunday and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville.

Senzel had been playing regularly at Louisville after kicking off his rehab assignment July 30, appearing in 10 games while slashing .286/.316/.429 with four extra-base hits (three doubles, one triple). The 26-year-old picked up starts at both shortstop and center field with the hope of potentially filling a utility role upon rejoining the big club, but the Reds felt he was better served playing on an everyday basis at Louisville after his rehab assignment expired. The decision to keep Senzel in the minors is perhaps an indication of the former top prospect's shaky long-term outlook in the organization, as he hasn't met expectations over parts of three seasons in the big leagues while missing considerable time due to injuries.

Suarez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Suarez will take a seat after he went a collective 3-for-25 with a home run and three walks while starting each of the past seven games, resulting in his season-long batting average plummeting to .173. He benefited largely from the Reds encountering a heavy stretch of left-handed pitching, but the struggling Suarez doesn't look as though he'll receive regular opportunities versus right-handed pitching following Mike Moustakas' recent return from the 60-day injured list.

Arenado went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, two-run double and a walk in Saturday's 9-4 win over the Royals.

After homering off Brad Keller on Aug. 7, Arenado went deep again off the Royals' starter Saturday. He then smacked a ground-rule double off Greg Holland in the ninth to cash two of his four RBI on the night. The Cardinals' third baseman has had a tough go of it in August, but in five games against Kansas City, he is hitting .316 with three home runs.

Newman went 4-for-4 with four doubles, four runs scored and two RBI in a 14-4 win over the Brewers during the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Getting the start at shortstop and batting eighth, Newman tied the major-league record with four two-baggers in a game. The 28-year-old has been flashing some extra-base power in August, batting .333 (11-for-33) through 11 games with seven doubles, but on the season he's still hitting just .226.

Longoria (shoulder) was activated off the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Longoria had an excellent start to his age-35 season, hitting .280/.376/.516 through his first 50 games. He then sprained his left shoulder in early June and wound up missing over two months. The Giants will hope he can recapture his early season form for the stretch run, beginning Saturday against the Rockies, when he'll bat fifth and play third base. Thairo Estrada was optioned in a corresponding move.

Escobar is not starting Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Pirates.

Escobar went hitless with a pair of strikeouts in the afternoon loss, ending his streak of four consecutive multi-hit games. Luis Urias is starting at third base and batting sixth in the nightcap.