MLB Player News

Moustakas (heel) was activated off the 60-day injured list Friday and will bat fifth and play third base against the Pirates.

A heel contusion had kept Moustakas on the sidelines since mid-May, but he's finally ready to go after going 5-for-14 with a homer over four rehab appearances. The 32-year-old hit .241/.337/.437 in 28 games prior to suffering the injury, with his 105 wRC+ representing a small step back from the 109 wRC+ he produced last season. He's expected to fill the large side of a platoon with Eugenio Suarez down the stretch.

Wisdom is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox.

The stretch run for the Cubs will be all about auditioning players to see who deserves to be part of the club's future. Wisdom has made a strong case for himself in his 62 games already this season, homering 16 times while slashing .272/.335/.572, though his 37.9 percent strikeout rate casts doubt on the sustainability of that line. He looks set to continue featuring frequently over the final two months following the team's moves at the trade deadline, though it will be Frank Schwindel and Matt Duffy who start at the infield corners Friday.

Riley went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a strikeout as Atlanta defeated St. Louis, 8-4 on Thursday.

After getting out in his first three at-bats, Riley homered in the eighth off Giovanny Gallegos to tie the game and then singled in the ninth to continue a two-week hot stretch that's seen the third baseman go 22-for-55. The 24-year-old is now slashing .292/.372/.525 with 24 home runs. 58 runs and 67 RBI.

Suarez went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Pirates.

Suarez slammed a three-run homer in the second inning off Wil Crowe, extending the early lead to four runs. His 22 homers are tied with Joey Votto for most on the Reds. The 29-year-old has a hit in each of his last six games, with three long balls in that span. On the season, he is slashing a poor .177/.260/.379 in 438 plate appearances. This is the first time in his career he has consistently hit below the Mendoza Line.

Suarez, who is batting eighth Thursday night against the Pirates, has been working to improve against high fastballs, a particular weak point of his this season, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Suarez is at risk of losing playing time once Mike Moustakas returns from the IL, as Kyle Farmer and Jonathan India have been playing too well to sit, especially with Farmer being a better defensive option than Suarez at shortstop.

Castro isn't starting Thursday's game against the Reds.

Castro has gone 0-for-8 with a walk and five strikeouts across the last two games, and he'll get a chance to reset in Thursday's series opener. Hoy Park will start at the keystone and lead off.

Manager David Bell said Thursday that Moustakas' (heel) time at Triple-A Louisville "may have come to an end," Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Moustakas has recorded hits in each of his five rehab appearances, and he's gone 6-for-17 with a home run, a double, three runs, a walk and a strikeout. The 32-year-old's bruised right heel has kept him sidelined since mid-May, but he's on track to return from the 60-day injured list during the Reds' weekend series against the Pirates.

Longoria (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Longoria has missed two months due to a left shoulder sprain, but he began a hitting progression in late July and will now return to game action. The 35-year-old will play five innings Thursday before increasing to seven innings Friday as the Giants ramp up his workload, according to Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site. Although Longoria will presumably require several rehab outings before he's cleared to rejoin the major-league club, his minor-league appearances are the final step in his recovery process. The acquisition of Kris Bryant at the trade deadline figures to cut into his playing time at third base.

McMahon went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk Wednesday in the Rockies' 3-2 loss to the Cubs.

McMahon's power has gone missing for the last month and a half -- he has one home run in 33 games since June 16 -- but he's at least helping out fantasy managers with a .270 average and .391 on-base percentage over that stretch. At 47-61, the Rockies could choose to rest some veterans more regularly over the final two months of the season, but since McMahon is under club control through 2023, he shouldn't lose out on too much work.

Segura is not starting Thursday's game against the Nationals.

A 2-for-4 effort Wednesday raised Segura's average to .308 with two home runs, five doubles and seven RBI in his last 10 games. Ronald Torreyes is starting at second base and batting eighth Thursday.