MLB Player News

Walding was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday.

Walding spent four days on the Phillies' 25-man roster and struck out in both of his plate appearances. He's now 1-for-19 with 14 strikeouts in his big-league career. Sean Rodriguez's contract was selected in a corresponding move.

Rendon (elbow) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Rendon is out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive game as he continues to nurse an elbow injury he sustained after getting hit by a pitch over the weekend. The third baseman hit in the cage Tuesday and was apparently available to pinch hit if needed, though he ultimately went unused. Rendon is available off the bench again Wednesday, per Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post, and will look to rejoin the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Padres after an off-day Thursday. Jake Noll is starting at third base and hitting seventh in his place.

Moustakas (finger) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Moustakas will sit for a third straight game as he continues to nurse a fractured right ring finger. The veteran infielder was able to take batting practice with the team Tuesday, suggesting he could be trending toward a return after the team's off-day Thursday. Hernan Perez is starting at the keystone once again in his stead.

Longoria went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-6 win over Toronto.

It was Longoria's third home run of the season, all three of which have come on the road. Oracle Park is notoriously a pitcher's venue, and it may be affecting the veteran more than any Giants hitter. Longoria is slashing a meager .158/.179/.237 at home compared to a healthy .271/.314/.521 on the road. Deep-mixed and NL-only owners may not have the luxury of picking and choosing when to start the third baseman, but those using Longoria in DFS and as a mixed-league streamer may want to deploy him mostly on road trips.

Escobar went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Pirates.

Escobar had been languishing in the low .200s for much of April but has put together a mini-run since the weekend. He's 8-for-17 with two home runs, four RBI and four runs scored over the last four games, raising his average to .270. Earlier in the season, when Escobar was struggling, the Diamondbacks were giving Jake Lamb (quadriceps) playing time at third base. That may still happen when Lamb returns in May, but removing Escobar from the lineup is a more difficult decision if he's producing.

Muncy isn't in Tuesday's starting lineup against the Cubs.

Muncy will head to the bench with lefty Jose Quintana taking the mound for the opposition. David Freese enters the lineup at first base and will bat third with Muncy riding the pine.

Rendon (elbow) could be available to pinch hit Tuesday against the Rockies, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Rendon is out of the lineup for the third straight day but he was able to hit in the cage Tuesday and appears to be progressing towards a return. The Nationals have a scheduled off-day Thursday, so it would make sense if the team played it safe with Rendon and also held him out of Wednesday's series finale.

Moustakas (finger) took batting practice on the field Tuesday to determine his availability moving forward, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Moustakas was left out of the starting lineup Tuesday, and his availability for the next few games will likely depend on how his finger feels during batting practice. The veteran third baseman could be used off the bench Tuesday and Wednesday if it's deemed that he can play through the injury.

Senzel (ankle) has been activated from the 7-day injured list and will play at Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, Fletcher Page of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Senzel feared his injury was much worse initially, but he's managed to return in just under a month from a right ankle sprain. He'll look to build on a successful 2018 campaign with the Bats and will continue to get reps in center field.

Rendon (elbow) isn't in Tuesday's starting lineup against the Rockies, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Rendon has now been out of the starting lineup for three straight days after getting drilled by a pitch on his left elbow in Saturday's contest. Howie Kendrick continues to benefit from Rendon's absence and will again start at the hot corner.