MLB Player News

Escobar is not starting Friday against Atlanta.

Escobar hits the bench for just the fourth time this season. He's hitting .377 with five homers over his last 15 games. Ildemaro Vargas gets the nod at third base in his absence.

Donaldson went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

His solo shot off Greg Holland in the ninth inning gave Atlanta a brief 2-1 lead, but the bullpen then coughed up runs in the ninth and 10th to squander it. Donaldson is now slashing .258/.378/.492 through 35 games with six homers and 18 RBI, and while his MVP days are behind him, he's still proving to be a strong contributor when he's healthy.

Kieboom went 1-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI for Triple-A Fresno on Thursday.

The Nats' top fantasy prospect showed no signs of sulking in his first game back with Fresno since losing his spot in the majors. It could be awhile before Kieboom gets another shot with Washington, but if he keeps dominating PCL pitching he'll earn a return trip later this season.

Newman went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored in Thursday's 17-4 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.

He's 6-for-13 since coming off the injured list. With Cole Tucker overmatched at the plate, Newman might play more frequently ahead of Tucker at shortstop. Whether Newman can continue to hit at the major-league level remains to be seen, but he has posted a career slash line of .287/.343/.387 in parts of five minor-league campaigns.

Arenado went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, two runs and three RBI in Colorado's 12-11 victory over the Giants on Thursday.

The star third baseman continued his torrid hot streak, clubbing his 10th homer of the season and bagging his sixth multi-hit effort in seven games to start the month of May. He's now slashing .322/.364/.597 over 149 at-bats and has looked like his old self since his batting average dipped to .247 on April 19.

Suarez went 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored Thursday against the Athletics.

Suarez took Chris Bassitt deep in the third inning for his 11th home run of the season. Now slugging .545, Suarez has blasted five home runs in his past 10 games. He's also maintained his contact skills from past seasons, which gives his .242 average some room to improve as the season wears on.

Farmer will start at first base and bat eighth Thursday against the Athletics.

Farmer will stick in the lineup for the fourth straight game while starting at his third different position. The 28-year-old has been aided by the Reds having an extra lineup spot for the past three days with the designated hitter available in Oakland, but he'll be at risk of falling into a reserve role on a more regular basis once the Reds resume National League play in San Francisco this weekend.

Riley went 3-for-4 with a walk, two home runs and three RBI for Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old is the hottest hitter in the International League at the moment, if not the entire minors, slashing .469/.544/1.204 over the last 13 games with 10 homers -- including three separate two-homer performances in the last eight contests. More importantly for his chances of making a big-league debut in 2019, Riley got the start in left field Wednesday, his first appearance in the outfield during his minor-league career. Josh Donaldson is healthy at third base for Atlanta and has an .846 OPS, but Ender Inciarte has a .640 mark, and the club could easily shift Ronald Acuna to center field to open up a corner outfield spot for Riley if Inciarte's struggles continue too much longer.

Muncy went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Atlanta.

So far Muncy has dispelled any notion that his 2018 numbers were a fluke, slashing .274/.370/.521 through 38 games with eight homers and 28 RBI. He's avoided a platoon role so far -- a 1.090 OPS against same-side pitching will do that -- and as long as he continues to hit in a prime spot in the potent Dodgers' lineup, the 28-year-old should remain on pace to blow past last year's 79 RBI.

Riley will receive a couple starts per week in the outfield going forward at Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Riley received the first of said starts Wednesday, though he also made a start in the outfield during spring training. The increased versatility will help the 22-year-old reach the majors should the Braves run into any injury issues. Riley is slashing .300/.373/.633 with 10 home runs for the Stripers, but Josh Donaldson is currently blocking the 22-year-old's path to the majors at third base.