MLB Player News

Moncada (back) is expected to be back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The White Sox were optimistic about Moncada's chances of playing Tuesday, but he was ultimately ruled out with a back issue. It remains to be seen whether skipper Rick Renteria's timetable for Moncada's return will be correct this time around. He will be available off the bench Tuesday if needed, per Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com.

Moncada (back) is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Cubs, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

It was reported after Moncada exited Sunday's game with upper-back tightness that he would likely be back in the lineup for Tuesday's contest, but he apparently is still feeling discomfort. Jose Rondon is starting at third base, hitting sixth. Per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Moncada's back apparently bothers him when he swings right-handed, and the White Sox face lefties Tuesday and Wednesday, so we might not see him back until this weekend's series in Texas.

Senzel will start in center field and bat fifth Tuesday against the Astros, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Senzel had led off in each of his starts dating back to May 8, but manager David Bell will at least temporarily pull the plug on the rookie in the table-setting role and instead give Jesse Winker a spin atop the lineup. It's unclear if Bell merely wants to get a more seasoned option in Winker to try and ignite the offense against Houston ace Justin Verlander or if Senzel is being penalized for his poor production of late. The 23-year-old has managed a lowly .265 on-base percentage so far this month, though he has racked up eight extra-base hits in 12 games.

Muncy went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's loss to the Giants.

The 28-year-old continued his recent power surge, as Monday's long ball was his fifth in the last eight games. Muncy's walk rate is down slightly in 2019, but his strikeout rate is down and his hard-hit rate sits at a healthy 44.5 percent. He ranks ninth among all major-league first basemen in OPS (.935), which is only slightly below his mark from his breakout 2018.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in the Padres' 2-0 victory over the Brewers on Monday.

The 26-year-old recorded his 14th long ball of the season with a third-inning solo shot off Jhoulys Chacin to provide one of his team's two runs for the game. He also added his 11th two-bagger of the year to give him a fourth multi-hit effort in his last five games. The hot streak has boosted Machado's slash line up to .264/.346/.464 through 265 at-bats.

LeMahieu went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Monday's 3-0 win over the Rays.

His third-inning shot off Yonny Chirinos gave Masahiro Tanaka all the offense he would need as he cruised to a shutout. LeMahieu continues to play every day, primarily at third base, and he's earned his at-bats by slashing .311/.355/.459 on the year with eight homers and 43 RBI in 66 games.

Machado was suspended one game and fined Monday after getting ejected for arguing balls and strikes in Saturday's contest, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Machado will appeal the ban, so he'll remain eligible to play Monday against Milwaukee. Greg Garcia will likely get at start at third base if and when he does serve the ban.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored Sunday in the Indians' 8-0 win over the Tigers.

Cleveland has won eight of its last 11 games to stay in the thick of the American League wild-card race, but the team has largely succeeded in spite of Ramirez, who is slashing .190/.250/.238 over that stretch. Dating back to the second half of last season, Ramirez sports a .210/.331/.359 line (83 wRC+) over 574 plate appearances, a fairly sizable sample that suggests his ongoing struggles can no longer be dismissed simply as a slump.

Senzel (eye) is back in the lineup Monday against Houston, leading off and playing center field.

Senzel required stitches on his left eyelid after leaving Saturday's game against the Rangers after a ball bounced up and hit him in the face. He did not appear in Sunday's contest, though he was reportedly available off the bench.

Urshela went 2-for-5 with a double, RBI and a pair of runs Sunday in the Yankees' 10-3 win over the White Sox.

With Didi Gregorius getting the day off, Urshela checked into the lineup at third base while Gleyber Torres shifted over to shortstop. Gregorius should be subjected to fewer off days as he regains conditioning following his long layoff from Tommy John surgery, which could relegate Urshela to the bench more frequently. Urshela has already noticed a downturn in playing time lately, as he sat out two of the four games in Chicago.