MLB Player News

Muncy isn't starting Friday against the Brewers, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Muncy drew the start at second base Thursday against the Cardinals and was removed from the contest early, although there's been no word of an injury. Cody Bellinger will move to first base and Alex Verdugo gets the call in right field with Muncy on the bench.

Bregman (hamstring) did some running in the outfield with the team trainers prior to Friday's game against Seattle, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros still haven't revealed their lineup for Friday night, but if everything checks out, Bregman could be back in the starting nine for the series opener. Yuli Gurriel would likely draw the start at the hot corner if Bregman can't go.

LeMahieu could see some at-bats from the leadoff spot against right-handed pitching, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Brett Gardner has slotted into the leadoff role in 2019 with Aaron Hicks (back) on the shelf, although skipper Aaron Boone stated that "there could be some scenarios" in which LeMahieu bats leadoff against right-handers. Lemahieu has fared well against right-handed pitching so far this season and is hitting .394 with five RBI in 33 at-bats.

Hayes went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a homer against Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.

The home run was his first at the Triple-A level. Hayes spent all of 2018 playing for Double-A Altoona, where he slashed .293/.375/.444 but with only seven homers in 437 at-bats. He followed that up by hitting .353 with three home runs in Grapefruit League action this spring. The third baseman has a solid skill set, but his fantasy value may be determined by his ability to hit for power. So far he's off to a good start in 2019.

Farmer has played a limited role so far, hitting .167/.167/.667 with two homers in 12 at-bats.

Though he's capable of catching, the Reds haven't used him there yet, as he's played three games at second base and a game at third. Most of his action has been as a pinch hitter. With two other catchers on the active roster, that will continue to be his role.

Devers went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Blue Jays.

Devers, who was hitting out of the six hole against a right-hander for a second straight game, bounced a ninth-inning single against a drawn-in infield with the bases loaded to give Boston's a walkoff win. The third baseman had been a regular as the third batter against right-handers but was dropped to sixth after a slow start (9-for-40, .225). He's responded with multi-hit games in each contest.

Escobar went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Arizona's 7-6 loss to the Padres on Thursday.

Escobar had been off to a slow start, but he broke through with his first long ball of the season in this contest, launching a game-tying three-run blast off Brad Wieck in the seventh inning. He's still slashing just .220/.304/.360 over 50 at-bats, but hopefully this is a sign the 30-year-old infielder is primed to get going at the dish.

Suarez went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI in a 5-0 victory against the Marlins on Thursday.

The 27-year-old posted a pair of three-hit games and two homers in the series versus the Marlins. With the great series, Suarez is now hitting .297 with five extra-base hits, six RBI and four runs this season. His OPS sits at an impressive 1.004.

Longoria is not starting Thursday against the Rockies.

Longoria hits the bench for just the second time this season. Pablo Sandoval gets the call at third base in his absence.

Newman was placed on the 10-day injured list with a laceration on his right middle finger Thursday.

The move is retroactive to April 9, so Newman could be back in action as soon as April 19. Kevin Kramer was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to take his place on the roster.