MLB Player News

Moncada is not in the lineup Monday against Cleveland.

Moncada will sit for the second time in September. Yolmer Sanchez will slide over to second base in his absence, with Jose Rondon at third base.

Escobar went 2-for-4 and was thrown out on a steal attempt Sunday in the Diamondbacks' 2-0 loss to the Rockies.

The Diamondbacks have scored two or fewer runs in each of the last five games Escobar has played, which helps explain why he's gone without an RBI over that span despite recording a hit in all of those contests. Though Escobar will start at third base and bat second in Monday's series opener for the Dodgers, his fantasy prospects don't look all that promising over the final week of the season. Escobar has managed a lowly .230/.289/.392 batting line in September and should be in store for at least a day off or two over the Diamondbacks' final five games with the club now officially eliminated from postseason contention.

Sosa was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Sosa was added to the active roster in a move that manager Mike Shildt labeled as "independent" of Kolten Wong's current hamstring issues that have kept him out of the lineup for the last two games. Sosa has played second base, third base and shortstop over his minor-league career, and he slashed a solid .262/.321/.408 with 18 extra-base hits (13 doubles, five home runs) and 27 RBI across 56 games with Triple-A Memphis. Shildt indicated Sosa is likely to be utilized as a pinch runner and defensive replacement over the final week of the regular season.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Padres.

Machado took Joey Lucchesi deep in the second inning to homer in his second consecutive game. He now has 37 long balls on the season, tying his career-best mark that was set in 2016. It's been another strong all-around season for Machado, as he's also chipped in 14 stolen bases and could bat better than .300 for the first time in his career.

Muncy went 2-for-2 with four RBI and a run scored Sunday against the Padres.

Muncy entered the game in the fourth inning as a pinch hitter and went on to deliver a pair of two-RBI singles after remaining in the game as a defensive replacement. While his production has slowed a bit in the final month of the season, Muncy has still managed three home runs while driving in 12 across 46 at-bats. His value could be in for a hit in the upcoming week, however, as the Dodgers are scheduled to face three southpaws, against whom Muncy frequently sits.

Astudillo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.

Astudillo gets a breather for the series finale after going 6-for-12 with two doubles and four RBI in his last three starts. Chris Gimenez starts behind the plate and will bat eighth for the Twins.

Muncy is on the bench Sunday against left-hander Joey Lucchesi and the Padres, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Muncy has started against every righty while sitting against every lefty since Aug. 12. David Freese will get the call at first base Sunday. The Dodgers tentatively line up to face three lefties in their final six games, so expect Muncy to head to the bench on those three occasions.

Newman is not starting Sunday against the Brewers.

Newman sits after starting three straight and six of the last seven. Jordy Mercer will take over at shortstop.

Devers went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings loss to the Indians.

Devers has started three straight games at third base with Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) on the shelf, and he's given us the whole Devers package. He homered in each of the last two games and hit safely in all three starts but also impacted games with his fielding. Devers committed a costly error Friday, his league-leading 23rd among third basemen. He avoided being credited with a 24th on Saturday when a batted ball in the 11th inning was ruled an infield single. That runner came around to score the game-winning run. Manager Alex Cora told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com that Devers has improved his plate approach by chasing fewer pitches and being less anxious in the batter's box. However, the manager will have a hard choice to make in the postseason: Devers is the better option offensively but Nunez is safer defensively. Devers would be tested in the field against righty-heavy lineups like the Yankees and Astros.

Machado went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer against the Padres on Saturday.

Machado took Jacob Nix deep in the third inning for his 36th home run of the season. The shot helped him reach 100 RBI for the first time in his career, and he is now just one home run shy of tying his career-best mark.