MLB Player News

Bregman went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs and a walk in Tuesday's win over the A's.

Bregman tagged Sean Manaea for a solo shot in the first and later hit another off Emilio Pagan in the seventh. Bregman now has 19 home runs and 59 RBI, both of which are in the top five among MLB third basemen, while his 61 runs are tied for the top spot at the position. The 24-year-old is hitting .333/.442/.639 through the first nine games of July.

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

Muncy's solo blast was his 21st, and it broke up San Diego starter Eric Lauer's bid for a complete game shutout with two outs in the ninth inning. The breakout 27-year-old has continued to excel in July, smacking four homers in the month -- all solo shots -- to go along with a .313 average and a .450 OBP over nine games.

Arenado went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Tuesday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

It was Arenado's 23rd home run -- moving him into a tie with Jesus Aguilar for the NL lead -- and fifth in his last 11 games. The 27-year-old is hitting .333 in July and is well on his way to another terrific season. Approaching the All-Star break, he's driven in 64 runs to go along with a .309/.393/.593 line.

Machado went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and an intentional walk in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Yankees.

Machado came up huge for the Orioles on Tuesday, with his solo home run in the fifth inning tying the game 3-3, and his two-run shot in the seventh tying it up 5-5. It was the 26-year-old's fifth two-homer effort of the season, bringing his total to 23.

Plouffe's contract was selected by the Phillies on Tuesday.

Plouffe was called upon to provide a veteran bat off the bench and the ability to fill in at multiple positions around the diamond. Neither the bat nor the glove are particularly good, though, as the 32-year-old has posted a .242/.304/.410 in parts of eight big-league seasons and a negative UZR at every position other than first base. Dylan Cozens was optioned in a corresponding move, with Pedro Florimon transferred to the 60-day disabled list to clear room on the 40-man roster.

Donaldson (calf) resumed baseball activities Tuesday, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

He has begun a running progression with no symptoms, which is a good sign for someone recovering from a calf injury. Donaldson reportedly resumed hitting last week, so he may be nearing a rehab stint.

Madrigal has been battling a minor hamstring issue for the past three weeks, but could return to the AZL this weekend, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

He has only logged three plate appearances as a pro, and now we know why. The middle infielder from Oregon State is considered to be the best pure hitter from the 2018 draft class, and also has impact speed on the bases.

Candelario (flu) is starting at third base and leading off Tuesday against the Rays, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

He missed Monday's game with the flu, but is back at the hot corner for the second game of the series with Tampa Bay. Candelario is hitting just .160/.273/.294 with a 29.5 percent strikeout rate since the start of June, so it may be best to take a wait-and-see approach before plugging him back in, despite the advantageous spot in the lineup.

Valencia is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Joey Rickard will take over in right field against right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. Valencia started both games of Monday's doubleheader, homering in the first game, and had started against the last three opposing right-handers prior to this absence. It seems safe to assume he will continue seeing regular playing time in the second half so long as he remains in Baltimore.

Valencia went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in the first half of Monday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Valencia delivered a clutch hit in the sixth inning, blasting a three-run homer to give the Orioles a 5-4 lead. Prior to the game, he'd been hitless in his last eight tilts, with his batting average dipping from .286 to .258 over that span.