MLB Player News

Chapman went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs in Oakland's 3-2 victory over Kansas City on Sunday.

Chapman's been swinging a hot bat, as he now has seven hits in his last 13 at-bats, with four runs and a pair of RBI to go along with this eighth-inning blast off Royals reliever Jason Adam. The long ball gives him 10 for the season, and Chapman is now slashing a respectable .245/.339/.435 through 237 at-bats.

Devers went 1-for-2 with one walk and an RBI during Sunday's loss to the White Sox.

Devers drove in a run during the second inning on a single to right center, tying the game at one, although Chicago would ultimately pull away for the 5-2 victory. Despite a dismal .232 batting average, the 21-year-old is starting to put it together at the dish, collecting a base knock in each of his last five games. Devers has slugged nine home runs and driven in 29 across 58 games in just his second season of big-league action.

Valencia was held out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays due to an illness, Steve Melewski of MASN Sports reports.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said prior to the start of the contest that Valencia could be sent back to the team hotel to recuperate from the illness, so it's uncertain if he'll be available off the bench Sunday to pinch hit. Unless his condition takes a turn for the worse overnight, Valencia is expected to rejoin the Baltimore lineup Monday against the Red Sox and should be on tap for a full slate of starts during the upcoming week. Valencia has hit .348 over his last 26 games, making him one of the more productive batters in a porous Orioles attack.

Senzel went 4-for-6 Saturday for Triple-A Louisville, scoring twice, knocking in a run, and stealing a base, MiLB.com reports.

After a slow start and a lengthy injury absence, Senzel has rallied to post a .276/.361/.441 line at Louisville, albeit with only three homers in 127 at-bats so far. Senzel hasn't yet hit for much power as a professional, though his 10 homers in 57 games at Double-A Pensacola last summer teased at that ability.

Valencia is out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Valencia will head to the bench for the first time in seven games as manager Buck Showalter clears a spot at the hot corner for leadoff man Jace Peterson in the series finale. Though Valencia has historically done his best work as a short-side platoon bat, he has been a surprisingly strong performer against right-handers this season, hitting .313/.348/.516 across 69 plate appearances. Despite dropping out of the lineup Sunday, Valencia still appears locked in for something close to a full-time role with the Orioles while he continues to impress at the plate.

Peterson will serve as the Orioles' leadoff man and play third base Sunday against the Blue Jays, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

With the Orioles' primary table setter this season, Trey Mancini, owning just a .307 on-base percentage on the campaign, it appears that manager Buck Showalter is ready to consider other options atop the order. After reaching base three times out of the leadoff spot Saturday, Peterson will receive another opportunity to prove that he's worthy of the assignment. Peterson has posted a double-digit walk rate in each of the past three seasons, but his poor contact skills and lack of pop have limited him to a career .643 OPS.

The Blue Jays didn't activate Donaldson (calf) from the 10-day disabled list ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Orioles, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

There had been optimism that Donaldson would return from the DL at some point over the weekend, but the third baseman apparently hasn't quite made a full recovery from the left calf injury that he sustained May 28. While Toronto hasn't indicated that Donaldson has endured a setback, he may need to complete a few more on-field workouts before the team is comfortable signing off on his activation.

Moncada has gone hitless with five strikeouts in eight at-bats in the first two games of the series against his former team, the Red Sox.

Moncada's slump extends beyond the present series, so it's not just a matter of the opponent's familiarity with him. The second baseman has one hit in his last 19 at-bats, during which he's fanned 10 times (52.6 K%).

Bregman went 1-for-4 with a run-producing double and a run scored in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rangers.

Bregman's bat has been sizzling of late, as the third baseman has hit safely in eight straight while scoring eight runs and knocking in eight during the streak. He's following a similar path as last season, when he started slowly before picking it up in the second half. The major difference this season: His bat has picked up, and he's getting on base with more consistency earlier in 2018.

Muncy went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and three walks in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Braves.

Muncy has been red-hot at the plate of late, developing a modest six-game hit streak with four homers and seven RBI. The 27-year-old has been starting at the hot corner over the past couple of contests, but he should stick in the starting lineup even with Justin Turner (wrist) expected to return Sunday. A lineup configuration where Muncy moves back to first base and Cody Bellinger slots in at center against right-handed starters is the likely scenario. The slugger is slashing .268/.385/.593 over 148 plate appearances with the Dodgers this year, making him a viable power option in almost any format.