MLB Player News

Devers will make his first MLB start Tuesday against the Mariners, batting ninth and playing third base.

Devers sat out of Monday's contest since lefty James Paxton was throwing for the Mariners, but with a right-hander taking the hill for Seattle, the top prospect will finally be able to make his highly anticipated debut. Although he's hitting at the bottom of the order, he'll most likely move up if he shows he can hold his own against big-league pitching.

Senzel, 22, is batting .321/.379/.481 with three home runs, 16 RBI and one steal in 28 games since being promoted to Double-A Pensacola.

One of the top hitting prospects in baseball continues to shine despite the bump in levels. He doesn't appear to have elite power or speed, but Senzel should still be able to muster double-digit production in both of those categories. His greatest asset is his ability to handle the bat, as he has hit over .300 at every level of full-season ball thus far.

Moncada was moved up to second in the order Monday partly due to the good plate approach he's exhibited over his first four games, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Moncada's been getting deep into counts and laying off balls outside the strike zone for the most part, although that approach has not produced the desired results yet. He's just 2-for-18 with five strikeouts, including four whiffs in Monday's win over the Cubs, but manager Rick Renteria envisions the rookie batting anywhere from first to sixth.

Moustakas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI during Monday's win over Detroit.

Moustakas has now hit four homers through his past four outings and sports an active seven-game hitting streak. He's put it all together this season with a .277/.307/.568 slash line and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Devers is not in the starting lineup Monday against the Mariners, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

The top prospect wasn't expected to start this one with lefty James Paxton taking the hill for Seattle. Devers will likely begin acting on the large side of a platoon at third base, starting with Tuesday's game, when right-hander Felix Hernandez will take the hill for the opposition. On Monday night, Deven Marrero will pick up a start at the hot corner, which will likely be the case whenever a lefty is on the hill moving forward.

The Red Sox selected Devers' contract from Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.

Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski indicated after Sunday's game against the Angels that Devers would receive his long-awaited promotion to the big leagues, but the organization didn't make it official until Monday. Manager John Farrell has yet to reveal his lineup for the series opener with the Mariners, but Devers may not actually make his MLB debut until Tuesday, as left-hander James Paxton is starting for Seattle on Monday. In any event, it's expected that the 19-year-old will see the larger share of starts at third base while he remains with the big club, as he'll likely assume the strong side of a platoon with Deven Marrero. After dominating at Double-A Portland earlier this season to earn a promotion to Triple-A, Devers didn't see his production slow down during his brief stay with Pawtucket, batting .400/.447/.600 in 38 plate appearances. It would be unwise to count on him immediately thriving in his first trip to the majors, but Devers' polished, well-rounded skill set makes him a worthwhile speculative pickup in the event he surpasses expectations.

Moncada will start at second base and bat second Monday against the Cubs, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.

Manager Rick Renteria had deployed Moncada as the No. 6 hitter in his first four games with the White Sox, with the rookie going 1-for-13 at the plate. Moncada's performance thus far hasn't warranted a move toward the top of the order, but perhaps settling in between two of the strongest bats in the White Sox's lineup, Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu, will help spark his production.

Escobar went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Sunday's loss to Detroit.

Escobar is expected to see more consistent playing time moving forward, which will provide a modest virtual boost. He projects to remain a low-end asset in deep settings, but regular playing time provides a nice fantasy floor. For the campaign Escobar sports a .273/.328/.441 slash line with nine homers, 32 RBI and 29 runs through 247 plate appearances.

Arenado went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run in Sunday's 13-3 win over the Pirates.

Arenado drove his RBI total up to a league-leading 86 thanks to timely hitting. He plated two runs on a single in the third inning, then drove in one more before coming around to score himself in a seven-run sixth. Fifty-four of Arenado's RBI have come at hitter-friendly Coors Field, even though he has played three more games on the road.

Chapman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a double during Sunday's win over the Mets.

Chapman also homered in Saturday's game, so the youngster's power potential is showing clear signs of translating to the highest level. He now has four homers and a .485 slugging percentage through 75 plate appearances with Oakland. There is intriguing power upside, but Chapman's 34.7 stirkeout percentage and .267 on-base percentage aren't encouraging marks, so expectations should probably remain in check.