MLB Player News

Plouffe went 1-for-4 with a run in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Reds.

The veteran third baseman put forth a modest showing in his Rays debut while serving as the designated hitter and operating out of the seven-hole. Plouffe offers some power but struggled during his time with Oakland, racking up his highest strikeout rate (29.1 percent) since his initial big-league cup of coffee with the Twins in 2010.

Rendon (neck) only has a stinger and may be able to play Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASN reports.

Rendon was forced to leave Monday's game with a neck injury, and there were concerns that it was serious. Fortunately, it's just a pinched nerve, and the Nationals are hopeful that he'll be able to get the kinks out by Tuesday; even if that's not the case, Rendon's stay on the bench shouldn't be a long one.

Rendon was removed for a pinch hitter Monday after suffering an apparent neck injury diving in the field, Dan Kolko of MASN reports.

Stephen Drew took Rendon's place in the lineup. The severity of the injury was unclear, so we will have to consider him day-to-day until the Nationals' doctors are able to get a look at him.

Chapman is undergoing treatment with antibiotics for a knee infection, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports Monday.

Chapman is still under observation by team doctors. The third baseman slid into the wall making a catch while on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento, and has also made some diving plays in Oakland, but the club and player are both unsure when or where the infection started. A timeframe for Chapman's return won't be available for at least 24 hours, so it seems reasonable to expect he will miss Tuesday's game as well.

Chapman is not in the lineup Monday against the Astros, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Chapman is hitting just .214 with seven strikeouts during the early stages of his MLB debut, so he'll get his first night off Monday. Ryon Healy will man the hot corner in his stead, and Adam Rosales will draw a start at shortstop as the A's shuffle their infield around.

Valencia went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Rangers.

After breaking out in May with a .306 average and 14 RBI, Valencia has followed up with a strong June thus far. He's now driven in 18 runs over 65 plate appearances and has a respectable .295/.328/.475 line for the month. The veteran's RBI outburst has him ranked fourth on the team in that category behind the potent trio of Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager and Robinson Cano, and he's on pace to comfortably exceed the career-high 72 he compiled with the Twins back in 2011.

Manager Buck Showalter plans to keep Machado at third base while J.J. Hardy (wrist) remains sidelined, Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Hardy is expected to miss at least a month while recovering from a fractured wrist, and although Machado saw time at shortstop last season when Hardy was out with a foot injury, it appears Showalter is set to give Ruben Tejada a look at shortstop this time around. "It's pretty taxing, I think, on Manny moving back and forth, especially this time of year with the number of games he has under his belt, so I want to be careful with that," the Orioles' manager said. The team may change its mind if Tejada struggles at shortstop, but it appears Machado will stay put for now, which could end up affecting his dual eligibility for next season.

Longoria went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, a walk and three runs in Sunday's 9-1 win over the Tigers.

Longoria broke out of a modest 0-for-7 slump that had encompassed his last two games in fine fashion, going deep for the first time since June 10 in the process. The slugging third baseman currently sports his lowest average (.253) since 2014, but he's been trending in the right direction lately, raising that figure 16 points since May 30.

Plouffe was added to the Rays' active roster Monday.

Michael Martinez was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for the 31-year-old. Plouffe slashed .214/.276/.357 in 58 games with the A's before being traded to Tampa Bay, and he'll likely fill a reserve infield role with the Rays.

Arenado hit a three-run walk-off home run to beat the Giants on Sunday, part of a 4-for-5 game with four RBI.

Arenado completed a cycle with the home run as he continues to be red-hot in June. In 17 games this month, Arenado now has 14 extra-base hits and a ridiculous 21 RBI. His batting line is now up to .299/.352/.573, and his performance combined with the Rockies' blistering start have him squarely in the early-season conversation for National League MVP.