MLB Player News

Peterson is in the lineup against the Mets on Thursday.

Peterson will be leading off and manning the keystone against Matt Harvey and the Mets. The 26-year-old is 21-for-82 on the year, with one home run and 10 RBI for the Braves.

Plouffe (groin) is hopeful he'll be able to avoid landing on the DL, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports.

Plouffe left Thursday's tilt early with a right groin strain and had difficulty walking off the field, but he reported feeling better after the game. At this point it appears as though it's simply a day-to-day situation, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the 30-year-old misses some time. Eduardo Escobar figures to draw the starts at the hot corner if Plouffe is absent from the lineup going forward.

Plouffe was lifted early from Thursday's game with a mild right groin strain, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports.

Plouffe left the field hobbling after a sixth inning ground out, though it appears as though he avoided anything overly serious. He's considered day-to-day for the time being, but should Plouffe be forced to miss any time, a combination of Eduardo Nunez -- who came into the game in his place Thursday -- and Eduardo Escobar figure to fill in at third base.

Plouffe went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI Wednesday against the Phillies.

Plouffe drove in the first run of the game with a first-inning RBI single before scoring the eventual game-winning run in the seventh inning. This was the first time he's posted multiple hits in back-to-back games in over a month, and he's now slashing .254/.277/.386.

Suarez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and his fifth steal Wednesday against the Rangers.

Of course, this being Suarez, he also struck out for the 79th time in 70 games. It's nice to see the slugging shortstop come out with a big game -- and he now has more homers this year than he did in 97 games last season -- but those strikeouts have been murder on his batting average. He's a good fastball hitter, but breaking balls have been awful tough on Suarez this year. That said, he's also been unlucky with a .273 BABIP despite improvements in his line-drive and hard-hit rates, and there aren't many shortstop-eligible players on pace to legitimately threaten 30 homers.

Suarez has a 36 percent strikeout rate since May 1, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After a red-hot April, Suarez has really been grinding. He's also struggled in the field while making the transition to third base, committing 13 errors. The Reds are committed to riding it out with him, however, in small part because they don't have an obvious in-house alternative.

Donaldson was battling a stiff neck all day Wednesday, but talked his way into the lineup, Sportsnet's Barry Davis reports.

He went 1-for-3 with a double, a run and two strikeouts before getting replaced by Darwin Barney on defense in the bottom of the ninth inning. The fact that he was removed in the ninth inning is not necessarily a big deal, as Barney is an excellent defender, but it may point to the fact that his neck pain got to be too much as the game went on. The Blue Jays have an off day Thursday, so hopefully that allows Donaldson to get right in advance of this weekend's series against the White Sox.

Rivera was optioned back to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Wednesday.

Rivera was called up Tuesday as a temporary replacement to Hernan Perez, who was placed on paternity leave. The 24-year-old didn't see any action while with the Brewers for two games and is 9-for-46 on the year in the majors.

Moncada went 1-for-5 with an RBI single in his debut for Double-A Portland on Tuesday.

One year ago at this time, Moncada was struggling at Low-A Greenville (.200 average, .289 OPS), but he's been on a tear since, posting a combined line of .309/.421/.498 with 11 homers and 81 steals (91 attempts) over 117 games at Greenville and High-A Salem. His assignment in Portland is to continue to hone his considerable raw material while sticking at second base, the only position he's played since entering the organization. With second base in Boston blocked by Dustin Pedroia, Moncada's athleticism opens up the possibility of him transitioning to third base or left field, areas where the organization has limited depth.

Peterson homered and knocked in three runs in a 2-for-5 game Tuesday against the Marlins.

After 31 games, Peterson is finally on the board with his first home run. His 11:18 BB:K is nice, but with just four extra-base hits all year, his power leaves a lot to be desired. Even after today's solid performance, he's hitting just .256/.348/.333.