MLB Player News

Plouffe left Friday's game with a mild sprain of the MCL in his right knee, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

He was quietly lifted from the game in the fourth inning -- it was not obvious when he suffered the injury -- leading to speculation Plouffe may have been dealt from Minnesota. It turns out it was a knee injury that knocked Plouffe out, specifically a sprained MCL, but the "mild" classification lends some hope to Plouffe's chances of avoiding an extended absence.

Donaldson went off Friday night, going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBI as the Jays defeated Boston.

Last year's AL MVP is heating up and the Blue Jays' offense is collecting dividends. Donaldson put two in the seats, the second of which broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning, giving him 13 long ones and 29 RBI on the year. Toronto's lineup has been inconsistent over the first couple of months, but there is no question they can pile up runs in a hurry when they get hot.

Newman suffered a fractured left orbital bone Thursday while playing for High-A Bradenton, Pirates Prospects reports.

He'll travel to Pittsburgh for further evaluation, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the No. 1 draft choice miss at least a month. Newman is hitting .346/.414/.444 in 38 games this season.

Asche (oblique) said he is nearly ready to come off the disabled list, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "I am close for sure," Asche said. "There are a couple of little things I need to shore up in the box, kind of leading to some not-so-favorable results."

Asche went 0-for-4 with a walk Thursday with Double-A Reading. He is just 2-for-16 in four games with Reading after a five game stint with High-A Clearwater where he was 3-for-18. He is expected to have his rehab transferred to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday and could rejoin the Phillies this weekend or early next week.

Moustakas has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Rustin Rodd of the Kansas City Star reports.

The Royals will turn to Cheslor Cuthbert and Whit Merrifield in the short term, but they might be forced to seek for a trade in the long run. Moustakas' loss is a big one for Kansas City, as the third baseman was expected to be a key part of the Royals' offense, and he hit .240 with seven homers in 104 at-bats. Outfielder Brett Eibner was recalled from Triple-A as a corresponding roster move.

Segura went 2-for-5 with a double and scored twice in Thursday's loss to the Pirates.

Segura showed no ill-effects in his first game back after being hit in the head and taken to the hospital on Tuesday. He's off to a nice start this season, slashing .318/.348/.480 through 198 at-bats. The infielder should be inserted back into lineups without hesitation moving into the weekend.

Arenado drove in a run, but struck out twice in a 0-for-4 performance Thursday against the Red Sox.

The 25-year-old third baseman has hit safely in only one of the past five games, but he still found a way to produce on offense with an RBI. However, Arenado has hit .142 in the past 10 games, and it's no secret Colorado needs his offense in the middle of the order.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports.

Mark Trumbo will get the start at DH and Hyun-soo Kim will man left field, bumping Alvarez to the bench in this one. The 29-year-old is hitting just .194 with three home runs and 11 RBI on the season.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports.

Mark Trumbo will get the start at DH and Hyun-soo Kim will man left field, bumping Alvarez to the bench in this one. The 29-year-old is hitting just .194 with three home runs and 11 RBI on the season.

Moustakas was placed on the 15-day DL Thursday with a right ACL tear.

It is not clear if it is a complete or partial tear, and the team has not yet released a timetable for his return, but he is likely done for the season. Kyle Schwarber, for instance, suffered a fully torn ACL and LCL before the season and was then ruled out for all of 2016. Outfielder Brett Eibner was recalled from Triple-A as a corresponding move, but he won't be responsible for filling this massive void at third base. The Royals will likely turn to Cheslor Cuthbert and Whit Merrifield in the short term, but neither player offers much long term upside. Hunter Dozier, 24, is having a major breakout year in the upper levels of the minors, and is slashing .296/.324/521 with four homers in 17 games at Triple-A, so he could be a consideration later in the season. The Royals may also look to address their need at the hot corner via trade. Either way, it's probably safe to drop Moustakas in single-season leagues at this point.