MLB Player News

Asche went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his first rehab appearance with High-A Clearwater on Friday.

Asche will likely stay with Clearwater through the weekend and then move up to Triple-A next week to continue getting at-bats. GM Matt Klentak said Asche will be activated as soon as he is ready to contribute. He will likely have at least a part-time role in left field after he rejoins the Phillies.

Bregman will start at third base for Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday, the Houston Chronicle reports.

This is certainly an interesting development, as third base has been a black hole for the major league team and Bregman has been raking with the Double-A affiliate to this point (.311/.414/.662, 10:7 BB:K) while playing exclusively at shortstop. General manager Jeff Luhnow declined to say how often Bregman will play third moving forward, but he did gush some about the 22-year-old on Friday. "[Bregman's] been terrific," Luhnow said. "He's exceeded my expectations, which were high, for him this season, and I think he's put himself into consideration to quite frankly maybe help our club this year."

Moustakas (thumb) was able to take dry swings and play catch Thursday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Thursday marked a big step in the right direction for Moustakas as he was able to resume baseball activities for the first time since being placed on the disabled list with a fractured thumb. His initial timetable as of May 7 was a 2-3 week absence, and the fact that he's already playing catch and taking dry swings suggests that he's on track to return in that time frame. The next step in the recovery process for Moustakas will likely be taking live batting practice.

Asche (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Clearwater on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the News Journal reports.

Asche has been out with this oblique injury since the beginning of spring training, but he seems to be progressing well through his rehab process. Barring a setback, the 25-year-old could return to the Phillies within the next couple weeks.

Ramirez (hand) is back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Twins.

A hit by pitch Wednesday gave Ramirez a bit of a scare, but X-rays were negative and it seems the bruising has diminished enough to where Ramirez can give it a go. Ramirez is still not playing quite every day, but he's been hot to begin the 2016 campaign and figures to be in the lineup more often than not for the foreseeable future.

Valencia (hamstring) is back in the lineup Friday against the Rays, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Renewed hamstring tightness cost Valencia a couple starts, but he will return Friday to take on right-hander Jake Odorizzi. The 31-year-old Valencia continues to hit both lefties and righties at a good clip, but there hasn't been any power to speak of to this point, and until he starts barreling the ball more consistently Valencia will remain merely a deep-league option.

Segura went 3-for-5 with a steal and a run in a loss to the Giants on Thursday.

Don't lay this one on the D-backs' leadoff man, who now owns a 10-game hitting streak and a lofty .353 average for the season. His unimpressive success rate on steals (5-for-8) and lack of walks are really the only marks against him, and they can't be considered major ones in his case. Surprisingly given Arizona's scary lineup, Segura's only scored 19 times in 34 games -- that's not a bad rate, but it also puts him outside the National League's top 20 in runs. The culprit: still-cold slugger Paul Goldschmidt, who hasn't been driving in runs with anything resembling his usual proficiency.

Rivera was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Thursday.

With Scooter Gennett coming off the disabled list Thursday, Rivera was the likeliest candidate to be sent down to clear a spot on the active roster. He slashed an unplayable .196/.213/.261 at the plate through 46 at-bats with the Brewers prior to his demotion. The 24-year-old infielder will head down to Triple-A to see more regular playing time.

Arenado went 3-for-4 with a walk and his league-leading 13th homer of the season in Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Arenado's two-out solo shot in the bottom of the eighth helped the Rockies end a Coors Field losing streak at seven games with a much-needed 8-7 victory. The third baseman is elite across the board in practically every category and, although it's early, Arenado certainly looks like a legitimate MVP candidate.

Rendon went 2-for-4 with a double, a steal and two runs against the Tigers on Wednesday.

It's been a slog for the talented 25-year-old this year, as he's sitting on an easily career-worst .619 OPS, but he does at least have consecutive multi-hit games now. Still, the power that he showed during his lone healthy season has not been in evidence this year, and his modest speed contributions aren't really making up for it. Better times are surely ahead, but Rendon's a hard player to predict because of the way injuries have repeatedly derailed him throughout his career.