MLB Player News

Valencia (hamstring) is expected to return to the lineup Friday against Baltimore, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports.

The veteran third baseman will set out on a three-game rehab stint this week, which will be the final hurdle for him to clear before rejoining the A's. He suffered a left hamstring strain on April 20 and was subsequently placed on the DL, but the A's current timetable for him suggests that Valencia won't be on the disabled much longer than the minimum 15 days.

Segura is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Rockies.

Segura hasn't received a day off since April 17, so the 26-year-old shortstop was likely overdue for a maintenance day. Philip Gosselin will take over at the keystone and bat leadoff in Segura's stead.

Rendon went 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored in Saturday's 6-1 victory over the Cardinals.

The four-year pro has reached base safely in seven of his last eight games, collecting three hits, two walks, and a pair of runs over the first two games of the series. What has been missing in 2016 is the long ball, as Rendon is still searching for his first homer after coming into the season with 33 career dingers. He's slashing .242/.310/.286 over his first 91 at-bats.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles have faced three lefty starters in their four-game matchup with the White Sox, resulting in Alvarez making just one start during the series. He'll again give way to Mark Trumbo at DH.

Suarez will bat out of the six-spot Sunday against the Pirates, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Suarez got off to a red-hot start to the year, but has since cooled down a bit, slashing .211/.268/.289 over his last 10 games. As a result, manager Bryan Price will bump Suarez down from the two-spot in the order -- a spot he had occupied for 21 games this season. It's unclear if this move is permanent just yet, but it's certainly a lineup worth monitoring, as Suarez will lose a handful of at-bats if this continues.

Rivera is out of the lineup for the second straight game Sunday against the Marlins.

Rivera was expected to be a primary option at second base when Scooter Gennett (oblique) hit the disabled list, but manager Craig Counsell has now utilized Aaron Hill at the keystone with Colin Walsh at third in back-to-back contests. The 23-year-old Rivera certainly hasn't helped his case of late by falling into a 0-for-12 slump. If he's unable to get it going at the plate soon, a trip back to Triple-A Colorado Springs might be in order, as the Brewers will continue to evaluate as many young assets as possible over the course of this rebuilding year.

Machado will bat leadoff against the White Sox on Saturday.

With Joey Rickard on the bench, Machado will move up for his third start atop the order this season. Machado had two more hits out of the two-hole Friday, his 10th multi-hit game already this year. He currently ranks third in the American League in home runs with seven.

Escobar went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 9-2 loss to the Tigers.

Like the majority of his teammates, the five-year veteran is struggling at the plate overall, slashing a mediocre .231/.277/.295 line on the season. Escobar has hit safely in seven of the last 10 contests however, providing some measure of consistency. While his five doubles currently have him tied with Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier for the team lead, he's been silent with the long ball this season after having launched 12 homers over 409 at-bats in 2015.

Manager Bob Melvin said Saturday that Valencia (hamstring) will play in three minor league rehab games before rejoining the A's, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

A location and start date for his rehab has not been officially announced, but Valencia suggested he will likely head out soon to join the team's High-A Stockton affiliate. It seems Valencia has a chance to return May 6 when first eligible.

Arenado went 1-for-4 with a solo homer against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Arenado's 10th blast of the year put the Rockies comfortably ahead in a game in which they blew out Arizona. The slugger's on fire as he's now homered in three straight contests and raised his slash line to .287/.354/.678.