MLB Player News

Plouffe (intercostal strain) is still experiencing discomfort, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Plouffe was diagnosed with a right intercostal strain April 17. He's eligible to return from the DL on May 3, but this report suggests he could be out longer than two weeks.

Duffy was moved back to the three-hole and went 0-for-4 with an RBI in the 8-1 win over Miami on Friday.

Manager Bruce Bochy wanted to move Duffy back to third in the lineup (where he batted last year) in order to shake things up for a Giants club that had lost seven of their last eight games. This obviously didn't work out for Duffy personally, as he failed to collect a hit after getting multiple hits over his last three contests. Overall, the change helped spark the club, as they put up an eight spot Friday. Duffy should continue bat third for the immediate future, which is prime real estate for accruing counting stats.

Bregman was placed on the disabled list with Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday with a hamstring injury, although it is not expected to be a long stay, the Houston Chronicle's Jake Kaplan reports.

Assuming the report about it being a minor injury is true, this is a small blip on the radar, as Bregman was unlikely to contribute much, if anything, in single-season leagues this year, barring an injury to Carlos Correa or Jose Altuve. Prior to the injury Bregman had been on a monster tear through the Texas League, hitting five home runs with two steals in his last nine games, while also sporting a .340 average on the season. He is a high-end minor league asset in dynasty leagues, despite being seemingly blocked at the big league level.

Arenado went 2-for-3 with has seventh home run of the season and three runs scored in Friday's win over the Dodgers.

Arenado had failed to hit safely in his last nine at-bats heading into Friday, but the return to the always-generous Coors Field helped him rebound effectively. He now sits tied for second in baseball in RBI and third in home runs, living up to his reputation as one of the premier producers of counting stats in the fantasy world.

Moustakas stayed hot Friday versus Baltimore, going 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI.

Moose has come to life during his current five-game hitting streak, during which he has raked at a .450 clip with three home runs and five RBI. He finally broke out as a fantasy force in 2015 and seems headed in that direction once again after struggling to begin the season.

Valencia's MRI Friday confirmed the initial diagnosis of a mild-to-moderate hamstring strain, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports.

This confirms what was already widely acknowledged, although the A's have still not released a timetable for Valencia's return. He will be out at least 15 days, and Chris Coghlan and, to a lesser extent, Jed Lowrie, will presumably get the bulk of the at-bats at third base in the meantime.

Valencia (hamstring) was sent to the 15-day disabled list Thursday, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports.

An earlier report suggested this move was coming, and now it's been made official. The team hasn't announced a corresponding move to this point, but Hickey suggests Tyler Ladendorf is expected to be recalled Friday. Ladendorf will likely take on a utility role for the Athletics while Chris Coghlan could take on an everyday role at third base until Valencia returns. There's no official timetable yet but that should come out as he begins his progression back from the issue.

Segura went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and a run against the Giants on Thursday.

His April onslaught continues -- Segura's .338 average and .375 OBP at the top of the Arizona order have been a big reason the team's a game above .500 in the early going. A shortstop his whole career, Segura's been moved to second base this season, but got his first start of the year at short Thursday with Nick Ahmed getting most of the day off.

Valencia (hamstring) will likely head to the disabled list, Susan Slugger of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Valencia strained his hamstring in the fourth inning of Wednesday's bout with the Yankees, and it appears that it has not improved much since then. If this speculation does come to fruition, Chris Coghlan could be in line for more playing time at the hot corner.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Alvarez will take a seat Thursday with manager Buck Showalter adjusting the lineup to put Mark Trumbo in the DH spot and slide Nolan Reimold into right field. The former Pirate hasn't found his rhythm at the plate thus far this season, going 4-for-32 to start the year.