MLB Player News

Duffy went 2-for-4, smacking a pair of doubles in Wednesday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

After hitting two home runs in his first three games this season, Duffy has been mired in a sophomore slump (.217/.254/.383). He managed to end an 0-for-13 skid with a pair of singles Tuesday, but he had a couple of more authoritative hits Wednesday, indicating that he may finally be heating up at the plate.

Peterson is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers, Kevin McAlpin of the Braves Radio Network reports.

Peterson has not been in the lineup against a left-handed starter all season, so it should come as little surprise that he is sitting out Thursday against Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw.

Oakland's manager, Bob Melvin, said Valencia (hamstring) will miss Thursday's game against the Yankees, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Valencia suffered the a hamstring strain in Wednesday's game against the Yankees, and will now miss at least one game while he recovers. Melvin also stated that beyond Thursday's game, a timeline for Valencia's return is unknown.

Valencia suffered a left hamstring strain during the fourth inning of Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Valencia was removed after a rough slide into the plate for the inning's last out. It's unclear how serious his hamstring injury is, so it remains to be seen if he will be ready for the A's next game Thursday in New York.

Valencia was removed from Wednesday's game in the middle of the fourth inning, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The reason for Valencia's removal is not immediately clear, but he was involved in an inning-ending play at the plate in the fourth inning. Expect an update on Valencia's status when more news becomes available.

McMahon, 21, is batting .250/.327/.354 with six RBI and one steal through 13 games for Double-A Hartford.

McMahon has fanned a staggering 18 times to begin the season, though perhaps this should not be all that surprising. Even in a stellar year at High-A in 2015, he struck out 153 times in 132 games. A less hitter-friendly environment at this level should be a better indicator of his future trajectory, though McMahon remains one of the better prospects in the Colorado system.

Moncada, who received a day off Wednesday, is hitting .357/.509/.524 with 13 stolen bases through 12 games at High-A Salem this season.

He's also been caught stealing four times, but the combination of Moncada's speed, batting eye, and hit tool has immediately made him a force in the Carolina League. With just 81 games under his belt at Low-A last season, it will be interesting to see how aggressive the Red Sox are with an eventual move to Double-A if he continues to post gaudy numbers through the first half of the minor league season.

Rivera is batting seventh and playing second base Wednesday against the Twins.

With left-hander Tommy Milone on the bump for Minnesota, Rivera will take over at second base for regular second baseman Scooter Gennett. Rivera will look to consider his nice start to the season, as he's posted an .804 OPS with three doubles in 18 plate appearances.

Ramirez will lead off and play left field in Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

After getting Tuesday off in favor of Collin Cowgill, Ramirez slots back in ahead of Marlon Byrd in field field. Ramirez has taken to the outfield quickly and the Indians could certainly use his bat in the lineup, as he's slashed .300/.323/.467 in eight games this season.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in Tuesday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Machado's hitting .392/.436/.784 through his first 51 at-bats. This is particularly encouraging because of the slow start he got off to last April when the third baseman hit .254/.325/.479. The 23-year-old is already among the game's elite, and Machado is only going to continue improving.