MLB Player News

Valencia is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners, John Hickey of the Oakland Tribune reports.

Valencia will rest for the first time this season after going 5-for-21 (.238) at the plate over his first six contests. While he's been a platoon player for most of his career, it looks as though the Athletics are fully comfortable with Valencia in an everyday role, as he opened the season in the lineup against three consecutive lefty starters. He'll give way to Chris Coghlan at third base Sunday.

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

Segura has started each of the first six games for Arizona, and although the sample size is small, he's posted a 1.368 OPS with three home runs. The shortstop is just 3-for-17 in his career against Sunday's starter Jake Arrieta, however, so he'll get a well-deserved day off. Phil Gosselin will man the keystone in his stead.

Plouffe is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals, LaVelle Neal of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Plouffe is off to a rough start to the season with a 3-for-20 mark from the plate over five games, so manager Paul Molitor will give him a chance to take Sunday off and clear his head. Eduardo Nunez will replace Plouffe at third base.

Suarez went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, three RBI, a walk and three runs scored in Saturday's 5-1 victory over the Pirates.

The third-year pro continues to knock the cover off the ball, now posting three multi-hit games in the last four contests. He's also blasted three homers in the last four games, and has reached base safely in all five games this season. Equally proficient against pitchers of both handedness in 2015, Suarez's outstanding plate discipline, power potential and prime spot in the Reds lineup make him highly appealing in all fantasy formats.

Donaldson went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the Red Sox.

Although Red Sox starter Rick Porcello got the best of most of his teammates, Donaldson tallied his first multi-hit game of the season. He's opened up 2015 with a six-game hitting streak, and is slashing a .280/.333/.680 line over 25 at-bats, while leading the Blue Jays with eight RBI.

LeMahieu will lead off Saturday against the Padres.

LeMahieu dropped to eighth in the order Friday, but with the Padres turning to lefty Drew Pomeranz on the bump Saturday, the talented second baseman will hit atop the order. This could be the start of a trend for LeMahieu and the Rockies, as he led off Wednesday against Arizona southpaw Patrick Corbin. Regardless of who he has faced this season, LeMahieu has been able to collect hits at a greedy rate with four multi-hit games in a row to start the year. He's slashing .571/.571/1.071 through four games.

Alvarez is out of the lineup Saturday against the Rays.

A day off was in order for Alvarez after the former Pirates slugger went 0-for-12 with three walks and four strikeouts to start the season. Manager Buck Showalter will keep Matt Wieters' bat in the lineup Saturday by using him at the DH spot while Caleb Joseph is set to start behind the plate. Alvarez's power potential and favorable home ballpark still make him a viable fantasy option, but his slump to start the season is a concerning development.

Moncada reached base safely four times in High-A Salem's season opener Thursday and then went 0-for-3 with a walk Friday.

Moncada, considered Boston's top prospect by some observers, is batting leadoff and playing second base for Salem. Long-term, he may move off second base, but the Red Sox will have no problem finding a spot for him on the field. He's had experience at third base and a move to the outfield has been considered since he signed with Boston.

Donaldson is serving as the designated hitter Saturday against the Red Sox.

While it's nothing serious, Donaldson has had some issues with his calf, and the Jays will continue to exercise caution with their star third baseman. Donaldson will be limited to hitting, while Darwin Barney takes his place at third base against Rick Porcello. Donaldson is not likely to return to the field until Tuesday's matchup with the Yankees, per manager John Gibbons.

Segura went 3-for-4 in Friday's win over the Cubs with two runs and his second steal of the season.

Segura's torrid start continues. Through five games, he's batting .500 with six runs, three home runs and five RBI. Obviously the batting average will come down, but the change of scenery might be just what Segura needed to get back to his 2013 levels, when he made the All-Star Game.