MLB Player News

Sano went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-0 victory against Detroit on Thursday.

Sano got a second straight start and put the Angels on the board in the first inning with a solo shot to center field. On a less positive note, the veteran slugger struck out in his other three at-bats, and he's fanned five times over nine plate appearances since returning from the injured list June 25. Sano's big-league resume suggests he can offer the Angels plenty of pop, but his 40 percent strikeout rate on the campaign highlights his primary weakness as a hitter.

Rengifo went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Thursday's win over the Tigers.

Rengifo increased the Angels' lead to five runs with a two-out, two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving the second baseman his first long ball since May 24. The performance marked his eighth multi-hit performance this month and the third in his four contests, raising his season batting average to .312. The home run was Rengifo's fifth of the campaign.

Burger went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in a 7-4 win against Philadelphia on Thursday.

Burger came up big late in the game, blasting a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and providing an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth. The third baseman finished with his first multi-hit performance since June 15, and he had been struggling coming into Thursday with an .083 average (3-for-36) across his previous nine contests. Burger has just seven homers over 59 games this season after smashing a career-high 34 long balls in 141 contests last year.

Candelario (hamstring) isn't in the Reds' lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

Manager David Bell said Wednesday that Candelario has been dealing with hamstring tendinitis for the past week, and while the team still doesn't plan on placing the 30-year-old on the injured list, the injury will cause him to miss a second consecutive game. Spencer Steer will get the nod at first base as a result, allowing Nick Martini to start in left field and bat fifth.

The Reds activated Marte from the suspended list Thursday.

Marte has completed his 80-game PED suspension and the Reds will return him to their active roster on the first day he's eligible. The 22-year-old struggled mightily while on his rehab assignment, slashing just .151/.151/.170 with no home runs and a 15:0 K:BB over 53 plate appearances. Fantasy managers might be wise to keep Marte out of their lineups for now while he knocks some rust off, but the infielder should be rostered virtually everywhere. He should operate as the Reds' primary third baseman.

LeMahieu is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Toronto.

LeMahieu is still without an extra-base hit this season and has tallied just one single across his last five games. Oswaldo Cabrera will occupy third base for the Yankees in their series opener versus the Blue Jays.

Urias isn't in the Orioles' lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

After making three straight starts at third base, Urias has now been absent from the Orioles' last three starting lineups. Jordan Westburg will move to the hot corner Thursday while Jorge Mateo starts at the keystone and bats ninth.

Suarez is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Twins.

Suarez had started each of the previous eight games but went just 2-for-24 over that stretch to drop his season-long batting line down to .192/.274/.312. The Diamondbacks will give Kevin Newman a start at third base Thursday.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two runs in a loss to the Angels on Wednesday.

Fresh off a three-hit night Tuesday, Alvarez drew a second consecutive start and continued contributing in small-ball fashion Wednesday. The 29-year-old rookie's stolen base was a nice bonus, as he's not been very prolific in that category throughout his long minor-league career (28-for-42 across 709 games). Alvarez's encouraging play could continue to allow him to carve out semi-regular playing time around the infield for the time being, with Abraham Toro's (hamstring) recent placement on the IL being the primary catalyst for the former's long-awaited arrival in the big leagues.

Wendzel started at third base and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Milwaukee.

With Corey Seager resting, Josh Smith started at shortstop, opening up third base for Wendzel. Prior to Wednesday, that used to mean Ezequiel Duran would play the hot corner, but the Rangers optioned the underperforming Duran to Triple-A Round Rock amid a mini roster shakeup. Wendzel is 6-for-40 with a home run, two doubles and two RBI over 23 games this season. Eventually, Josh Jung (wrist) will return to solidify third base.