MLB Player News

Vaughn was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list and is starting Saturday's game against the Tigers.

Vaughn had been on the COVID-19 IL since Thursday as a precautionary measure, but he was able to take batting practice Friday. He'll start in left field and bat sixth Saturday.

Gittens' contract was selected by the Yankees on Saturday, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Gittens has performed well with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the year and slashed .283/.486/.585 with four home runs, 16 runs and 11 RBI in 18 games. The 27-year-old will now be available to make his major-league debut, but he should serve mainly in a depth role for the Yankees.

Blandino was placed on the 10-day injured list with a broken right hand Saturday.

Blandino was hit by a pitch on his right hand in Friday's game against the Cardinals, and he'll now be sidelined after he was diagnosed with a broken hand. Mike Freeman could see a slight uptick in playing time while the 28-year-old is sidelined. Right-hander Ashton Goudeau was recalled from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move.

Freeman went 1-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Dodgers.

The first baseman took Julio Urias deep in the first inning, but he also struck out three times. Freeman snapped a 12-game drought without a homer and his .226/.353/.452 slash line reflects his inability to sustain any momentum at the plate, but he's salvaged some fantasy value with 13 home runs, 30 RBI and 36 runs through 54 contests.

Walker went 0-for-4 in Friday's 5-1 loss to Milwaukee.

Walker was in the starting lineup for first time in three games when Arizona faced a right-handed starter. Manager Torey Lovullo had inserted Pavin Smith at first base against the previous two righties, which had not been a normal practice. Walker is down to .167 (12-for-72) with a .447 OPS against same-sided pitchers in 2021, although he has not exhibited worrisome splits in the past.

Cabrera entered as a pinch hitter and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Brewers.

Cabrera was activated from the injured list Friday, beating the worst-case prognosis by a week. The most-recent report indicated the infielder was running at 70 to 80 percent, but manager Torey Lovullo told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that Cabrera is "ready for this." The obvious question is how much playing time the 35-year-old will get on a team that owns the worst record in baseball. He was playing steadily before the injury, although never more than two consecutive days, but that was before Arizona lost 20 of 23 contests.

Mountcastle went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and two strikeouts in Friday's 3-1 win over Cleveland.

Mountcastle put the Orioles on the board with his two-run blast in the seventh inning that proved to be the difference in Friday's low-scoring contest. The 24-year-old has been dominant across the last four games, as he's gone 6-for-16 with three home runs, a double and seven RBI during that time.

Blandino left Friday's game against the Cardinals in the bottom of the fifth inning with an apparent hand injury, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Blandino was hit by a pitch on his hand to begin the fifth inning, and Mike Freeman took his place at first base in the bottom half of the frame. The severity of his injury isn't yet known.

Smith isn't starting Friday against the Padres, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith will get a breather after he went 4-for-9 with a three-run home run, two walks and two strikeouts across his last three games. Kevin Pillar will shift to left field while Billy McKinney starts in right.

Vaughn (undisclosed) was seen taking batting practice prior to Friday's game against the Tigers, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Vaughn is currently on the COVID-19 injured list, but manager Tony La Russa said earlier Friday that the rookie could return as soon as Saturday. Given his participation in Friday's batting practice, a Saturday return now appears even more likely.