MLB Player News

Vargas went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Thursday against the Rays.

After a strong start to the season, Vargas entered Thursday's game having collected only two hits across his last 33 at-bats. However, he showed some signs of turning things around with a solo blast in the third inning, his second of the season and first since March 30. Though Vargas is hitting only .159 across 76 plate appearances to begn the campaign, he's striking out at only an 18.4 percent clip while suffering from a BABIP of .167.

Bazzana went 3-for-6 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored for Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

Bazzana is breaking out from a slow start and has hit safely in six straight games, going 11-for-24 with six doubles, two steals and four runs scored. The Guardians bypassed the 2024 first-overall pick for a promotion earlier this month when they needed a replacement for the injured Gabriel Arias (hamstring), who is expected to be sidelined until mid-May at the earliest. Instead, the organization promoted Juan Brito, who is currently mired in a 1-for-18 slump. Brito's slump along with Cleveland's second basemen batting .188 (24th in MLB) could open the door for Bazzana to make his MLB debut sooner rather than later (as was expected).

Torres went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-9 win over the Royals.

Batting leadoff for just the second time this year, Torres provided a spark for the Tigers. The infielder is 5-for-8 across his last two games, which has raised his batting average from .200 all the way up to .250. That's in line with the .256 average Torres recorded during the 2025 regular season, and the veteran should continue to serve as a reliable table setter that is capable of scoring runs in bunches.

Schneemann is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles.

While starting in each of the last four games -- twice against righties and twice against lefties -- Schneemann went 7-for-14 with three extra-base hits (one home run, two doubles), two walks, two runs and three RBI. Though he'll take a seat against righty Shane Baz in the series opener, Schneemann has made a case for earning regular starts while the Guardians remain without one of their key everyday players in Gabriel Arias (hamstring), whose absence appears likely to stretch into at least the middle of May. For the season, Schneemann has produced a .371 wOBA, placing him third among all Guardians with at least 25 plate appearances.

Acuna is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.

Despite having the platoon advantage in his favor with southpaw Steven Matz on the mound for the Rays, Acuna will head to the bench for the series finale while Derek Hill picks up a start in center field. Since delivering his first multi-hit game of the season April 5, Acuna has gone 2-for-27 over his last eight contests, bringing his season average down to .170.

Rengifo will make his first professional start at first base in Thursday's game versus the Blue Jays.

Injuries have forced the Brewers to scramble a bit, and they will give Rengifo a shot at first base. Rengifo is off to an uninspiring .128/.180/.213 start at the plate this season and has been playing second fiddle to David Hamilton at third base.

Jones (illness) will start at designated hitter and bat third in Thursday's game versus the Royals.

Jones missed out on a start against a lefty Tuesday because he was battling a stomach bug, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go Thursday versus southpaw Kris Bubic. The 28-year-old slashed .288/.393/.577 with seven home runs in 122 plate appearances against left-handers last season.

Kim went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Mets.

Kim opened the scoring with his second-inning blast, but he struck out in his three other at-bats. The infielder has fanned eight times in 23 plate appearances this season while drawing four walks. The homer was his first of the year to go with three RBI, four runs scored, a stolen base and a double through eight contests. Kim is batting .278 and should at least be able to maintain a platoon role at shortstop while Mookie Betts (oblique) is on the injured list.

Albies went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Marlins.

It was homer No. 4 on the campaign thus far for Albies, who opened the scoring Wednesday with his second-inning blast. The switch-hitting second baseman is off to a nice start in 2026, slashing .288/.338/.466 with five extra-base hits, eight RBI and 13 runs scored over 80 plate appearances. Albies has hit safely in 10 of his 13 outings in the month of April.

Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a home run, an additional run scored, a stolen base and five RBI in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.

Hoerner's scorching-hot start to the season continued, as he delivered his third three-hit effort through 18 games and launched his second home run. The infielder is also a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases, and he's batting a robust .324 with a .917 OPS. At this rate, Hoerner appears primed to make his first All-Star Game appearance this summer, and he seems locked in as Chicago's preferred leadoff hitter against both righties and lefties.