MLB Player News

Rodgers (shoulder) is fielding grounders and showing better range of motion, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Rodgers has been out all season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The surgery once appeared to be potentially season-ending, but the Rockies seem optimistic that he could return late this season. Any potential return is still months away, but he's at least taking steps in the right direction.

Polanco's hamstring strain is worse than the one he just recovered from, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Polanco missed two weeks in late May with a left hamstring strain and made it less than 10 days before injuring the same muscle. The strain is reportedly in a different spot and is "somewhat more severe" according to manager Rocco Baldelli, though an exact timeline for Polanco's recovery is not yet clear. Edouard Julien was recalled Saturday and should serve as the Twins' primary second baseman.

Gimenez will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Astros, Andre Knott of Bally Sports Ohio reports.

Gimenez has shown more life at the plate recently, hitting .333/.372/.487 over his last 10 games, though that's only been enough to raise his OPS to .656. He'll rest Saturday with Tyler Freeman starting at second base.

Urias will be on the bench Saturday against Oakland.

Urias returned from the 60-day injured list Monday but has so far not been asked to start more than two games in a row. He hasn't done much at the plate in four games since returning from his hamstring strain, going 1-for-13 with five strikeouts. Owen Miller starts at third base Saturday.

Vargas will sit Saturday against the Phillies, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports.

Vargas went hitless in Friday's series opener but reached base twice on a pair of walks. His eye has been his biggest strength in his first full major-league season, with his 13.0 percent walk rate helping him to a 110 wRC+ despite his modest .231 batting average and six homers. Mookie Betts will move in to play second base in Vargas' absence, with Jason Heyward taking Betts' usual spot in right field.

Gorman will sit against lefty Andrew Abbott and the Reds on Saturday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Gorman is breaking out in his sophomore season, slashing .264/.347/.543 with 15 homers in 58 games. He began the year strictly in a platoon role, sitting against the first 10 southpaws the Cardinals faced, but his strong performance has earned him four starts against lefties since then. That doesn't mean he'll start every day, however, as it's been fellow lefty Brendan Donovan at the keystone against the last two lefties to start against St. Louis.

Gonzalez will be on the bench Saturday against Miami.

Gonzalez had been settling in as the White Sox's primary second baseman, starting 14 of 16 games at the keystone even with Elvis Andrus back from his oblique injury for the last six games of that stretch. Gonzalez has hit just .198/.213/.384 through 39 games this season, however, so it's perhaps no surprise that he's been back on the bench for the last two games. That said, Andrus is hitting just .200/.278/.248 himself, so he hasn't deserved everyday at-bats either.

Julien was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul ahead of Saturday's game against the Blue Jays.

He will take the place of Jorge Polanco, who was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Julien has been back and forth between the majors and Triple-A this season, but when he's been up, he has typically played pretty regularly against righties. He hit second or first in his last five games before his most recent demotion.

Polanco was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a left hamstring strain.

He was pulled from Thursday's game after suffering the hamstring injury and an MRI revealed a strain. Edouard Julien was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to take Polanco's spot on the active roster and should fill in for him at second base, at least against righties.

Castro is not in Saturday's lineup against the Padres, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Castro is hitting .238 with three runs and one RBI in 21 at-bats this month. Alan Trejo gets the start at the keystone while batting eighth.