MLB Player News
-
Alex Bregman 3B | CHC
Red Sox's Alex Bregman: Still working back from quad strain
Bregman is not at 100 percent when running the bases, but he's still expected to continue handling a near-everyday role, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Bregman's abilities on the bases appeared to be compromised during Monday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies, when he was unable to score from first base on a Roman Anthony double down the right field line. He eventually scored two pitches later, so his tentative baserunning didn't end up costing the Red Sox. As Cotillo reported when Bregman returned to action prior to the All-Star break, manager Alex Cora said that the veteran third baseman would not be running hard in certain situations as the Red Sox aim to preserve his health. Since Bregman was activated from the injured list July 11, the Red Sox have managed his workload by giving him a day off following two consecutive starts. He'll start Tuesday's game in Philadelphia but is likely to rest in Wednesday's series finale.
-
Josh Jung 3B | TEX
Rangers' Josh Jung: Homers following promotion
Jung went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, two additional runs and a walk in a 7-2 win against the Athletics on Monday.
Jung was summoned from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday and started at third base while batting eighth upon his return. The 27-year-old excelled in his first game back with the big club, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances and belting a solo shot in the third inning to start the scoring. Jung has struggled with a .242/.290/.381 slash line this season, but he's shown some pop with nine home runs through 300 plate appearances.
-
Royce Lewis 3B | MIN
Twins' Royce Lewis: Three hits, steal in win
Lewis went 3-for-4 with a double and one stolen base in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Dodgers.
Lewis is 5-for-8 over the last two games, and he also picked up his first steal of the season Monday. This may be the spark the third baseman needs to get things going again, though he's been fairly steady by batting .294 (15-for-51) since returning from a hamstring injury at the start of July. He's up to a .233/.293/.360 slash line with four home runs, 15 RBI and 16 runs scored across 45 contests this year.
-
Ben Williamson 3B | TB
Mariners' Ben Williamson: Logs steal in loss
Williamson went 2-for-3 with a stolen base in Monday's 6-0 loss to the Brewers.
Williamson had gone 0-for-8 over his previous three games, and this was just his second multi-hit effort in July. The rookie third baseman continues to earn his playing time through steady defense rather than big contributions on offense. For the season, he's slashing .259/.293/.319 with one home run, 19 RBI, 35 runs scored and three steals across 76 contests, giving him minimal upside as a contact hitter with little pop at the bottom of the order.
-
Miguel Vargas 2B | CHW
White Sox's Miguel Vargas: Goes yard again
Vargas went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two walks and an additional run scored in Monday's 8-3 win versus the Rays.
Vargas drew his fifth consecutive start at first base and homered for the second consecutive contest with a two-run long ball off Tampa Bay starter Shane Baz in the fifth. Before these back-to-back games with home runs, Vargas was mired in a 26-game homerless drought during which he batted .158 (15-for-95), so perhaps he is turning a corner. Across 400 total plate appearances, the 25-year-old has a .711 OPS with 12 homers, four steals, 51 runs scored and 40 RBI.
-
Max Muncy SS | ATH
Athletics' Max Muncy: Avoids serious injury
X-rays on Muncy's right hand returned negative following Monday's game against the Rangers, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He exited the matchup after being struck by a pitch in the fifth inning.
Muncy is likely dealing with a bruised hand considering further scans returned negative. He'll be deemed day-to-day until the club has a chance to re-evaluate the 22-year-old. Gio Urshela entered the game in Muncy's place Monday and could be in line for more playing time if Muncy is forced to sit for a few days, though Luis Urias would also be a candidate for at-bats.
-
Jose Ramirez 3B | CLE
Guardians' Jose Ramirez: Reaches 20-20 milestone in win
Ramirez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run, a walk and two additional runs scored in Monday's 10-5 win over the Orioles.
Ramirez tied the game with a three-run blast in the first inning and later came around to score in the fourth and seventh. According to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, the 32-year-old became just the sixth player in major-league history to record seven 20-homer, 20-steal seasons, tying him for fourth on the all-time list. For the year, he's slashing .294/.364/.521 with 20 homers, 55 RBI, 60 runs scored and 29 stolen bases across 409 plate appearances.
-
Josh Rojas 3B | CHW
White Sox's Josh Rojas: Sitting against righty
Rojas is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.
The left-handed-hitting Rojas had been excluded from the lineup in three of the past four games while the White Sox faced three lefty starters, but he'll be on the bench Monday against a righty (Shane Baz). For the season, Rojas is batting just .177/.243/.244 with one home run and four stolen bases in 182 plate appearances. Given his poor production along with the fact that he's on an expiring contract, Rojas could be at risk of moving into a bench role -- or potentially getting cut -- if the White Sox aren't able to find a taker for him prior to the July 31 trade deadline.
-
Will Wagner 2B | SD
Blue Jays' Will Wagner: On bench for second straight
Wagner is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.
The Blue Jays are facing off against a lefty starter (Carlos Rodon) for the second straight game, so the left-handed-hitting Wagner will remain on the bench. Leo Jimenez will get another start at second base while Ernie Clement shifts over to third base.
-
Addison Barger SS | TOR
Blue Jays' Addison Barger: Idle against southpaw
Barger is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.
The left-handed-hitting Barger started against a southpaw (Robbie Ray) and went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Giants, but he'll head to the bench Monday while the Blue Jays face a second straight lefty (Carlos Rodon). Joey Loperfido will spell Barger in right field and will bat ninth.