MLB Player News

LeMahieu (thumb) has resumed baseball activity and is showing significant improvement, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

LeMahieu was placed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 16 and given an initial return timeline of two to three weeks. It sounds as though the veteran could be back at the early end of that timeframe given his rapid improvement. Thairo Estrada is likely to receive the majority of starts at second base in LeMahieu's stead.

Vargas will start at second base and will bat seventh Sunday against the Royals.

Vargas will pick up his fourth start in five games, but three of those assignments came when Luis Arraez was sidelined with a knee injury. Arraez returned to the lineup Saturday and appears to just be getting a maintenance day in Sunday's series finale, so Vargas should return to a full-time bench role during the upcoming week. Vargas looks to have inched ahead of Ehire Adrianza as the Twins' top infield reserve after going 5-for-11 with a triple, double, two RBI and two runs over the last three contests.

Chapman went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a loss to the Angels on Saturday.

Chapman's fourth-inning solo blast was the third baseman's third over the last two games and eighth of August overall. The 25-year-old now has a five-game on-base streak, and he's managed to raise his both his batting average (.188 to .250) and slugging percentage (.375 to .598) significantly since Aug. 2.

Moncada (leg) is back in the starting lineup against the Cubs on Saturday after receiving Friday off due to leg soreness.

Moncada just needed one day off to relieve some minor aches and pains in his leg. He is back in the starting lineup for the second game of the Crosstown Classic after reaching base three times in his most recent start against the Tigers on Thursday.

Rendon went 4-for-5 with an RBI in Friday's loss to Oakland.

Rendon notched four singles in the contest, one of which knocked home the Angels' first run in the fifth inning. The performance extended Rendon's hitting streak to 11 games -- a stretch in which he has lifted his batting average from .103 to .321. The third baseman has collected multiple hits in each of his last five contests, going 14-for-22 (.636) over that stretch.

Candelario went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Friday's 10-5 win over Cleveland.

Candelario was not one of the three Detroit players to go deep in the big win, but he was still productive at the plate. After a rough start to the season, he's now slashing .282/.325/.487 with 10 RBI and 11 runs scored in 21 games. His .812 OPS would easily be a new career best if he can sustain it. Candelario should continue to play regularly at first base with C.J. Cron (knee) out for the rest of the season.

Paredes went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Friday's 10-5 win over Cleveland.

Parades picked a good time for his first MLB home run, as his fourth-inning blast was part of a seven-run frame for the Tigers as they completely erased a 5-0 deficit. The rookie struck out in his other three at-bats, and he's still batting just .154, so continued growing pains are to be expected for the 21-year-old, though he figures to keep playing regularly at third base for a rebuilding Detroit squad.

Devers went 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored in an 8-5 win over the Orioles on Friday.

Devers hit a long ball in the fifth inning after J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts each had one of their own earlier in the game. The 24-year-old third baseman has hit safely in eight of his last nine games after a slow start to the season and seems to finally be hitting his stride at the plate. The Red Sox currently own one of the worst team ERAs in all of baseball (5.93) and are counting on guys like Devers to maintain his production at the plate in order to keep them in games.

Toro went 0-for-5 and left five men on base in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Padres.

Toro was one of many Houston hitters that failed to deliver runners in scoring position. He started at third base for the second straight game, filling in for the injured Alex Bregman (hamstring). He's expected to get the majority of at-bats at the hot corner while Bregman is on the IL, but those at-bats could be hurtful to fantasy owners. Toro is batting just .152 over 46 at-bats in 2020.

LeMahieu (thumb) played catch Friday, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

LeMahieu has been out for nearly a week of what's expected to be a two-week or three-week absence with a sprained left thumb. The Yankees have since also lost Gleyber Torres (hamstring/quadriceps), leaving Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada as their primary options in the middle infield.