MLB Player News

Vargas is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays.

Vargas finds himself on the bench for the second straight game after starting six of the previous seven games at second base. The 27-year-old has a .977 OPS over his last 11 games. Ketel Marte is starting at the keystone Friday while Jarrod Dyson takes over in center field.

Bichette joined the Nationals on a minor-league contract Friday.

Bichette hasn't appeared in affiliated baseball since 2017, failing to get past the Double-A level after hitting .242/.322/.349 in parts of four seasons for Trenton in the Yankees' organization. He's since spent time in two separate independent leagues, spending 2018 with the St. Paul Saints of the American Association and the first part of 2019 with the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League. The 26-year-old hit .333/.373/.459 during his time in indy ball.

Moustakas went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Thursday's victory over the Marlins.

Moustakas went deep in the first inning to give Milwaukee a 3-0 lead, and he left the yard again the third inning on a solo shot to center. The 30-year-old has clubbed six home runs and driven in eight over his last 10 contests, and he now sits with 18 homers along with 39 RBI on the season over 56 contests.

McMahon is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

He'll retreat to the bench with lefty Jose Quintana on the bump for Chicago, paving the way for platoon mate Brendan Rodgers to pick up a start at second base. McMahon's hold on the primary job at the keystone could be slipping; he's gone 6-for-32 (.188 average) over his past eight starts.

Newman will start at second base and bat leadoff Thursday against the Braves.

Newman has slotted in atop the lineup for eight of the Pirates' past nine games, unseating Adam Frazier as the team's table setter. The 25-year-old has only turned in a .256 on-base percentage during that span, however, so he may need to pick up the pace offensively to ensure he sticks in the leadoff role for the remainder of the season.

Longoria is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mets, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

After starting each of the previous six contests, Longoria will receive a breather for the matinee game while Pablo Sandoval checks in at third base. Longoria has been mired in a slump of late, collecting only five hits in 30 at-bats over his past 10 games.

Anderson went 3-for-4 with a grand slam, double, stolen base and two runs scored Wednesday against the Brewers.

Anderson provided a spark to the Marlins' offense, connecting on a grand slam in the third inning to put the team up 5-1. It was his seventh home run of the season, five of which have come in his past 17 games. Anderson also chipped in his fourth stolen base of the campaign, giving him under-the-radar potential for meaningful production in the category. However, his hot stretch could be coming to a close with Miami heading back home to South Florida, as he's slugged just .358 in 125 plate appearances at Marlins Park.

Davis is not in the lineup Wednesday against San Francisco.

Davis had been logging frequent starts in left field recently. With Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano returning from hamstring and quadriceps injuries Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, the Mets' lineup is now suddenly much more crowded, and Davis could see his role reduced as a result. McNeil starts in left field Wednesday, with Todd Frazier slotting in at Davis' other position, third base.

Vargas is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Vargas will hit the bench after starting the past four games and going 5-for-13 with a double and 1:1 K:BB during that stretch. Ketel Marte is covering the keystone Wednesday, with Jarrod Dyson getting a start in center field as a result.

Donaldson went 1-for-4 with two walks, a three-run home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's win over the Pirates.

It's the veteran third baseman's eighth homer of the season but his first since May 17, and Donaldson compiled a weak .233/.340/.256 slash line in 13 games between the blasts. Ender Inciarte (back) doesn't yet have a timetable for his return and only resumed baseball activities last week, but once he's back in the lineup, Donaldson's playing time could take a big hit as Austin Riley sees more action at the hot corner.