MLB Player News

Rendon (paternity list) remains out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.

Rendon was placed on the paternity list prior to Thursday's game against Miami, and although he's missed the last three contests, it doesn't appear he'll be ready on time to rejoin the starting lineup for the series finale. Mark Reynolds will continue to start at third base in the meantime, though Rendon will presumably return Tuesday, when the Nationals begin a two-game series with the Mets following a team day off.

Arenado went 1-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run Saturday against the Athletics.

Arenado homered for the second consecutive game, taking Brett Anderson deep in the third inning for his 27th home run of the season. The shot gave him some cushion as the National League leader in home runs as Bryce Harper is currently in second with 25 long balls. Though he doesn't have much leeway, he is on pace to top 40 home runs for the third time in the past four seasons.

Escobar went 2-for-4 with a double, walk and two runs scored Saturday against the Padres.

Escobar enjoyed a productive debut with the Diamondbacks, reaching base three times and scoring twice. He batted fifth and was driven in by Jeff Mathis on each occasion, though he batted in between A.J. Pollock and Ketel Marte. He'll likely remain an everyday offensive piece even after Jake Lamb (shoulder) returns, though he'll probably float between second base, third base, shortstop and left field. If he continues to hit in the middle of the lineup, he might have a legitimate shot to log 100 RBI for the first time in his career.

Moustakas, who went 1-for-5 in his Brewers debut Saturday, took groundballs at second base before the game and impressed manager Craig Counsell there, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. "I was really pleased with how he moved around there," Counsell said. "We'll see moving forward, but I'm very comfortable with what we've got right now."

Counsell didn't commit to giving Moustakas starts at the keystone going forward, but it sounds like it's a possibility. Moustakas played third base and hit third in his Brewers debut, while Travis Shaw shifted to second base and made a couple of nice plays at his new position.

Moustakas is starting at third base and hitting third in his Brewers debut Saturday against the Giants.

The Brewers will alternate lefties (Christian Yelich is leading off) and righties (Lorenzo Cain is hitting second and Jesus Aguilar is hitting fourth) in Moustakas' debut. He is now a part of a very potent lineup, although he will have to wait until next weekend's series against the Rockies to take advantage of the friendly dimensions of Miller Park.

Escobar is making his Diamondbacks debut at third base, hitting fifth Saturday against the Padres.

He is sandwiched between A.J. Pollock (hitting cleanup) and Ketel Marte (hitting fifth) against righty Tyson Ross. Escobar is expected to serve as the everyday third baseman until Jake Lamb (shoulder contusion) is activated from the disabled list in the coming weeks. Once Arizona is at full strength, Escobar should still see close to everyday at-bats, but will move around the infield, as he's capable of playing both spots on the left side as well as second base.

Vargas was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

With newly acquired Eduardo Escobar added to the active roster, the Diamondbacks needed to clear a spot on the 25-man roster, and Vargas was an obvious casualty. He will continue to serve as organizational depth and should be recalled when rosters expand in September to work as a utility option off the bench.

Asuaje is out of Saturday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.

With southpaw Patrick Corbin on the hill, Asuaje, who is in an 0-for-14 funk in his last five games, takes a seat. Jose Pirela will start at the keystone and hit seventh.

Muncy isn't in Saturday's starting lineup against Atlanta, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Muncy has gone 0-for-9 with four strikeouts and a walk over his last two starts, so he'll get a day off to regroup at the dish. Logan Forsythe draws the starts at second and will bat sixth.

Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo said Escobar would receive significant time at third base initially after the club acquired the infielder from the Twins on Friday, the Associated Press reports.

Shortly after obtaining Escobar, the Diamondbacks put their everyday third baseman, Jake Lamb, on the 10-day disabled list with a bruised left shoulder, immediately creating an opening at the hot corner for the new pickup. It's unclear if Lamb's absence will extend beyond the minimum amount of time, but once he's back from the DL, Escobar would likely transition to a near-everyday role at second base or shortstop, resulting in fewer at-bats to go around for the likes of Nick Ahmed and Ketel Marte.