MLB Player News

Manager Dusty Baker said Rendon is a little sore after tumbling over a railing in foul territory to make a catch Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports.

Rendon made a fantastic catch on a Tommy Pham pop-up in the first inning, sprinting into foul territory before falling into the stands while making the play. The veteran third baseman was able to stay in the game following the incident, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate, but can be considered day-to-day heading into Sunday's series finale.

LeMahieu (groin) is not in the lineup Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

LeMahieu will be held out for a third straight game as he continues to nurse a sore groin, though he told Jenny Cavnar of Root Sports Rocky Mountain that he is available to pinch hit if needed, which is a positive sign. He'll remain day-to-day while Alexi Amarista starts in his place Saturday.

Candelario (knee), who is not in Saturday's lineup, is unlikely to see much playing time for the foreseeable future with Kris Bryant (ankle) returning to action.

While Candelario may still be nursing a sore knee, the big news is that Bryant is back manning the hot corner, relegating Candelario to a bench role going forward. He may be optioned to Triple-A in the near future so that he can continue to get regular at-bats.

LeMahieu (groin) is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports.

LeMahieu must still be dealing with a sore groin that caused him to exit Tuesday's game and miss the following day's series finale against San Francisco. In his place, Pat Valaika will man the keystone and bat sixth in the order. LeMahieu should still be considered day-to-day and could return for the second game of the series Saturday.

Candelario (knee) is not in the lineup Friday against the Reds.

Candelario exited Thursday's contest after he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning. Subsequent X-Rays on his knee came back negative, but it appears the Cubs will give him a day to recover anyway. With Kris Bryant (ankle) also getting the day off, Javier Baez will take over at the hot corner for just the fourth time this season.

Rendon went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

He very nearly got to play hero, as Rendon's seventh-inning shot gave the Nats a lead their bullpen would blow in the ninth. The third baseman now has 16 homers on the season and has been nearly unstoppable in the second half of June, slashing .395/.509/.837 with five homers, 11 RBI and 13 runs in his last 13 games.

X-rays came back negative on Candelario's left knee Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reports.

Candelario looked to be in considerable pain as he left Thursday's game after being hit by a pitch on his left knee. Fortunately, the X-rays revealed a bruise in the area instead of any more serious damage. Still, it remains to be seen whether he'll be able to play Friday with a quick turnaround. If Kris Bryant (ankle) is also unavailable, Tommy La Stella would be the likely candidate to start at third base against the Reds.

Candelario was sent in for X-rays on his left knee after Thursday's win over the Nationals, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

He was able to finish out the half inning after being hit on the knee by a pitch, but manager Joe Maddon took him out of the game when the Cubs took the field in the ninth inning. The results have yet to be released, so Candelario owners will have to take a wait-and-see approach with him heading into Friday. With Kris Bryant nursing an ankle injury, the Cubs are suddenly thin at third base. Tommy La Stella would be the likely fill-in candidate at the hot corner if both Candelario and Bryant are unavailable for Friday's series opener against the Reds.

The Diamondbacks recalled Vargas from Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

The 25-year-old minors lifer will make his major-league debut whenever he enters game action. Vargas has excelled at Reno this year, posting a .303/.343/.447 line with six home runs and seven stolen bases over 353 plate appearances. Of course, considering his age and his presence in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, those numbers are probably a bit inflated. Plus, he'll likely only see fleeting reserve duty, even with Nick Ahmed on the 10-day disabled list, because Ketel Marte also arrived from Reno this week.

Rendon went 3-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.

The homer was his sixth in June and 15th on the year, and a .410 (16-for-39) tear over his last 12 games has pushed Rendon's OPS to a career-high .955. As long as the 27-year-old can avoid the injury bug that has bitten him in the past, he's well on his way to a huge fantasy campaign.