MLB Player News

Duffy (face) is starting at first base and batting cleanup Sunday against Oakland, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The 31-year-old hasn't been in the lineup since suffering a facial laceration Tuesday, but he'll enter the lineup Sunday with lefty Cole Irvin pitching for the A's. Duffy also spent the first half of May on the COVID-19 injured list, and he's 0-for-8 with three strikeouts in four games since his activation.

The Cubs designated Vargas for assignment Sunday.

Vargas was deemed expendable with the Cubs needing a spot on the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster for catcher P.J. Higgins, who was called up from Triple-A Iowa to provide a healthy option behind the plate while backstop Willson Contreras (hamstring) is day-to-day. During his nearly two-week stay with Chicago, Vargas appeared in 10 games and hit .130/.231/.348 over 26 plate appearances.

Nevin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

With Ryan Mountcastle making his way back from the 10-day injured list Saturday, Nevin's time as a regular in the Baltimore lineup looks to be over. He started each of Baltimore's last 14 games at either a corner-infield or corner-outfield spot, slashing .245/.309/.327 during that stretch. Nevin's ability to play four defensive positions and serve as an option at designated hitter still gives him avenues to playing time when one of the Baltimore regulars need a rest, but he'll likely have to settle for more of a part-time role while the team is back to full strength.

Moncada (leg) will start at third base and bat leadoff in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

The 26-year-old was originally absent from the lineup but will end up starting with Tim Anderson (undisclosed) being a late scratch. Moncada was scratched Saturday due to a leg injury but made an appearance off the bench, and his return to the lineup Sunday confirms the injury isn't a serious issue.

Moncada (leg) is not in the lineup for Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

Moncada was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to a leg injury and will remain out of the starting nine for Sunday's matinee. However, the 26-year-old entered as a pinch hitter and remained in the game defensively Saturday, so he could be in the lineup for Game 2 of the twin bill.

Toro was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a sprained left shoulder.

Toto presumably sustained the injury during Saturday's matchup with Boston, when he went 1-for-2 before exiting during the third inning. It's unclear exactly how long the 25-year-old is expected to be sidelined, but he'll be eligible to be activated June 1. Dylan Moore is likely to see more playing time while Toro is on the shelf.

Moustakas is out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Toronto.

Toronto is bringing lefty Yusei Kikuchi to the hill for the series finale, so the lefty-hitting Moustakas will retreat to the bench as the Reds stock up on extra right-handed bats. Tyler Stephenson will get a day off behind the plate to fill in as the designated hitter in place of Moustakas, who went 8-for-36 with two home runs, four walks, eight runs and four RBI while starting in each of the Reds' last 10 games.

Urshela is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Kansas City, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Urshela has a .170/.242/.340 slash line through 16 games in May and will head to the bench Sunday. Jose Miranda will start at the hot corner in his place.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Newman (groin) suffered a hamstring-related setback during the infielder's rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Newman most recently played for Indianapolis on Friday, when he presumably experienced hamstring pain that Cherington notes is unrelated to the strained left groin that first sent him to the injured list in late April. Cherington added that the hamstring issue is on the minor side for Newman, but the 28-year-old looks like he'll be held out of action for at least a few days before restarting his rehab assignment. Fantasy managers should probably plan on him missing at least another week.

Machado went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a 2-1 victory against San Francisco on Saturday.

Machado plated the Padres' first run with a 425-foot shot to center field in the third inning. The long ball was his first since May 5 and his eighth overall this season. During his current five-game hitting streak, Machado is batting .348 (8-for-23) with three runs, two RBI and a stolen base.