MLB Player News

Vargas will start at third base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Reds, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

He'll be manning the hot corner for the third consecutive game and looks like he'll settle in as the Nationals' top option at the position in the wake of Jeimer Candelario being traded to the Cubs. Jake Alu appeared set to get the first chance to replace Candelario, but he's now picked up two straight starts at second base and should serve as the Nationals' primary option at the keystone after the struggling Luis Garcia was demoted to Triple-A Rochester.

Henderson went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Mets.

Henderson remains strong at the plate, batting .314 (11-for-35) with three homers and eight RBI over his last eight contests. For the season, he's up to 19 long balls, 51 RBI, 62 runs scored, six stolen bases and a .246/.334/.483 slash line over 100 games. He's regularly hit second versus right-handed pitchers lately after previously serving as a leadoff man earlier in the year.

Garcia went 1-for-5 with one RBI, two stolen bases and one run scored in Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Phillies.

Garcia also struck out three times in the contest. He's on a nine-game hitting streak, going 12-for-37 (.324) in that span while racking up three steals, eight RBI and seven runs scored out of the leadoff spot. The infielder has a .281/.325/.387 slash line with 17 thefts, four home runs, 37 RBI and 35 runs scored through 78 contests overall.

Rafaela hit a home run for the fifth consecutive game Saturday in Triple-A Worcester's win over Syracuse.

Rafaela has launched 11 long balls in 30 games since being promoted to the WooSox in late June. The 22-year-old outfielder is slashing .317/.370/.683 at the advanced level, bettering his production at Double-A Portland by a wide margin. Worcester manager Chad Tracy notes the biggest improvement in Rafaela has been his plate discipline, per Jaylon Smoot of MLB.com. "He is focused on swinging at strikes, understanding what he's looking for and what area of the strike zone he's looking for," Tracy said. Rafaela's speed and defense have been his most notable assets, but the 5-foot-9, 195-pounder is showing an added tool to the package.

Jung went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 9-8 come-from-behind win over Miami.

Jung hit the second of two two-run blasts in the fifth inning -- a 104.5-mph liner just inside the foul pole in left field -- to give Texas a lead it would not relinquish after falling behind 5-0. It was the 22nd home run for the rookie third baseman, who has multiple hits in three of the last four games.

Devers went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

His fourth-inning shot off Jose Berrios tied the score at 3-3, but Boston was never able to take a lead in the game. Devers has been locked in since the All-Star break, slashing .328/.394/.656 over his last 17 games with six of his 26 home runs on the season, as he closes in on the third 30-homer campaign of his career.

Candelario went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored in Saturday's win over Atlanta.

Candelario has hit the ground running since joining the Cubs at the trade deadline, as he's now gone 11-for-19 with five extra-base hits and eight runs scored in five games. The infielder has been a great addition, and he should remain locked into the lineup with a regular spot at first base, giving him a chance to build on his strong numbers at the plate.

Peterson went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's 12-1 loss to Minnesota.

Peterson had one of two hits for the Diamondbacks, who lost their fifth straight. The steal was his 12th, one shy of his career-best mark set in 2018 with the Yankees and Orioles. This was the lefty hitter's third start in five games since being acquired at the trade deadline. All of Peterson's starts have come against right-handers, but it should be noted that Emmanuel Rivera also started against a right-hander since Peterson arrived in the desert.

Burger went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 9-8 loss to the Rangers.

His ninth-inning shot off Will Smith made things interesting, but the Marlins couldn't complete the comeback. Burger began the game on the bench, but when Jazz Chisholm (hamstring) exited in the third inning, the trade-deadline acquisition took over at third base while Jon Berti shifted to the outfield. The homer was Burger's first with Miami in four games and his 26th of the season, but his .214/.282/.523 slash line mutes the value of his power in most fantasy formats.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional RBI and two total runs scored in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Dodgers.

Machado got the Padres on the board with a fourth-inning solo shot and added a two-run single in the eighth to put them ahead for good. The third baseman has been consistent but not flashy of late, hitting safely in 12 of his last 15 games while batting .268 (15-for-56) in that span. He's up to a .259/.320/.465 slash line with 21 homers, 65 RBI, 54 runs scored and three stolen bases over 95 contests for the year.