MLB Player News

Cespedes knocked three singles, drew a walk and scored a run over the course of four plate appearances Tuesday against Arizona.

He's put together a lovely four-game stretch, racking up nine hits in 15 at-bats (.600), and while Cespedes' power stroke didn't make an appearance in this one, he's been recovering on that front as well after a 33-game span from late June into early August saw him homer just twice. We've seen Cespedes explode down the stretch before, and while he might not be quite so motivated this time with the Mets not jockeying for playoff position, a strong end run would make his fantasy owners feel better about the Cuban's injury-shortened 2017 campaign.

Vargas went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the White Sox.

As has been his habit this season, Vargas flashed his power quickly after his latest promotion from Triple-A Rochester. While his nine homers and 31 RBI in 54 big-league games are solid, his .245 batting average and .736 OPS point to why he hasn't been able to hang onto a regular spot in the Twins' lineup. With Miguel Sano (shin) out for another week or so, however, expect Vargas to see plenty of at-bats through the rest of August as the team looks to replace their young slugger's thump.

Brantley (ankle) has yet to begin running since landing on the disabled list.

Brantley, who has been on the DL since Aug. 9, has been able to participate in baseball activities, albeit at a limited capacity due to his inability to run. Until he's ready to return, Austin Jackson and Brandon Guyer will likely see time in the Cleveland outfield.

Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Vargas will assume the active roster spot of Miguel Sano (shin), who landed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday. The 27-year-old Vargas has reached base at just a .289 clip over 190 plate appearances with the big club this season, but he's often provided an impact when he's been able to make contact, as evidenced by the eight home runs and nine doubles on his ledger. Vargas is expected to pick up semi-regular at-bats at designated hitter or first base while Sano remains sidelined.

Stanton went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Sunday's win over the Mets.

His seventh-inning shot off Jacob deGrom proved to be crucial and provided the Marlins with insurance runs they would need after the Mets answered back with three runs in the eighth. Stanton now has a league-leading 45 homers on the year, including an incredible 12 in 18 games thus far in August.

Cespedes went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI and two runs in Sunday's loss to the Marlins.

Six of his 16 homers on the season have come in August as Cespedes has been trying to make up for the time he lost to injury earlier in the year. Expect the 31-year-old to continue providing big numbers over the final weeks of 2017.

Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Sunday's win over the Dodgers.

Cabrera has suffered through a major decline this year, but he does have three multi-hit efforts over his last four games. While fantasy owners will be disappointed in his final stats, it's not inconceivable that he might enjoy a little surge down the stretch thanks to the diluted pitching of late-season baseball.

Martinez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Sunday's loss to Minnesota.

This was Martinez's ninth homer with Arizona, and he sports a rock-solid .903 OPS since moving to the National League. He's also settled into a cushy fantasy setup hitting behind Paul Goldschmidt in the heart of the D-backs' lineup and projects to remain a high-end fantasy asset throughout the stretch drive.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Belt is still experiencing concussion symptoms more than two weeks after being hit in the head by a pitch, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

While Belt has been pushing himself in cardio workouts, he's still not at a point where he can go through them at full capacity because of his lingering symptoms. There is no guarantee that he will return in 2017, as this is the fourth documented concussion he's suffered dating back to his time as a college player at the University of Texas.

Buxton is batting third and playing center field Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Shane Jackson of MLB.com reports.

With Miguel Sano sidelined due to a shin injury, manager Paul Molitor will move Buxton up to the heart of the order. The speedy centerfielder has been hot at the plate in August -- slashing .339/.385/.593 with three homers and five stolen bases in 18 games -- earning himself a more favorable placement in the batting order. It's unclear whether Buxton will stick that high in the lineup when Sano returns, but it would be difficult to move him back to the eight hole if he continues to hit the ball well.