MLB Player News

Vargas went 2-for-5 with his tenth home run of the season in Thursday's win over Kansas City.

Vargas has quietly had a productive season when he's been able to find playing time with a .897 OPS in 44 games. It's been hard for him to find consistent playing time with a logjam of players at first base and DH for the Twins. That's hopefully a situation that will be resolved when a new Twins GM is hired in the offseason, which could finally give Vargas a path to steady at-bats in the majors.

Buxton went 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk in Thursday's win over Kansas City.

Buxton is hitting .286/.343/.615 with seven home runs and two triples in September. It looks like he's finally figured out how to hit in the majors after hitting .193 with a .561 OPS before September. It's just one month, but his display of power could foreshadow a breakout season in 2017.

Manager Joe Maddon hopes Soler (side) can participate in batting practice during Chicago's weekend series with the Reds before working through a simulated game Tuesday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Soler likely isn't going to be a factor in the waning days of the 2016 fantasy season but may have at least a platoon role in the playoffs. Daily fantasy competitors for October ball may find a cheap stick to use against lefty pitchers.

Pederson is in the starting lineup and hitting eighth Thursday against the Padres.

It's just Pederson's seventh start in Los Angeles' 43 games against a left-handed pitcher this year. Perhaps the Dodgers figured he could handle Christian Friedrich, who's saddled with a 4.66 ERA. Pederson could be a sneaky daily fantasy punt play, but it's hard to argue strongly for a bat with a .091/.239/.164 line in 55 at-bats against southpaws.

Soler (side) joined the Cubs in Pittsburgh on Thursday but is not expected to play, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.

Soler is back with the club a little sooner than expected, but he will not return to the lineup any earlier. It remains to be seen if he will get into a game before the regular season ends.

Brantley, who had shoulder surgery a month ago, could miss significant time next season, Fanrag Sports' Jon Heyman reports.

Per Heyman's report, Brantley's shoulder muscle was re-anchored to the bone -- a serious procedure that could cost him more time than initially believed. In response to Heyman's report, Brantley said, "maybe (Heyman) knows something I don't," according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The Indians maintain that the expected recovery time is four months, which would mean Brantley would be ready for spring training. This is a murky situation that should continue to develop during the offseason, but those who own Brantley in keeper leagues should be aware that he may not be ready for Opening Day next year.

Cabrera (knee) remains in the lineup Thursday, hitting third and manning first base against the Indians.

He hit a home run and narrowly missed hitting a second big fly in Wednesday's rain-shortened game. While manager Brad Ausmus admitted after the game that Cabrera is hobbled by a knee issue, it seems unlikely he will miss time as long as the Tigers stay in the postseason hunt. They enter Thursday one game back of the Orioles in the chase for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

Harper (thumb) is out of Thursday's lineup against the Diamondbacks, CSN Mid-Atlantic's Chase Hughes reports.

This doesn't come as a major surprise, as the Nationals are being cautious with their star right fielder with the division sewn up. Thursday marks the fourth game in a row that Harper will miss with the thumb injury, with Michael Taylor getting the start in right field.

Cabrera went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in Wednesday's game against Cleveland.

Cabrera thought his first-inning drive was gone, only to watch it hit off the wall. His fifth-inning drive, on the other hand, had little doubt, a classic Cabrera opposite-field swing toward the right-field corner. The slugger's 36th home run of the season was his 306th as a Tiger, tying him with Hank Greenberg for third in franchise history. It wound up being a game-winning deep fly as the game would end after five innings due to rain. Cabrera is hitting .400 with 14 RBI and three home runs over his last 11 games to help the Tigers stay in the playoff hunt.

Manager Brad Ausmus indicated after Wednesday's game that Cabrera is hobbled by a "contusion" and has "got some fluid in his knee, so it's going to be sore sometimes," Matthew B. Mowery of the Oakland Press reports.

Cabrera's injury doesn't appear to be anything serious and he played the entire game (rain shortened it to five innings). Given the Tigers' current battle for a playoff spot, it would likely require a lot for the veteran slugger to miss a contest. Regardless, it may be something worth monitoring ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Indians.