MLB Player News

Phillies first baseman Darin Ruf went 2 for 3 at the plate in Philadelphia's 6-0 win over the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Ruf did his damage in the fourth inning when he crushed the first pitch he saw from Josh Collmenter over the center field wall, his third of the season. Ruf is now hitting .208 with seven RBI in 77 at-bats this season.

The Twins are expected to activate Eduardo Nunez from the disabled list on Tuesday and option Kennys Vargas to Triple-A, according to MLB.com. The team later confirmed the report.

Nunez has been on the 15-day DL with an oblique injury, but has taken batting practice as recently as Sunday. He was hitting .409 with two RBI in 22 at-bats before going on the DL.

Vargas has slowed down after his hot start. He is hitting .250 with 10 RBI in 104 at-bats this season. 

"He needs to go down there and work on his game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Trying to take the pressure off him. It's not unusual for a guy to have to do that at some juncture. So it's best for him in the short-term."

Molitor wants Vargas to take the opportunity to work on his confidence at the plate.

"I think more than mechanics right now, it's more about what's in his head when he gets into the batter's box," Molitor said. "You have a guy who can be a valuable part of the middle of your lineup and can be a run producer, but through 100 at-bats it really hasn't happened for him so I think the best thing for him is to go down there and try to find a groove and relax a little bit and hopefully play better."

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt went 3 for 4 with a walk, a solo home run and three runs scored in his team's 9-8 win over the Reds on Sunday.

Belt scored runs in the second and third inning to help his team build a 6-1 lead by the middle of the third. After the Reds were able to rally, he then pushed his team's lead to 9-7 with a solo home run in the ninth, a run that proved critical to landing the Giants a win.

Belt has racked up three hits and a home run in each of his last three games to boost his line to .321/.392/.509 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 112 at-bats.

With regular Athletics first baseman Ike Davis on the 15-day DL, Mark Canha and Max Muncy are expected to split time at first base, manager Bob Melvin said per CSN Bay Area.

Canha is hitting .226/.293/.396 with five home runs in 106 at-bats this season. Muncy is also considered the top backup role at third base and is hitting .222 with one RBI in 18 at-bats. 

It's been no secret this season that Bryce Harper is having a sensational year at the plate for the Nationals, but the right fielder's defense has also been much improved, according to the Washington Post.

“I’m extremely happy with the way he’s been playing,” said first base and outfield coach Tony Tarasco. “He’s getting more and more comfortable.”

Harper had switched positions (left field to right field) this season with Jayson Werth.

“I feel great,” Harper said. “It’s a lot easier than left. Everybody talks about right being easy. I don’t know if it’s easy, but it’s a lot better than left. Left was so hard."

Tigers left fielder Yoenis Cespedes hurt his thumb late in Saturday's game, but it didn't keep him out of Sunday's lineup. 

Cespedes bent his thumb back trying to make a catch. He remained in the game, but his availability for Sunday was questionable. 

Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas is out of the lineup for a second straight game on Sunday.

"I think it's good for him to back off a little bit now and then," manager Paul Molitor said before the game, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We've been doing that. I'm sure it's tough for him. Try to let him know to keep working and your name is going to be called at some point and come back and hopefully he can contribute."

Vargas has picked things up offensively in May, going 15 for 40 with two home runs and six RBI after ending April with a .172/.232/.234 line. However, he's also struck out five times in his last three games.

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and first baseman Ryan Howard are not in the lineup for Sunday's matchup with the Diamondbacks.

Utley is 3 for 6 with a walk, two doubles and two RBI in two games since being moved from third to sixth in the lineup, but he'll get a break Sunday, with Andres Blanco filling in at second base and batting second.

Howard had started seven straight games coming into Sunday's contest, hitting .259/.310/.444 with one home run and three RBI in 27 at-bats during that stretch. Darin Ruf is drawing the start at first base.

The Phillies are home underdogs (+115) against the Diamondbacks Sunday, per VegasInsider.com.

Mariners designated hitter Brad Miller went 2 for 3 at the plate in Seattle's 4-2 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday. Miller crushed two solo home runs, one in the first inning and the second in the fifth. 

Miller is now hitting .264 with 13 RBI in 106 at-bats this season.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt went 3 for 5 at the plate in San Francisco's 11-2 win over the Reds on Saturday.

Belt did his damage in the second inning when he crushed a Mike Leake pitch over the center field wall for a solo home run, his second of the season. 

Belt is now hitting .306 with 13 RBI in 108 at-bats this season.