MLB Player News

Vargas (lat) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Everett on Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Vargas has been on the shelf all season due to a right lat strain. The right-hander suffered a setback in late April that caused him to pause his throwing progression, but he's since been able to work his way back to the point of taking part in minor-league games. Given the length of his absence, Vargas will likely need to make multiple rehab appearances before he's ready to be activated.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Pasquantino (wrist) may begin a minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

Pasquantino landed on the IL due to right wrist soreness July 29. The first baseman underwent surgery in mid-June to remove a fractured hamate bone, and the soreness was presumably related to that procedure. However, Pasquantino appears to be doing better with some time off, and if he does indeed begin a rehab stint Tuesday, he could be back with Kansas City shortly thereafter.

The Tigers transferred Hurter (back) to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday to begin a rehab assignment, Emily Waldon of Baseball America reports.

Hurter has been on the injured list since late May due to lumbar spine inflammation. He began throwing in late July and is now ready to get back into game action. Hurter is eligible to come off the IL at any time, but he'll probably need to log multiple outings with Toledo before doing so.

Javier will start Sunday's game against the Padres in San Diego, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

After making two straight appearances out of the bullpen in late July, Javier moved back into the rotation this past Monday. He took the loss against Toronto but pitched relatively well, giving up three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and no walks over a season-high six innings. That was good enough for Houston to award him another start, and he'll go up against a Padres club that has scored the fifth-most runs in the league since the All-Star break.

Perez is out of the lineup for Saturday's game versus the Cubs.

Perez had been in the lineup for 28 straight games since returning from a brief absence in early July due to an elbow issue. However, he's beginning on the bench Saturday while Josh Rojas gets a turn at DH and Carter Jensen starts behind the plate.

Springer has been removed from Saturday's starting lineup versus Philadelphia due to left shoulder tightness, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

According to Zwelling, the issue is one that Springer has been dealing with for "the last couple days." With Springer pulled from the lineup, Jesus Sanchez is moving to DH, and Myles Straw is now starting in left field. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, manager John Schneider said Springer is available off the bench Saturday.

Okamoto isn't starting Saturday against the Phillies.

Okamoto is out of the lineup for the first time since July 28 after going 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts Friday and batting just 2-for-18 with nine punchouts over his previous four contests, mainly while covering first base as Vladimir Guerrero dealt with a hamstring issue. Guerrero will return to action Saturday, while Josh Smith makes another start at the hot corner.

Kirk isn't in the starting lineup Saturday versus Philadelphia.

Kirk will begin on the bench after starting both Thursday and Friday, going 4-for-8 with three RBI in that pair of contests. Brandon Valenzuela is getting a turn behind the plate in Kirk's stead.

Junis (adductor) threw out to 90 feet Friday and expects to toss a bullpen session Monday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Junis landed on the 15-day injured list July 30 due to a left adductor strain. The fact that he's throwing suggests that the issue isn't severe, and Junis has said that he's hoping for a quick recovery. However, it's unclear at this point if he'll be ready to return when first eligible Aug. 13.

Ramirez isn't starting for Cleveland versus the White Sox on Saturday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Ramirez didn't start Tuesday or Wednesday due to a sore left hand, but he returned to the lineup Thursday and Friday, going 2-for-7 with two walks, four runs and a stolen base over the pair of contests. It's not immediately clear if his absence Saturday is due to continued soreness or if it's just a rest day. Angel Genao is starting at third base in Ramirez's stead, while Chase DeLauter is serving as the DH.