MLB Player News

Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said Tuesday that Vargas (lat) recently began a throwing program and could be ready to return from the 60-day injured list around the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Zac Hereth of 710 AM Seattle Sports reports.

Vargas has been on the shelf all season while recovering from a right lat strain, which he sustained in spring training. Even though Vargas projects to serve as a middle reliever and won't need to get stretched out for more than an inning or two, the Mariners are content to have him move through his throwing program slowly. A more definitive target date for his return should become available once he's ready to head out on a rehab assignment.

Schneider went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Red Sox.

The mustachioed slugger launched a solo shot over the Green Monster off Payton Tolle in the fifth inning before banging an RBI double off the Fenway landmark in the sixth. The homer was Schneider's third of the season and second in as many games, and he looks locked in at the plate since rejoining the big-league roster over the weekend. In three contests since being called back up, Schneider's gone 4-for-9 with three extra-base hits.

Gaddis (1-2) was tagged with the loss Tuesday against the Brewers after allowing a run and a hit over one inning of work. He didn't record a strikeout.

Gaddis has been a reliable bullpen arm for the Guardians all season long, but he was tagged with the loss in this one after giving up the game-winning homer to Garrett Mitchell in the bottom of the seventh inning. Gaddis has allowed runs in two of hs last four outings, but he should remain a top setup option in Cleveland's bullpen. Over his last 13 appearances and 12.2 innings, Gaddis has a 1.42 ERA and 0.87 WHIP while recording eight holds and a save.

Varland gave up a hit and a walk over 1.1 scoreless innings Tuesday to record his 13th save of the season in a 6-1 win over the Red Sox. He struck out three.

The right-hander fanned Mickey Gasper to end the eighth inning with the Blue Jays ahead 4-1 before they tacked on insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Varland has yet to blow a save chance this season, and while he's been showing some signs of fatigue lately after appearing in 35 of Toronto's first 73 games, he still sports a 3.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB over eight innings in June. His brother Gus also notched a save for the Nationals on Tuesday, making them the fourth set of brothers in MLB history to pick up saves on the same day, with Edwin Diaz and Alexis Diaz having most recently accomplished the feat May 17, 2022.

Cecconi didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Brewers after tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four.

Cecconi has failed to pitch six innings in four of his last five outings, but his performance has still been respectable (3.46 ERA in that span). This was his third consecutive outing allowing two or fewer runs, and he's gone eight in a row without allowing more than three runs. Over that eight-game stretch, Cecconi owns a 2.95 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and 7.8 K/9. He's scheduled to make his next start this weekend on the road against the Astros.

The Mariners transferred Wilson (thumb) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.

Wilson has been on the shelf since May 2 due to a fractured left thumb, but he appeared to be closing in on a return after kicking off a rehab assignment earlier this month and going 6-for-16 with two doubles, three walks and a stolen base in five games between High-A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma. He hasn't played since Friday, however, and was pulled off his assignment with Tacoma after experiencing pain in his finger, per MLB.com. He's set to meet with a specialist in the coming days before a decision is made regarding whether he'll require season-ending surgery to address the injury. Even if Wilson avoids a procedure and is able to treat the injury with rest and rehab, he won't be eligible to return to action for the Mariners until June 29 after being shifted to the 60-day IL.

Cease (4-3) picked up the win in Tuesday's 6-1 victory over the Red Sox, allowing four hits and four walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

The right-hander tossed 66 of 108 pitches for strikes and kept Boston off the board despite putting runners in scoring position in every inning he worked. It was Cease's first win since May 8, but he's hardly been pitching poorly -- in five trips to the mound since then he sports a 2.93 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 44:13 K:BB over 27.2 innings. Cease's 110 strikeouts on the season put him third in the majors behind Jacob Misiorowski's 131 and Cristopher Sanchez's 116, but his 13.6 K/9 is tops in MLB among qualified pitchers. Cease will look to stack another strong effort in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road this weekend against the Cubs.

Gasper (groin) went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter and played the final inning as the catcher in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

With two outs and two runners on in the eighth inning, Gasper pinch hit for starting catcher Connor Wong but struck out against Toronto closer Louis Varland. That Gasper could operate behind the plate -- even for only one inning -- indicates he could rejoin Boston's starting lineup Wednesday after opening the last two games on the bench.

Gonzalez (shoulder) went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run for Double-A Portland on Tuesday.

Gonzalez, who opened a rehab assignment with the Sea Dogs, started at second base and played seven innings. It's unclear how many at-bats he'll need while on rehab, but Gonzalez has been taking batting practice off the Trajekt machine, which has helped rehabbing players shorten their rehab times, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. He's next scheduled to serve as the designated hitter on Wednesday followed by a day off Thursday. If he responds well, Gonzalez will likely play three consecutive days over the weekend.

Smith started at second base and went 1-for-4 in Tuesday's 12-2 loss to the Twins.

Smith started for the first time since being activated from the injured list Monday. A glute injury landed him on the IL in early May and was followed by a wrist issue and a case of viral meningitis. At the time of his injury, Smith was batting .217 with six RBI through 31 games and his hold on the starting job at second base was tenuous. Ezequiel Duran was making a push for more playing time and nothing has changed since. Lately, Duran has covered shortstop while Corey Seager (concussion) works his way back, but Smith is still in jeopardy of sliding back to a utility/part-time role.