MLB Player News

Garcia (quadriceps) could be activated for this weekend's series in New York against the Mets, MLB.com reports.

Garcia took live batting practice Tuesday, and Texas manager Bruce Bochy said the outfielder is doing much better than expected. Following the session, Bochy entertained the possibility of Garcia being activated Friday. His estimated return date has been fluid, bouncing from this weekend to possibly next Monday and now back to this weekend.

Stephenson started at catcher and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Padres.

Stephenson, who recently returned from a fractured thumb, was in the starting lineup for a second straight game. It was the first time that he played in back-to-back contests since his return, and Stephenson operated as the catcher in both. Since returning, he's 2-for-14 with a double, a home run and four RBI over five games.

Manzardo went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to Kansas City.

Manzardo responded to the Royals jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a two-run blast in the bottom of the frame. It was the fifth home run in the last 11 games for Manzardo, who is 12-for-37 (.324) with six extra-base hits, 10 RBI and seven runs scored during that stretch. He's second on the team with 28 homers and is having a strong second half, slashing .282/.381/.542 with 11 home runs and 30 RBI over 43 games since the All-Star break.

Vargas entered Wednesday's game in seventh inning to play second base after Ketel Marte left with a foot injury. Vargas singled in his lone plate appearance.

Imaging on Marte's foot came back negative, and the Diamondbacks are hoping he'll be ready to go for the series in Minnesota that begins Friday. Vargas remains on hand if needed, as are Blaze Alexander and Tim Tawa.

Rocchio started at shortstop and went 2-for-3 with a walk in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Royals.

Rocchio made a second consecutive start at shortstop with Gabriel Arias nursing a wrist injury. Arias will play through the injury while the Guardians compete for a playoff spot, but it's unclear what level of activity he can tolerate. Rocchio, who has been the primary second baseman, may see more action at shortstop going forward. His season numbers are negatively skewed by an unproductive first two months (.530 OPS), which prompted a demotion to the minors. Since returning to the majors July 1, Rocchio's been much better, slashing .276/.330/.412 over 63 games.

Arias (wrist) will play through his injury while the Guardians continue a push for a postseason spot, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Arias consulted with the team's medical staff and hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham, and it was determined he could play through the issue. Arias initially injured the wrist in a win over the Mariners on Aug. 29 and aggravated the issue Monday. He's sat the two games since with Brayan Rocchio filling in at shortstop.

Andujar has been limited to designated-hitter and pinch-hitting duties by a quad injury, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Andujar was a stellar under-the-radar trade deadline acquisition, rolling to a .388/.444/.673 slash line in his first 16 games with Cincinnati. It was at that time the quad injury popped up. This explains his limited usage the last few weeks, but the bat remains helpful. Andujar has gone 7-for-21 (.333) with three RBI and .772 OPS over the last eight contests. He also had the game-winning knock as a pinch hitter in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Padres.

Burns (elbow) will initially pitch out of the bullpen upon his expected activation Friday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Burns will be limited in his innings and usage but could make a serious impact as a reliever. The right-hander can pair a triple-digit fastball and wipeout slider in short outings. Burns has worked his way back from a flexor tendon strain that's kept him on the injured list since Aug. 15 (retroactive to Aug. 12).

Tawa started at first base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 5-3 win over San Francisco.

Tawa helped Arizona build an early lead with a run-producing single in the second inning and then scored the team's final run in the sixth. He's made two straight starts -- Tawa started in center field against a left-hander Tuesday. Wednesday's start at first was just his 11th in the pros, and he made a nice pick on a throw to keep Luis Matos off the bases. With MLB.com reporting that Tyler Locklear (elbow) is expected to miss the rest of the season, Tawa (against lefties) and Ildemaro Vargas (righties) will likely share first base going forward. Tawa also gives manager Torey Lovullo a right-handed bat to use against southpaws.

Perdomo went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Giants.

Perdomo put San Francisco on its back foot early, connecting on a leadoff homer in the first inning and then delivering a run-scoring single on his next at-bat one inning later. Despite a recent four-hit game, the shortstop's bat has been relatively quiet since the end of August; he entered Wednesday's game 8-for-47 (.170) over the previous 12 contests. The slump does nothing to diminish Perdomo's contributions in the second half, as he's slashed .319/.406/.465 since the All-Star break and is up to 18 home runs, 93 RBI and 25 steals over 146 games.