Max Kepler sits for Diamondbacks on Sunday

The 33-year-old outfielder has finished serving his 80-game PED suspension and will be active and in uniform for the Diamondbacks on Thursday evening against the Cardinals in St. Louis. He should see fairly regular action against right-handed pitching if he proves that he’s able to hold his own after the long layoff.

Kepler will have a chance to make his debut for the Diamondbacks after being suspended for the first 80 games of the campaign for violating MLB’s drug policy. The 33-year-old will likely get time in the corner outfield against right-hand pitching, but it’d be fair to say that a wait-and-see approach is appropriate in terms of a potential add to a fantasy roster. Tim Tawa will be optioned to Reno to make room for Kepler.

Kepler was suspended for 80 games in January, but now can begin play in Triple-A. The Diamondbacks have played 73 games thus far, so Kepler could be an option against right-handed pitching at some point next week.

Vargas returns to Arizona’s lineup for the first time since a massive collision with Dodgers slugger Max Muncy last Thursday. The 34-year-old is back at first base and hitting seventh at loanDepot park in Miami on Wednesday evening.

Vargas has made a couple appearances off the bench since a scary-looking collision with Dodgers slugger Max Muncy last Thursday. However, he’s out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive contest due to general soreness. It’ll be rookie LuJames Groover getting another turn at the cold corner on Tuesday night.

Kepler is still serving an 80-game PED suspension announced in January, so he goes on the restricted list for now. The Diamondbacks will have him go on a rehab assignment in the minors and then decide whether they want him to be a part of their outfield. With Jordan Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. getting healthy and Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy still candidates to step up, ideally, they wouldn’t need Kepler at all. But, then, if they thought that would be the case, they probably wouldn’t have made the signing. Kepler hit .216/.300/.391 in 127 games for the Phillies last season, and if he was cheating then, it didn’t seem to do him much good. He doesn’t offer as much defensive value as he used to, either. Maybe he’ll surprise, but he seems like a weak platoon option at the moment.

He grounded out in his only at-bat. Vargas hasn’t started a game since his nasty collision with Max Muncy on Thursday, but he has come off the bench in three straight games. It seems likely that he’ll be in the Arizona lineup on Tuesday after the off day Monday.

Vargas is still feeling the effects of his collision with Max Muncy on Thursday evening. He has appeared as a defensive replacement over the weekend, so he appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. LuJames Groover will start in his place at first base and bat eighth for the Diamondbacks against Cade Cavalli and the Nationals on Sunday.

Vargas came off the bench as a defensive replacement during Friday’s series opener, which is an encouraging sign. The 34-year-old will get some extra time off to recover after a serious collision with Dodgers slugger Max Muncy earlier this week. He suffered multiple bruises, but X-rays came back negative. It’ll be rookie LuJames Groover drawing another start at first base in his absence.

Vargas entered the late stages of Friday’s one-sided affair to give Ketel Marte a break from the field. The 34-year-old veteran appears to have avoided serious injury after a brutal first-base collision with Dodgers infielder Max Muncy earlier this week. All signs point to him avoiding a trip to the injured list.