MLB Player News

Vargas launched a 410-foot home run in the third inning that left the bat at 106.5 mph, and then hit another one 404 feet at 112.9 mph later in the fifth inning. The 26-year-old now has nine home runs and 21 RBI on the season to go along with a .228/.369/.471 slash line. He’s adjusted his launch angle to not be as dramatic, so he’s hitting fewer fly balls, but he’s making much harder contact with a 13 percent barrel rate and a career high 44 percent hard-hit rate. The batting average should rise closer to .240, and he’s going to be a valuable fantasy asset in many leagues this season.

Rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Sacramento from the Giants, Encarnacion will see what’s out there on the open market. The 28-year-old has hit just .176 (6-for-34) with no homers in 35 plate appearances at the big league level this season.

Wilson dove for a ball behind second base, full extension, and landed awkwardly while knocking the ball down. It’s unclear what exactly he injured during the dive, but Wilson was in obvious pain on the field and immediately knew that something wasn’t right. He’ll head for further evaluation. Look for the A’s to provide an update on his status shortly.

Dodgers’ skipper Dave Roberts noted that it’s a planned day off for Hernández and that he could get a few more days off going forward as the 33-year-old slugger works his way out of an early-season slump. Alex Call will start in his place in left field and will bat sixth against Braves’ right-hander Bryce Elder.

Senga has been sidelined since the final week of April due to lumbar spine inflammation. He’s going to require at least a couple of weeks to fully ramp back up and it’s unclear what role he’ll be returning to once he finally is ready to go. The 33-year-old righty holds an uninspiring 9.00 ERA and 1.95 WHIP over 20 innings through his first five starts on the season.

Teel ran the bases without issue over the weekend which was the final hurdle that he needed to clear before heading out on a rehab assignment. The 24-year-old backstop has been shelved since suffering a hamstring strain during the World Baseball Classic on March 10. It’s unclear how many games he’ll need on that rehab assignment before he’s ready to rejoin the White Sox.

Mendoza noted that Polanco has good days and bad days in his recovery and that while his wrist is progressing, bursitis in his Achilles remains an ongoing problem. At this rate, it would be surprising to see him return from the injured list before the end of May.

The dynamic 28-year-old outfielder has been shelved since the end of April due to a lumbar spine disc herniation. The Mets are taking a very cautious approach here as they want to ensure that he gets right rather than pushing him too soon and risking further aggravation. There’s still no clear timeline for his potential return.

Gervase just joined the Dodgers on Friday, but he’ll be sent back to Triple-A after logging three innings of one-run baseball with five strikeouts out of the Dodgers’ bullpen on Saturday. Wyatt Mills was promoted from Triple-A to add a fresh arm to the club’s bullpen.

The Dodgers wanted to add a fresh bullpen arm to the mix on Sunday so Mills will get his first opportunity to pitch for the Dodgers this season. The 31-year-old hurler posted a 3.26 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 28/7 K/BB ratio over 19 1/3 innings in his first 14 appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Paul Gervase was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The 27-year-old hurler had been designated for assignment by the Nationals on Tuesday. The former first-round pick has really struggled in his limited big league action, posting a 6.29 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and an 88/34 K/BB ratio over 103 innings in 71 appearances spanning four seasons. We’ll see if the Phillies are finally able to unlock his true potential.