MLB Player News

Urias will be on the bench Saturday against Oakland.

Urias returned from the 60-day injured list Monday but has so far not been asked to start more than two games in a row. He hasn't done much at the plate in four games since returning from his hamstring strain, going 1-for-13 with five strikeouts. Owen Miller starts at third base Saturday.

Vargas will sit Saturday against the Phillies, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports.

Vargas went hitless in Friday's series opener but reached base twice on a pair of walks. His eye has been his biggest strength in his first full major-league season, with his 13.0 percent walk rate helping him to a 110 wRC+ despite his modest .231 batting average and six homers. Mookie Betts will move in to play second base in Vargas' absence, with Jason Heyward taking Betts' usual spot in right field.

Gorman will sit against lefty Andrew Abbott and the Reds on Saturday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Gorman is breaking out in his sophomore season, slashing .264/.347/.543 with 15 homers in 58 games. He began the year strictly in a platoon role, sitting against the first 10 southpaws the Cardinals faced, but his strong performance has earned him four starts against lefties since then. That doesn't mean he'll start every day, however, as it's been fellow lefty Brendan Donovan at the keystone against the last two lefties to start against St. Louis.

Castro is not in Saturday's lineup against the Padres, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Castro is hitting .238 with three runs and one RBI in 21 at-bats this month. Alan Trejo gets the start at the keystone while batting eighth.

Rojas will be on the bench Saturday against Detroit.

Rojas finds himself on the bench for the second time in three games. Both days off have come against lefties, including Saturday's starter, Matthew Boyd. Emmanuel Rivera will get the nod at third base.

Bae went 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base Friday against the Mets.

Bae made an impact with his speed early in the game, reaching base on a bunt hit and forcing an errant throw by Eduardo Escobar to get a pair of runs home. He's now reached base in four consecutive games, tallying five hits in 13 at-bats while also drawing three free passes. In that span, he's also scored four runs, driven in four and swiped four bags. Bae continues to serve in a strong-side platoon role, with his playing time split between center field and second base.

Hoerner went 2-for-2 with two RBI in Friday's 3-2 win over the Giants.

Hoerner appeared as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and promptly delivered a two-RBI single, which put the Cubs ahead 2-1. He singled again in the ninth. The infielder is now batting .284 after hitting .281 last season. Hoerner has also chipped in 14 stolen bases this year, which has boosted his fantasy value.

McNeil went 1-for-4 with one double and one run scored in Friday's loss to the Pirates.

McNeil doubled in his first at-bat of the game, and with it recorded just his second extra-base hit since April 27. McNeil had been dealing with a groin injury for the past two weeks, but he seems to be fully healthy once again. The reigning National League batting champion has fallen off a bit from last season, sporting a .278 batting average go to with a .354 on-base percentage.

Donovan went 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 7-4 win over the Reds.

Donovan has started June a bit uneven, going 6-for-25 (.240) over his last seven games. The versatile 26-year-old did well atop the order Friday -- he's settled in as the leadoff hitter versus right-handers. Donovan's up to a .251/.344/.369 slash line with six home runs, 16 RBI, 27 runs scored and four stolen bases through 215 plate appearances this season. While the counting starts are not overly impressive, that's mainly been a problem caused by the Cardinals' inconsistent offense.

Gorman went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 7-4 win over the Reds.

Gorman provided the Cardinals' last runs of the game with a seventh-inning blast, atoning for his three strikeouts earlier in the contest. The infielder has struck out at a 28.9 percent rate this season, though he's also walking at an 11.1 percent clip. Both marks are improved from last year as Gorman's shown a more refined approach while maintaining his impressive power. His 15 homers are one more than he had in 2022, and he's added a .264/.347/.543 slash line with 46 RBI, 26 runs scored and four stolen bases through 58 contests in 2023.