MLB Player News

McNeil (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

McNeil will sit for the fourth straight game as he continues to manage right hamstring tightness. Given how much time time he's already missed, a move to the injured list appears more likely with each passing day.

Marte started at designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with two walks in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Tigers.

Marte hasn't played the field since injuring his hamstring last weekend. He served at DH on Tuesday and again Friday. Jake Hager filled in at second base with Buddy Kennedy nursing a wrist injury.

Hoerner went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 3-0 win over the Cardinals.

Hoerner opened the scoring with a long ball off Cardinals starter Andre Pallante in the second inning, and that was ultimately all the Cubs needed. This continued a solid June for Hoerner, who is hitting .292 (21-for-72), though he hadn't homered since May 26. The infielder has a .286/.320/.411 slash line with four homers, 22 RBI, 19 runs scored, six stolen bases, six doubles and three triples across 56 contests overall.

Estrada is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Reds, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Estrada started the past 15 games and will head to the bench Friday after posting a .231/.310/.385 slash line during that stretch. Donovan Walton will start at the keystone and bat eighth for San Francisco.

Drury isn't starting Friday's game against the Giants.

Drury will get his first day off since June 8 after he went 6-for-17 with a double, a run, an RBI and two strikeouts over the last four games. Donovan Solano is starting at the hot corner and batting second Friday.

Mathias was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Friday.

Mathias provided infield depth for the Brewers over the last few weeks but saw sporadic playing time. He's hit just .125 with a homer, four RBI, two runs and a stolen base over six major-league games this year and should see more consistent at-bats in the minors. Mike Brosseau (ankle) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Friday.

McNeil (hamstring) is not in the starting lineup for Friday's matchup with the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

McNeil was expected to have a shot at returning Friday, but he will miss his third consecutive game. Dominic Smith will start again at designated hitter and bat eighth in the series opener. McNeil remains day-to-day and will be available off the bench if needed Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Chavis went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 8-7 victory against the Cubs.

Chavis quietly went 0-for-3 over his first three plate appearances, but he came up big late in the game. The 26-year-old crushed a solo homer off David Robertson in the eighth inning to tie the score 7-7, and he followed with a walk-off single in the 10th. This was a nice turnaround performance for Chavis, who came into the contest hitting only .175 (11-for-63) in June.

Rodgers went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, one RBI and one run scored Thursday against the Marlins.

Rodgers doubled in a run in the third inning and also came around to score. He has only four multi-hit games across 21 starts in June, though he's shown a significant uptick in power by collecting 13 extra-base hits in 89 at-bats. Rodgers still has only six home runs on the season but has chipped in 35 runs scored and 32 RBI to go along with a .255 average across 254 plate appearances.

Vargas started in left field for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, broadcaster Alex Freedman reports. He went 1-for-3 with a walk in the loss to Round Rock.

Vargas was back at third base for Thursday's contest, but his stint in left field Wednesday was notable in that it was his first start at the position in his professional career. It may not be a coincidence that the 22-year-old's first foray in the outfield came four days after Mookie Betts was place on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right rib, though Los Angeles has since traded for Trayce Thompson to add outfield depth. Regardless, adding a new position to his skill set can only help Vargas in his quest for his first call-up, and he looked good in left field Wednesday, notching three putouts -- including a nice running catch on a deep drive with two runners on base and two outs in the seventh inning -- and making no miscues. It wouldn't be surprising to see Vargas called up to the majors at some point this season, as he's stood out in 67 games with Oklahoma City, slashing .282/.379/.485 with 11 home runs, 50 RBI, 57 runs and eight stolen bases on nine attempts.