MLB Player News

Lux was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lux was sent down as the team activated Mookie Betts and also needed arms out of the bullpen after a 16-inning marathon Wednesday. However, manager Dave Roberts also said that Lux would benefit from everyday at-bats, something he wouldn't get with the big-league club. Roberts also noted the possibility that Lux would return to the Dodgers in September, but that's not a given as rosters expand to only 28 spots rather than 40 as was the case in past seasons.

Marte exited Thursday's game against the Phillies with right hip discomfort.

It's not clear how Marte suffered the injury, or if he's expected miss extended time. Marte was sidelined over two months with a pair of hamstring injuries earlier this season, so the team may opt to rest him regularly even if he avoids a serious issue.

Frazier is not in Thursday's lineup against the Dodgers.

Frazier will sit for the second time in the team's last three games. On Tuesday, he sat with lefty Julio Urias on the mound, though on Thursday the team will be facing right-hander Max Scherzer. Since Aug. 1, Frazier is hitting just .237/.293/.276, and given the team's lineup depth it's possible he continues to see more time on the bench. Ha-Seong Kim will draw the start at second base and bat seventh in Frazier's place.

Estrada was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Estrada has been at Triple-A since being demoted Aug. 14, but he'll rejoin the Giants on Thursday with Donovan Solano (undisclosed) heading to the injured list. The 25-year-old has an .809 OPS in 89 plate appearances this season and should fill a utility role while in the majors.

Guillorme (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Guillorme has been sidelined for nearly a month with the left hamstring strain, but he looks to be nearing the finish line in his recovery from the injury. The Mets value Guillorme for the solid defense he provides as a late-inning replacement off the bench, but because New York has all its everyday infielders simultaneously healthy for one of the few times all season, the team may not look to bring Guillorme back from the 10-day injured list until the roster expands to 28 players Sept. 1.

McNeil isn't starting Thursday's game against the Giants.

McNeil has seen some action against lefties this season, but he'll take a seat against southpaw Alex Wood on Thursday. Jonathan Villar will start at the hot corner and bat sixth.

Rodgers went 3-for-6 with a home run and five RBI in Game 2 against the Cubs on Wednesday.

Rodgers drove in a career-high five runs, highlighted by his two-run homer in the first inning that opened the scoring. He later added an RBI single in the sixth and a two-run double in the 10th. Rodgers is hitting .338/.344/.479 in August, although Wednesday's homer was his first of the month.

Urias will start at shortstop and bat sixth Wednesday against the Reds.

Though he'll be filling in at shortstop while Willy Adames (quadriceps) is day-to-day, Urias should have a line on a regular role at third base after Eduardo Escobar was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right hamstring injury that will likely keep him on the shelf for approximately two weeks. Urias picked up a start at the hot corner in Tuesday's 7-4 win and went 1-for-4 with a single, extending his hitting streak to five games.

Vargas is hitting .308/.384/.504 across 60 games for Double-A Tulsa, bringing his composite minor-league line for the year to .310/.377/.515 with 19 homers and eight steals in 97 games.

Most remarkable has been the growth of Vargas' plate discipline since being promoted from High-A, where he put up a 9:32 BB:K in 37 contests. In Double-A, he's now sporting a remarkable 29:41 mark; that's just a 15.3 percent strikeout rate. Vargas didn't enter the season with a lot of helium, but following the Dodgers' blockbuster deadline trade, he's arguably the team's top prospect all of a sudden. At the major-league level, the 21-year-old is blocked at third base by Justin Turner (who's under contract for one more year), but he's not an especially good defender there anyway. Vargas has played a little at first and second base this year, and it wouldn't be surprising if the team moves him to one of those positions on a more permanent basis. With his defensive development seemingly lagging behind his bat, Vargas may well spend a good chunk of next year in the minors working on his fielding.

Gorman has collected multiple hits nine times in his last 18 games for Triple-A Memphis, a span in which he's batted .358/.427/.612 with four homers, 13 RBI and 15 runs.

He's picked up a couple four-hit efforts in that span. Most impressively, though, Gorman has noticeably cut down on the strikeouts this year; after whiffing at a 29.0 percent clip across his minor-league career prior to this season, he's at a trim 19.3 percent this year -- and it hasn't cost him any power production. The 21-year-old's future in St. Louis may be at second base rather than third due to the presence of Nolan Arenado, but this season has erased many of the doubts about Gorman's bat -- and there's untapped upside here yet, as Gorman's game power still hasn't caught up with his raw ability.