MLB Player News

Rosario went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Rosario hit a massive 450-foot homer in the fifth inning to put the Guardians up 4-0 in the contest, which is the longest homer in the shortstop's career. He has multiple hits in 13 of his last 23 games, batting .350 in that span. For the season, Rosario's put together a.293/.328/.414 slash line with six homers, 41 RBI, 58 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 19 doubles and six triples in 98 contests.

Vargas isn't starting Thursday against the Giants, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Vargas made his big-league debut Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base. James Outman will take over as the designated hitter and bat ninth Thursday.

Villar will start at first base and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the Dodgers.

Villar will get his third start during the four-game series after going 1-for-4 with a double, two walks, two RBI and a run between his first two contests. All three of Villar's starts have come against left-handed pitching, so it's possible that he's still being viewed a short-side platoon player in the infield even while Evan Longoria (hamstring) remains on the injured list. The newly acquired J.D. Davis, who also bats from the right side, looks to be Villar's primary competition for playing time against right-handed pitching.

McNeil went 3-for-5 with three doubles and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Nationals.

The 30-year-old has caught fire over the last week. McNeil has hit safely in six straight games with four multi-hit performances, batting .462 (12-for-26) over that stretch with five doubles, a homer, three RBI and four runs. He's typically been hitting in the bottom half of the order this season, somewhat limiting his fantasy upside, but McNeil is capable of staying hot for a prolonged period and pushing his .302/.361/.430 slash line on the season even higher.

Merrifield is expected to join the Blue Jays on Thursday for a series in Minneapolis, but his vaccination status and ability to enter Canada for the team's next homestand remains unclear, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports. "Obviously we know he wasn't there in Toronto, but totally up to him [whether he gets vaccinated] and I'm sure he's had conversations with his family and other people," Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday. "We're leaving that decision up to him."

The former Royal missed a series in Toronto just before the All-Star break due to his inability to cross the border, but Merrifield made comments afterward suggesting he would get vaccinated if he were playing for a team in playoff contention. That's now the case after he was dealt to the Jays at the trade deadline, but it remains to be seen if he's changed his mind about getting vaccinated. Merrifield has a career-low .642 OPS through 95 games this season, but a move to a competitive team and having a more potent offense around him could spark his bat to life down the stretch.

Urias is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates.

Amid a rough patch at the plate, Urias will take a seat for the day game after a night game, affording Mike Brosseau a turn at third base. Urias has gone 3-for-20 over his last five starts, with his season-long average falling to .230 as a result.

Altuve went 4-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's victory over the Red Sox.

Altuve scored on a heads up play in the first inning when Yordan Alvarez grounded out to short. Altuve would finish the day 4-for-4, his second four-hit game of the year. The veteran second baseman now has six hits in 13 at-bats to start August while striking out just once. In three games this month, Altuve has improved his batting average from .270 to .280.

Vargas went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 3-0 win over San Francisco.

Vargas was called up to the majors for the first time Tuesday and made his first start Wednesday. The 22-year-old wasted little time making his mark on the LA-SF rivalry, driving in the game's first run with a double in the second inning and immediately following with a steal of third base. Vargas notched another RBI with an infield single in the third. Justin Turner (abdomen) isn't expected to need a long-term stay on the IL, but Vargas could carve out playing time beyond the veteran third baseman's return if he gets off to a productive big-league start.

Drury went 1-for-3 with a grand slam and a hit-by-pitch in a 9-1 win against Colorado on Wednesday.

The buzz around the stadium heading into the contest was for Juan Soto's team debut, but Drury made a strong impression of his own by swatting a grand slam in the first inning. The long ball was his career-best 21st of the season -- the same amount as Soto has hit thus far. Drury's breakout campaign also includes a .275/.337/.527 slash line, 63 RBI and two stolen bases.

Frazier went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Yankees.

The 30-year-old continues to turn his season around. Frazier has banged out multiple hits in four of the last five games, and since the beginning of July he's batting .330 (32-for-97). The prolonged hot streak has boosted his slash line on the year to .250/.311/.316 with three homers, seven steals, 27 RBI and 44 runs through 104 contests.