MLB Player News

Vargas went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Astros.

Vargas provided the game-winning runs for the White Sox with his two-run homer in the sixth inning. He now has 22 home runs on the season, though only three have come in July. Vargas has also hit just .221 in July, though he's still managed to chip in 11 RBI and 15 runs scored across 20 games during the month.

Durbin went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Blue Jays.

Durbin had gone hitless in his last three games, but he broke through with a pair of base hits in the series finale to lift his average up to .237 on the season. The 26-year-old remained in the starting nine at third base, and interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed prior to the contest that Durbin is expected to remain at the hot corner while the Red Sox break in the newly acquired Curtis Mead primarily at second base when he joins the team Monday, per Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Durbin is expected to take more reps at second base and shortstop as part of his pregame work, but the Red Sox have been pleased with how he's performed defensively at third base during his first season in Boston.

The Red Sox activated Mead following Sunday's 6-1 win over Toronto.

After being acquired from the Nationals earlier Sunday, Mead will be available to make his team debut Monday against the Athletics in Sacramento. The 25-year-old is expected to work primarily at second base with his new squad, even though he made just one of his 62 starts with Washington at that position. Mead had enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Nationals, posting a career-high .254 average with 17 home runs, 48 RBI, 49 runs scored and six stolen bases over 87 contests. Boston optioned infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to Triple-A Worcester to clear room on the 26-man active roster for Mead.

Lewis went 1-for-5 with one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored in Sunday's 11-8 win over the Athletics.

Lewis is up to 10 steals on the year, including four over his last four games. The infielder has struggled at the plate a bit since the All-Star break, going 5-for-32 (.156) over his last nine games, though he's also drawn six walks. Lewis is still batting a mere .212 with a .672 OPS, 10 home runs, 31 RBI, 35 runs scored and 13 doubles over 72 contests this season, and he looks to have a fairly secure starting role in the Twins' flexible infield.

McMahon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

The left-handed-hitting McMahon will take a seat for a third day in a row to close out the series while the Phillies send another lefty starter (Cristopher Sanchez) to the bump. Amed Rosario will fill in for McMahon at third base and will bat third.

White will start at third base and bat fifth In Sunday's game against the Twins.

White will remain in the lineup for a seventh straight game after going 7-for-23 (.304) with two walks and two runs over his previous six starts. He's expected to continue handling an everyday role at the hot corner until the Athletics get either Zack Gelof (knee) or Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (testicle) back from the injured list.

Walton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Walton will hit the bench while southpaw Connor Prielipp toes the rubber for the Twins, but the left-handed hitter should play regularly versus right-handed pitching until Zack Gelof (knee) or Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (testicle) return from the injured list. Since joining the Athletics on July 12, Walton has gone 2-for-16 with a 7:5 BB:K and five runs in eight games.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that Mead will be activated ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Athletics and could see most of his reps at second base initially, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports. "The cool thing was talking to all players involved, including Curtis, that the general response was '[I'll] play wherever you need me to.' So we got a good right-handed bat that looks like he's capable playing second," Tracy said of Mead, who was acquired in a trade with the Nationals on Sunday. "We'll start with that and keep eyes on it."

Mead has made 35 career big-league starts at second base, but just one has come this season as the Nationals primarily deployed him at the corner-infield spots prior to trading him. With Willson Contreras entrenched at first base and the Red Sox keen on keeping Caleb Durbin at third base, Mead looks like he'll settle in at the keystone. Boston has received solid production at second base from Anthony Seigler of late, but he could fade into more of a part-time role to clear up at-bats for Mead, who has broken out this season with an .852 OPS, 17 home runs and six steals over 87 games for Washington.

Loftin went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Tigers.

Loftin's lone hit was a critical one, as he turned on an elevated fastball from Jacob Waguespack and deposited it into the left-field stands to give the Royals a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning. The infielder has gone 8-for-29 (.276) with two extra-base hits, five RBI and three runs in nine contests since the All-Star break and is riding a modest six-game hitting streak. Overall, Loftin is slashing .250/.333/.412 with five homers, 34 RBI and 29 runs across 68 games.

The Red Sox acquired Mead from the Nationals on Saturday in exchange for Connelly Early (elbow), Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Red Sox have been looking for a bat to help lengthen their lineup, and they've opted to ship out a young starter in Early to address that need. The 25-year-old Mead has experienced a breakout season with Washington in 2026, slashing .256/.351/.505 with 17 homers, 48 RBI, 48 runs scored, six stolen bases and a 37:62 BB:K across 322 trips to the plate. It remains to be seen exactly who Boston plays where, but Mead and Caleb Durbin are likely to dominate the playing time between second and third base.