MLB Player News

Hayes (wrist) took swings against live pitching Friday, Jake Crouse of MLB.com reports.

Hayes had been taking swings in the cage against soft toss earlier in the week, and he took another step in his recovery process Friday. Manager Derek Shelton said that Hayes is still considered day-to-day, and the third baseman hasn't been ruled out for the team's current weekend series in Milwaukee.

Moustakas was a late scratch from Friday's lineup against Cleveland due to a non-COVID-related illness, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Moustakas was removed from the Reds' lineup just before Friday's first pitch, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be forced to miss additional time. Kyle Farmer will step in at third base Friday, batting seventh.

Riley is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.

Riley started the first 10 games of the season at the hot corner but now finds himself on the bench for the second time in four games. His .190/.261/.190 line through his first 46 plate appearances isn't exactly deserving of everyday at-bats. Ehire Adrianza gets the nod at third base in his absence.

Vargas was optioned to the alternate training site Friday.

Vargas had his contract selected by the Cubs earlier in the week and went 0-for-2 in two appearances off the bench during his brief time with the team. Matt Duffy was activated from the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.

Duffy was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.

The 30-year-old landed on the COVID IL earlier in the week but will make a quick return to the team since he apparently didn't test positive for the virus. Duffy should return to a bench role now that he's back on the active roster.

McMahon went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's loss to the Dodgers.

McMahon lifted a Julio Urias pitch over the fence for his sixth homer of the young season, putting him behind only Ronald Acuna for the major-league lead. The pitch he hit out of the yard was a curveball, but McMahon is notably punishing fastballs this season after he had some trouble catching up to heat last year.

Escobar went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Thursday's 11-6 win over the Nationals.

Escobar delivered the second of back-to-back home runs in the first inning off Patrick Corbin. After a very slow start to the season, the infielder has multiple hits in five of his last six games, and his 11 runs scored rank among the top 10 in the league. Escobar's hitting has given Diamondbacks fans something to cheer about in an otherwise stagnant offense.

Machado went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and another RBI during Thursday's win over the Pirates.

Machado extended San Diego's early lead by knocking in a two-run long ball against Mitch Keller in the first inning. He also tacked on another RBI with a sacrifice fly in the sixth. The 28-year-old now has three homers to his name this season while batting .240/.371/.460.

Sosa drew his first start of the season in Wednesday's loss to the Nationals, going 1-for-2 and getting hit by a pitch.

The 25-year-old utility man had appeared in just three other games this season as an in-game substitute, but with Paul DeJong getting a day off, Sosa started in his place at shortstop. Sosa is likely ticketed for sporadic action as long as the Cardinals enjoy good health, but his ability to fill in at three infield spots would make him a solid candidate for playing time if injuries strike.

Davis (hand) appears set to return from the injured list when first eligible Saturday against the Rockies, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Davis was hit in the hand by a pitch in just his second game of the season. He's been making progress in his recovery, however, and has done everything he needs to do except face live pitching. Assuming he gets through the next two days without setbacks, he'll be ready to return for a pair of games at Coors Field.