MLB Player News

Escobar is making his Diamondbacks debut at third base, hitting fifth Saturday against the Padres.

He is sandwiched between A.J. Pollock (hitting cleanup) and Ketel Marte (hitting fifth) against righty Tyson Ross. Escobar is expected to serve as the everyday third baseman until Jake Lamb (shoulder contusion) is activated from the disabled list in the coming weeks. Once Arizona is at full strength, Escobar should still see close to everyday at-bats, but will move around the infield, as he's capable of playing both spots on the left side as well as second base.

Vargas was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

With newly acquired Eduardo Escobar added to the active roster, the Diamondbacks needed to clear a spot on the 25-man roster, and Vargas was an obvious casualty. He will continue to serve as organizational depth and should be recalled when rosters expand in September to work as a utility option off the bench.

Asuaje is out of Saturday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.

With southpaw Patrick Corbin on the hill, Asuaje, who is in an 0-for-14 funk in his last five games, takes a seat. Jose Pirela will start at the keystone and hit seventh.

Muncy isn't in Saturday's starting lineup against Atlanta, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Muncy has gone 0-for-9 with four strikeouts and a walk over his last two starts, so he'll get a day off to regroup at the dish. Logan Forsythe draws the starts at second and will bat sixth.

Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo said Escobar would receive significant time at third base initially after the club acquired the infielder from the Twins on Friday, the Associated Press reports.

Shortly after obtaining Escobar, the Diamondbacks put their everyday third baseman, Jake Lamb, on the 10-day disabled list with a bruised left shoulder, immediately creating an opening at the hot corner for the new pickup. It's unclear if Lamb's absence will extend beyond the minimum amount of time, but once he's back from the DL, Escobar would likely transition to a near-everyday role at second base or shortstop, resulting in fewer at-bats to go around for the likes of Nick Ahmed and Ketel Marte.

Arenado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Colorado's 3-1 win over the Athletics on Friday.

Arenado had just one hit in his last 11 at-bats but he made quick work of the mini-lull by launching his 26th homer of the season with this fifth-inning blast off Sean Manaea. It's been business as usual this year for Arenado, who is sporting an elite .981 OPS that is actually higher than the .959 mark he posted during last season's spectacular campaign.

Moustakas was dealt to the Brewers in exchange for Brett Phillips and Jorge Lopez on Friday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas will head to Milwaukee after batting .249 with 20 homers and 62 RBI through 98 games with the Royals. He figures to take over as the everyday starter at the hot corner, with Travis Shaw likely shifting to second base. Moustakes figures to benefit from a home park upgrade and he'll join a better starting lineup.

Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Friday.

Vargas, who has just 13 career MLB plate appearances under his belt, should serve as a utility infielder in the short term. Jake Lamb (shoulder contusion) was placed on the disabled list as a corresponding move, so Vargas could very well be sent back down if Lamb is able to return before September. Vargas, 27, is hitting .300/.340/.425 with four home runs and nine steals in 427 plate appearances in the Pacific Coast League.

Escobar was traded to the Diamondbacks on Friday for an undisclosed package, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

Escobar was one of the top offensive players expected to be dealt at this year's trade deadline, and Arizona is a fine landing spot, as he immediately becomes one of the team's better hitters, and the second best infielder behind Paul Goldschmidt. He should play almost every day at either spot on the left side of the infield, and should enjoy a prominent spot in the lineup. He is slashing .274/.338/.514 with 15 home runs in 408 plate appearances. Escobar, 29, is set to become a free agent after the season. He won't play for either team Friday, so make sure he is out of daily lineups.

Longoria went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Thursday's 7-5 loss to Milwaukee.

Longoria was strong in his return from a trip to the disabled list with hand and triceps issues that held him out for over a month. The 32-year-old bumped his average up to .250 across 260 at-bats this season. Longoria has 10 home runs and 34 RBI in his first season with the Giants.