MLB Player News

Vargas is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.

Though Vargas slugged a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-4 extra-inning loss, he's slashing just .198/.288/.396 with four long balls, 15 runs, nine RBI and one steal in 23 games since the All-Star break. Vargas had started every game since June 22, so manager Will Venable will give the 26-year-old a breather with the hope that the rest day helps ignite his bat over the remaining six and a half weeks of the season.

Okamoto (knee) will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Wednesday's contest against the Red Sox.

Okamoto was on the bench for the Blue Jays' previous two games while tending to a left knee contusion, but he feels well enough to at least hit Wednesday. With Okamoto slotting in at DH, George Springer will exit the Toronto lineup.

The Rockies placed Karros on the 7-day injured list Wednesday due to a concussion.

Karros hit a game-tying two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks, and then left the game in the bottom half of the frame after colliding in the field with teammate Ezequiel Tovar while both were pursuing a grounder. Per David Brandt of the Associated Press, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game that Karros entered concussion protocol. With that, Karros will be held out of action for the next week, which likely clears the way for Willi Castro to serve as the Rockies' primary third baseman in the interim.

Mayo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.

Mayo will take a seat for the series finale in Minnesota after going 5-for-12 with two extra-base hits, one walk, three RBI and one run while starting in each of the previous three contests. Christian Encarnacion-Strand will receive the nod at third base in Mayo's stead.

Koss went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Astros.

Koss lined a double to left field in the sixth inning, driving in San Francisco's final run. He's recorded a hit in three straight games and is batting .191 with three runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base across 49 plate appearances since the All-Star break. He figures to continue seeing increased opportunities for the injury-plagued Giants, as Matt Chapman (abdomen) underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday.

Caminero went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 12-4 win over the Athletics.

Caminero opened the scoring in his first plate appearance, taking Mason Barnett deep for a two-run homer. The third baseman has now homered in consecutive games and six times over his last 11 contests, bringing him into a four-way tie for the MLB lead with 35 long balls. Caminero's .277/.369/.554 slash line has all three marks above his career-year performance from last season, and with 35 homers already, he has a legitimate chance to surpass the 45 he launched a year ago.

Karros went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks.

Karros had gone 1-for-12 with a walk and two strikeouts over his previous four games. His homer Tuesday ended a 19-game stretch without a long ball. The third baseman hasn't been able to tap into much consistent power this year with just 10 homers over 112 contests. He's slashing .265/.361/.424 with 44 RBI, 58 runs scored, 20 doubles, two triples and five stolen bases.

Vargas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Reds.

Vargas led off the fourth inning with his 25th home run of the season and third in his last 10 starts. He's hit only .189 in that stretch, but has struck out just 24.4 percent of the time while chipping in seven runs scored and five RBI. Vargas now has 79 runs scored -- one off matching his career-best mark -- and has already set career highs in most statistical categories.

Encarnacion-Strand went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Twins.

Encarnacion-Strand tallied his second three-hit effort of the campaign, highlighted by a mammoth 460-foot blast off Bailey Ober in the third inning. It was a needed performance for the 26-year-old, as he's seen his playing time diminish amid a slump that had him entering Tuesday in a 2-for-21 skid to open August. Overall, he's slashing .271/.328/.525 with four homers, 13 RBI, six runs scored and one steal across just 65 major-league plate appearances this season.

Bregman went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Tuesday's 8-6 win over the Nationals.

After tallying three hits in his last game Sunday, Bregman stayed locked in at the plate as he delivered his 13th home run of the season in the sixth inning Tuesday. The veteran third baseman is having a solid month so far with an .824 OPS, two long balls and seven RBI in 10 August contests. Bregman appears to be heating up in time for Chicago's playoff push, which is also good news for fantasy managers who have remained patient throughout the year while the 32-year-old struggled to get going.