MLB Player News

Devers (shoulder) will participate in a workout Friday and could come off the 10-day DL prior to Saturday's contest, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Devers was placed on the shelf July 12 due to shoulder inflammation, so Saturday will be the first day he's eligible to return. If all goes well during his workout, he will likely be back in the starting lineup at third base for Saturday's tilt.

Vargas went 5-for-5 with a double and a stolen base Thursday for Triple-A Reno in its 5-3 win over Tacoma.

The career-best five-hit performance extended Vargas' hitting streak to 19 games, with the infielder now maintaining a .412/.474/.529 slash line in July. The 27-year-old received his first MLB action last summer but has yet to earn a promotion to the big leagues in 2018 with the Diamondbacks' top three middle infielders -- Nick Ahmed, Ketel Marte and Daniel Descalso -- all steering clear of the disabled list. So long as that trio stays healthy in the second half, Vargas likely won't receive a promotion until September.

Davis was called up from Triple-A Fresno on Friday.

As expected, Davis will join the big-league team after the Astros optioned Tyler White to the minors prior to the All-Star break. Davis will likely serve as Yulieski Gurriel's backup while also sprinkling in some time in left field. Across 15 games with Houston this year, Davis has hit .219/.375/.438 with two home runs and three RBI.

Walding was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

Walding has played in six games across multiple stints with the Phillies this season, and is 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts and a walk. The 25-year-old has a .261/.379/.493 slash line for the IronPigs this season, and a troubling 99 strikeouts in 272 at-bats.

Duffy was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Marlins with back spasms, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy was also a late scratch in the final game before the All-Star break, though that was due to an ankle injury. Daniel Robertson will slide over to third base, with Adeiny Hechavarria coming into the lineup as a shortstop.

Duffy (ankle) will start at third base and bat second against Miami on Friday, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

It appears as though Duffy is fully healed from a right ankle injury that he suffered during Saturday's game against the Twins. Across 80 games this year, Duffy has slashed .317/.371/.413 with four home runs, 27 RBI and seven stolen bases.

Davis is likely to be called up to Houston on Friday, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

The Astros sent Tyler White down before the break and will need to make a corresponding move before play resumes Friday. Davis has been out of the lineup for Triple-A Fresno since Tuesday, possibly in order to give him a break before joining the big-league club. In a pair of brief stints in the majors earlier this season, Davis has hit .200/.321/.267 in 17 games.

Longoria (hand) will embark upon a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

As expected, Longoria will start a minor-league assignment after resuming baseball activities a couple weeks ago. He progressed to taking batting practice prior to the club's final game of the first half and shouldn't face any limitations during his time with the River Cats. According to Schulman, manager Bruce Bochy estimated that Longoria will need around 7-to-10 days at the Triple-A level before returning to San Francisco.

Paredes was promoted to Double-A Erie on Thursday.

Paredes had been in a constant groove with High-A Lakeland since the beginning of June, hitting .307 with a .915 OPS, eight home runs and 23 RBI over those 39 games. The 19-year-old shortstop will now get his first crack at the Double-A level. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, expect Paredes to finish out the 2018 campaign with Erie.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Machado will play both shortstop and third base for the Dodgers, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Chris Taylor had been acting as the Dodgers' regular shortstop but can play multiple positions, so he'll likely slide over to second base or play the outfield to accommodate Machado, who was acquired Wednesday in a blockbuster deal with the Orioles. Third baseman Justin Turner hasn't started anywhere but third base since 2015, though the Dodgers won't mind giving his 33-year-old legs regular rest, which would afford Machado occasional work at the hot corner. Machado has been exclusively a shortstop this season after being exclusively a third baseman in 2017. It appears that he may be able to enter next season with eligibility at both positions in some -- if not most -- formats, providing a small boost to his already high value in keeper leagues.