MLB Player News

Lewis (knee) has been playing in Florida Complex League games and the hope is he can begin an official rehab assignment in May, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Lewis has been playing both shortstop and third base as he eases back into game action following right ACL surgery last June. It's not clear when exactly in May he's poised to start a rehab assignment, but he would figure to need the full allotment of games. There wouldn't currently seem to be an opening for a full-time job on the Twins right now for Lewis, but he's certainly capable of being a big factor should the need arise.

Jung (hand) is expected to return Friday against the Yankees.

Jung, who was removed from Wednesday's game after getting hit on the left hand, was held out of Thursday's game. Ezequiel Duran filled in for him at third base. Jung took pre-game batting practice Thursday while wearing a padded guard over the hand.

LeMahieu went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's win over Texas.

LeMahieu's opposite-field shot in the second inning broke the ice, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The former Rockie now has hits in five of his last six games, and he is slashing .278/.348/.494 to start off the year.

Burger went 2-for-3 with one double, one home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 14-5 loss to the Rays.

Burger is well on pace to pass his career high of eight homers in a season barring any major injury. The infielder also has a 1.019 OPS through 50 at-bats, which will be hard to maintain as the year goes on. However, the 27-year-old should keep getting opportunities to prove himself, with the White Sox (7-19) struggling mightily this year.

Baty went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 9-8 win over Washington.

Baty had his best game of the young season Thursday, collecting three hits and a walk while clubbing a solo homer off Trevor Williams in the fourth. More importantly, Baty's outing broke a streak of six consecutive games with a strikeout and was just his second game all year without being punched out. Since being called up from Triple-A, Baty owns a .321/.387/.464 slash line but continues to be played only against right-handed pitching.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

It's been a rough start to the season for Machado, who was moved down to fifth in the order Thursday after going deep just once in his first 104 plate appearances. The veteran third baseman adjusted well to the new slot, belting a solo homer in the second inning. Machado still has plenty of time to turn things around, but his slow start may make it difficult for him to approach his 2022 totals of 32 homers and 102 RBI.

Jung took batting practice Thursday while wearing a padded guard on his left hand, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung is out of Thursday's lineup after being hit in the hand Wednesday. He avoided structural damage and is expected to avoid a long-term absence, and his activity Thursday supported a quick return. Grant did note that Jung will wear the guard until all of the discomfort in his hand subsides.

Castro went 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 6-2 victory over the Dodgers.

Castro tied the game 2-2 with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning before extending Pittsburgh's lead to 6-2 with a solo homer in the sixth. Castro had a big series against the Dodgers, going 4-for-10 with a double, a home run and four RBI. The 23-year-old Castro has gotten off to a solid start this year, slashing .279/.383/.471 with three home runs, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored in 81 plate appearances. He'll continue to serve as the Pirates' regular shortstop while Oneil Cruz (ankle) is sidelined.

Vargas (shoulder) joined Triple-A Rochester on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Vargas has been on the injured list for over two weeks due to a strained left shoulder. It's unclear how many games Vargas will play in the minors, but the goal is to get him plenty of at-bats and starts at shortstop. Once he's feeling better, he'll likely return to his role as a utility piece for Washington.

Moncada is dealing with a disc issue in his back and will not be ready for a rehab assignment during the White Sox' April 28-May 4 homestand, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

General manager Rick Hahn noted Thursday that Moncada is improving and it's unlikely to be an injury which requires surgery. However, the third baseman still needs some more down time before he's ready to return to game action. It would appear Moncada is multiple weeks away from a return.