MLB Player News

McCutchen (heel) will return to the lineup Monday according to manager Clint Hurdle, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

McCutchen's ailment must have proven to be minor, as he'll return to action after just one day off. He'll presumably return to center field for the afternoon matchup against the Cardinals.

Vargas will start at first base and slot fifth in the order Monday against the Athletics, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Vargas was promoted from Triple-A Rochester earlier Sunday after Trevor Plouffe (ribs) landed on the DL, and he'll immediately step into the lineup with a couple of the Twins' other position players still banged up. Eduardo Escobar is battling a hamstring injury and Byron Buxton is dealing with general soreness, but neither player looks at risk of missing significant time. If that ends up being the case, Vargas can't be counted on to see everyday at-bats.

Buxton is out of the lineup Monday due to general soreness after running into the outfield wall Friday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton is available off the bench. He was also out of Sunday's starting lineup due to the issue.

Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The Twins called up Vargas to assume the roster spot of Trevor Plouffe, who was placed on the 15-day DL with a cracked rib. Vargas' power has long been regarded as his best tool, but a poor contact rate has made it difficult to establish himself as a viable lineup option in the big leagues. In addition, Vargas doesn't possess much positional versatility, and with Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano seemingly locked into regular roles at first base and DH, respectively, it may be difficult for the 25-year-old to make a legitimate push for at-bats.

Harper went 2-for-4 with a solo shot, his 17th home run of the season, in Sunday's blowout win over the Reds.

Despite the blast, he actually lost the team HR lead to, of all people, Danny Espinosa after the shortstop hit two more homers of his own Sunday. Harper's coming out of his slump, though, hitting .391 (9-for-23) over his last six games with two HR and five RBI, and it's just a matter of time before he surges ahead of Espinosa once again.

Brantley (shoulder) is scheduled to take batting practice later this week, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

The Indians moved Brantley to the 60-day DL earlier Sunday, but that was merely a formality, since the outfielder's recovery timetable was always expected to extend beyond that span. There does seem to be growing optimism that Brantley may be able to return shortly after he's first eligible, though, as he's shown evidence of incremental progress over the last few days. He was able to hit off a tee last week and complete a soft-toss program, and batting practice would represent another step in the right direction. He could be ready to head out on a rehab assignment during or soon after the All-Star break.

Updating a previous report, Belt will get the starting nod in left field Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Belt was originally scheduled to get the day off with left-hander Robbie Ray on the mound for Arizona, but the late scratch of Gregor Blanco (knee) resulted in a lineup reshuffle. Jarrett Parker will move from left field to center, while Belt is inserted in left to cover for him (Buster Posey is currently listed as the starting first baseman).

Belt is out of the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks, freelance writer Andrew Baggarly reports.

Belt has made three consecutive starts against left-handed pitching, but will sit on Sunday afternoon with southpaw Robbie Ray on the hill for Arizona. In his stead, Buster Posey will move from behind the plate to instead cover first base.

Updating a previous report, McCutchen is out of the lineup due to a heel injury, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports.

Although the injury isn't expected to be serious, it's logical to consider the fact that some discomfort may have played a role in McCutchen's recent struggles. He'll get the day off Sunday to rest the ailment, and should be considered day-to-day heading into Sunday's matchup against the Cardinals. In his stead Sunday, manager Clint Hurdle will start an outfield composed of Adam Frazier (left), Starling Marte (center) and Matt Joyce (right), while Gregory Polanco serves as the DH.

McCutchen is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics.

Even with the DH option possible while playing in an AL ballpark, McCutchen will get the day off while Starling Marte gets the nod in center field. The veteran received just two days off in the month of June, and with back-to-back day games on tap, the timing was right for a maintenance day Sunday. McCutchen batted just .202 in the month of June, but has so far hit safely in two July games.