MLB Player News

For the fourth time this season, Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas will switch positions to give Mauer a day off from the field. 

Mauer will play designated hitter for the Twins in Sunday's game, while Vargas will play first base. It's the second time in five games and third in the last nine that the two players have flip-flopped positions. 

Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler and right fielder Jorge Soler have assumed their regular spots in the batting order Sunday, with Fowler leading off and Soler following him in the second slot.

Manager Joe Maddon bumped Soler to the leadoff role Saturday, wanting to send a message that the right fielder was "out there to score runs." He went 1 for 3 with a walk in the game and is now 3 for 7 in his team's series against the Brewers. Fowler is back in the leadoff spot after going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts as the No. 2 hitter Saturday.

The Cubs are heavy favorites (-160) against the Brewers Sunday.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner went 2 for 3 at the plate in Los Angeles' 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Turner got things going early when he ripped a solo home run in the first inning off of Jeremy Hellickson, his third of the season. Turner also doubled and scored three runs in the contest.

Turner is now hitting .300 with six RBI in 40 at-bats this season.

Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson went 1 for 5 at the plate in Los Angeles' 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday. 

Pederson got things going in the seventh when he ripped the first pitch he saw from Evan Marshall over the center field wall, his fourth consecutive game with an at-bat in which he's hit a home run, becoming the first Dodger to accomplish that feat since Bill Sudakis in 1969, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

"Obviously, huge for us," manager Don Mattingly said after the game, per MLB.com. "It shows how strong Joc is, to go the opposite way, there's a lot there. I do think he's making adjustments."

Pederson is now hitting .292 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 65 at-bats.

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon went 2 for 4 at the plate in Colorado's 4-2 loss to the Padres Saturday.

Blackmon started things off with a double in the first inning, but was left stranded at third. Then in the third, Blackmon crushed a 1-0 pitch from Brandon Morrow over the center field wall, his third of the year.

Blackmon is now hitting .300 with 12 RBI in 90 at-bats.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to give St. Louis an 11-inning win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. 

"I came up there I was waiting to see what happened. He threw the first pitch right down the middle and I figured, 'OK, I guess they're going to pitch to me,' so I was ready to hit the next one," Carpenter said. 

Carpenter went 0 for 5, but his 15th RBI of the season was the difference in the game. The hitless game after back-to-back two-hit outings dropped his average to .366.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided to give right fielder Jorge Soler a new outlook by moving him into the leadoff spot for Saturday's game against Milwaukee. 

"It's not about changing mechanics or trying new things, but just to think differently," Maddon said, per MLB.com. "I'm all about when a hitter is not going as he can, the last thing you want to do is change the physical mechanics. You want to change the mental mechanics first."

"He sees his name in the leadoff spot, he has a different vibe about him," Maddon continued. "The whole job I want to get across to him is, 'You're out there to score runs. Don't worry about homers, don't worry about hits. You're out there to score runs."

The move worked. Soler snapped a 6-for-35 cold spell by going 1 for 3 with a walk from the leadoff spot on Saturday. 

Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon was back at the top of the order Saturday night against the Padres.

Blackmon sat out Friday against Padres starter Ian Kennedy. DJ LeMahieu, who batted leadoff on Friday, was bumped to the No. 8 in the order.

Blackmon is hitting .290/.330/.432 with two homers and 11 RBI over 21 games.

Colorado is an underdog (+125) Petco Park, per VegasInsider.com.

For the second straight game, Justin Turner replaces Juan Uribe at third base for the Dodgers. 

Turner will make his fourth start of the year at the hot corner, batting second in the lineup. 

The Dodgers also gave a rest to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who is out of the lineup for just the third time this year. Enrique Hernandez will start just his fourth career game at short, batting eighth in the lineup. 

"JT's been swinging good. Alex has been swinging good. Van Slyke's been swinging good. We’ve got a number of guys that are swinging good which is a good problem," manager Don Mattingly said per the Orange County Register." ... It’s a lot easier when you’re winning. I think guys are happier with what’s going on when the team’s playing well."

Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez received a day of rest Saturday against the Royals. Martinez has struggled as of late, hitting .205 (8-for-39) with 17 strikeouts over his last 10 games. He has been held without a hit in his four career at-bats against right-hander Edinson Volquez.

Rajai Davis moved to right field and will bat ninth, while Anthony Gose remained in the leadoff spot and in center field.

Detroit is favored (-125) at Kansas City, per VegasInsider.com.