MLB Player News

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is still approximately 10 days away from resuming baseball-related activities, according to the San Francisco Chronicle on Saturday. Belt has been sidelined since Aug. 6 because of a concussion. He remains without a timetable moving forward.

The Royals activated recently acquired infielder Jayson Nix Saturday and optioned Christian Colon to Double-A Nortwest Arkansas.

Colon has been productive since joining the Royals, though playing time hasn't been consistent. He is hitting .302/.348/.442 in 43 at-bats, and should return to the team when rosters expand.  

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler put together his third multi-hit game in a row to start his career Friday, in a 7-2 win over the Cardinals.

Soler went 3 for 3 with a walk, while clubbing two home runs and driving in three runs total. He has seven hits in his first three major-league games, including three home runs, while driving in six runs.  

As much as I wrote about Jorge Soler leading up to his promotion and the day it actually came, I'm at risk of beating a dead horse here, but now that he has a couple 2-for-4 games under his belt, I feel the need to reiterate: You want him in Fantasy.

Maybe in shallower leagues where every team starts just three outfielders and half the owners checked out at the All-Star break, allowing you to build up incomparable depth at the position, OK, you can let him go, but the impact he could make for you this time of year is worth the risk of him sputtering like so many of the high-profile hitter prospects who came before him this year.

And aside from George Springer, I'm not sure any of those prospects was as prepared for his promotion as Soler. True, he ascended the ladder quickly, collecting just 175 at-bats above high Class A, but he was no average minor-leaguer, having played at the highest level of Cuba. Once it clicked for him after a two-year adjustment period, the minor leagues couldn't hold him back. In terms of batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, he was neck-and-neck with Kris Bryant at the time of his promotion.

And unlike Springer, Jon Singleton, Javier Baez, his success wasn't accompanied by a worrisome strikeout rate. He'll strike out his fair share, like any young slugger, but it won't be the impediment it's been for them.

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler hit a solo home run in his major-league debut Wednesday as the Cubs fell to the Reds, 7-5.

Soler went back-to-back with Luis Valbuena, driving a ball over the centerfield fence to cement a memorable debut. He finished the game 2 for 4 with two RBI.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner has taken the opportunity and run with it at the plate.

Turner has become an every-day player since mid-August and has hit safely in seven of his last eight games. He has 11 hits in 28 at-bats with seven RBI and five runs scored. His stat line on the season has improved to .316/.387/.442.

A rib ailment that knocked Pirates slugger Andrew McCutchen out of the Tuesday night game does not have him sidelined for the Wednesday afternoon game against visiting St. Louis. He is in the lineup.

McCutchen sustained the injury crashing into the wall in the third inning, though he remained in the game for a while. His hitless performance ended a strong stretch in which he slugged seven hits, including three home runs, in the previous four games.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen was removed from Tuesday's game due to left rib discomfort, the team announced.

McCutchen crashed into the wall while making a play in the third inning and remained in for a few innings before coming out. He finished 0 for 3 at the plate and will be re-evaluated Wednesday.

Kennys Vargas has his strengths for sure. The most obvious is ... his strength. He can hit the ball out of the park and has done so four times in his first 95 at-bats.

But that projects to, what, 24 homers in 600 at-bats? It certainly isn't why he's the No. 4 first baseman in Head-to-Head leagues since arriving Aug. 1. And that worries me.

It worries me because if it's supposed to be his strength, then other, less sustainable aspects of his game are carrying him, leaving him vulnerable to collapse.

I don't think it's at all a stretch to say he won't keep hitting .337. He has already struck out 27 times in those 95 at-bats, and with only four walks. Once opposing pitchers pick up on his tendencies, they'll take advantage of his aggressiveness. To put it another way, his .424 BABIP is ridiculous.

Vargas has also accumulated 23 RBI in only 23 games. The law of averages says that won't last even before you apply the correction in batting average. Cut those two measurements down to size, and Vargas is looking more like a Kendrys Morales-type player.

Which may seem unfair to those only familiar with the 2014 version of Kendrys Morales, but basically all I'm saying is Vargas is a serviceable corner infielder at this stage of his career, nothing more. You can ride him while he's hot, but ultimately he won't measure up to first basemen like Justin Morneau and Matt Adams.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is back in the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees, after getting a few days off to rest a sore ankle.

Cabrera is batting third and starting at first base, the first time he has been in the field since Friday. He got two days off entirely as he was not in the lineup Sunday, ahead of Monday's off-day.