MLB Player News

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.

If you feel like you've gotten burned with Jon Singleton, Oscar Taveras and Gregory Polanco already (though Polanco, I'd argue, gave you everything you could have wanted for all but his last two weeks on the job), you may be reluctant to take a flier on Jorge Soler, who's supposed to join the Cubs in Cincinnati Tuesday.

But he's worth it, for the reasons I spell out in my latest post to the Fantasy Baseball Today blog and more.

You could argue any prospect of his caliber is worth it, but I want to use this space to emphasize just what caliber of prospect he is. We weren't so sure coming into the season. He spent much of last year injured and tinkering with his swing. But for all the hype Kris Bryant has gotten, Soler actually has a higher batting average and slugging percentage between the same two levels of competition this year. And he heads to the majors on a high note, batting .625 (10 for 16) with three homers in his last four games.

Maybe he makes a big splash in September; maybe he doesn't. But surely this time of year, you'll want to be the one who capitalizes if he does.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton 1 for 3 with two walks and a three-run home run in his team's 7-1 victory over the Angels Monday.

The National League home-run and RBI leader, Stanton is squarely in the middle of the MVP race, and his batting average is threatening to cross the .300 threshold for the first time since the All-Star break. He owns a .299/.407/.566 line with 33 home runs and 97 RBI in 482 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen belted his 20th home run Monday against the Cardinals.

McCutchen struck in the ninth inning. He took a 94 mph fastball from Trevor Rosenthal out to left for a solo shot. McCutchen also singled twice earlier in the contest. He finished 3 for 4, with one run scored and one RBI. 

Cubs outfield prospect Jorge Soler will be called up Tuesday, according to CSNChicago.

Soler was pulled from Monday's Triple-A game, prompting speculation he would be coming up. Soler went 1 for 2, with a three-run homer during Monday's game. He's hit .278/.376/.593 over 108 at-bats in Triple-A. 

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt has been able to resume working out, according to MLB.com.

Belt remains a few weeks away due to a concussion, but has started working out again. He has not started baseball activities yet. Belt has been out since August 6 due to the injury.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told reporters that he would be "shocked" if first baseman Miguel Cabrera doesn't return to the starting lineup Tuesday against the Yankees, according to MLive.com.

Cabrera sat out Sunday's series finale against the Twins to rest his ankle. He is hitting .304 (7 for 23) with no homers and three RBI over his last seven days. He owns a .308/.375/.501 slash line with 17 homers and 89 RBI over 483 at-bats this season.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper left the yard Sunday afternoon at home against the Giants.

Harper launched a two-run shot in the eighth inning. He finished 2 for 5 with two runs scored and two RBI in a 14-6 victory. He owns a .265/.343/.398 slash line with seven homers and 25 RBI in 249 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen went 1 for 4 with a solo home run in his team's 4-3 loss to the Brewers Sunday.

McCutchen brought his team to within one run with his ninth-inning blast, but it wasn't enough to avoid taking a loss. The outfielder has hit .305/.403/.533 with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 433 at-bats.