MLB Player News

Vargas went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Rays.

Vargas popped his home run in the ninth inning to give the White Sox some additional insurance. It was his second long ball of the weekend series against Tampa Bay and brings his total to 24 on the season. Vargas has continued to flash power, but he's otherwise struggled out of the All-Star break, hitting only .197 with seven RBI across 16 games.

Caballero went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Cubs.

Caballero supplied all of New York's offense, taking Colin Rea deep for a two-run homer in the third inning. The blast snapped an 18-game homer drought dating back to his two-homer performance July 6. The infielder has gotten off to a slow start in the second half, batting 9-for-43 (.209) over 13 games, but he has found success on the basepaths with five stolen bases over that span. For the season, Caballero is slashing .241/.292/.384 with 11 home runs, 12 doubles, 40 RBI, 37 runs scored and 27 stolen bases across 96 games.

Merrill went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, a stolen base and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants.

Merrill took an elevated fastball from Landen Roupp and sent it over the fence in right-center field for a two-run homer to open the scoring in the second inning. The 23-year-old center fielder has flipped a switch at the plate, slashing .302/.333/.534 with eight homers, 21 RBI, 18 runs and five stolen bases over his past 30 games. Overall, he's hitting .237/.289/.398 with 16 homers, 52 RBI, 53 runs and 22 stolen bases across 109 contests.

Benintendi went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Sunday against the Rays.

Benintendi took Griffin Jax yard in the fourth inning for his 12th home run of the season and second in his last three starts. He's swung the bat well overall since the All-Star break, driving in 11 while scoring five runs across 16 games. Benintendi now has 57 RBI on the season and is well on pace to post his highest total since the 2021 campaign.

Bednar recorded his 24th save Sunday against the Cubs, allowing one walk while striking out one over 1.1 scoreless innings.

Bednar entered in the eighth inning with two outs after Paul Blackburn left runners on the corners. He induced a flyout from Ian Happ to escape the threat, then worked around a walk to Pedro Ramirez in the ninth to lock down his 24th save of the season. The veteran closer has now held the opponent scoreless in 23 of his last 24 appearances while converting 13 saves during that stretch. On the year, Bednar owns a 2.61 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 54:15 K:BB across 48.1 innings.

Assad is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Dodgers at Wrigley Field, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Assad earned himself a second straight turn through the rotation after he struck out six and allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings in a start against the Cardinals on Thursday. The right-hander could have a longer leash Tuesday after tossing just 83 pitches versus St. Louis, but he'll also get a tougher matchup, taking on a Dodgers offense that has posted an MLB-best 113 wRC+ on the season. In addition to facing off against a tough lineup, Assad's chances of earning a win will be further dimmed by going head-to-head with two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who will make his Dodgers debut Tuesday.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said that Skubal will make his Dodgers debut Tuesday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

The Dodgers made their acquisition of Skubal official Sunday, with the Tigers receiving three prospects -- outfielders Zyhir Hope and right-handed pitchers River Ryan (hamstring) and Brady Smith -- in exchange for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Before becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer, the 29-year-old Skubal will headline the Los Angeles rotation over the final two months of the regular season and during the playoffs while the club pursues its third consecutive World Series title. Skubal missed about six and a half weeks earlier this season after requiring a NanoScope surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow, but he hasn't missed a beat since returning to action June 13. He logged a 2.87 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 71:8 K:BB over 53.1 innings in his final nine starts with Detroit after coming off the injured list.

Alcantara (12-6) notched win Sunday against the Mets, allowing no runs on four hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out five.

That makes it back-to-back scoreless starts for Alcantara, who continues to be a workhorse for the Marlins in 2026. The right-hander has reached the 90-pitch mark in all but two of his 24 outings -- reaching the 100-pitch plateau in half of them -- and he's now thrown at least six innings in six consecutive appearances and 11 of his last 12. Alcantara is set to bring a 3.68 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 120:41 K:BB over 156.2 frames into a soft home matchup against the Angels.

Holmes (fibula) allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and no walks while striking out three batters across 5.1 innings in a rehab start Sunday with High-A Brooklyn.

Making what may have been his final start as a member of the Mets organization, Holmes showed that he's ready to return from the 60-day injured list after being shelved for the past two-and-a-half months due to a right fibula fracture. He built up to 73 pitches in Sunday's outing, spotting 53 of his offerings for strikes while sporting a sinker that sat around 91-to-93 mph. According to John Flanigan of SNY.tv, the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Rays and Rangers all had scouts in attendance in Brooklyn to monitor the 32-year-old right-hander, who is a prime candidate to be moved ahead of Monday's trade deadline.

Cole (5-5) earned the win Sunday against the Cubs, allowing one run on four hits and three walks while striking out five over 5.2 innings.

Cole threw 63 of his 99 pitches for strikes and picked up his second consecutive victory. His only blemish came in the fourth inning when Michael Busch delivered an RBI single. The veteran right-hander has been excellent since the All-Star break, allowing just six runs across 24.2 innings while piling up 31 strikeouts in four starts. Through 13 outings this season, Cole owns a 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 78:17 K:BB across 73.2 innings. He's scheduled to make his next start Saturday against Atlanta.