MLB Player News

Cortes went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in Saturday's 9-3 loss against the Rangers.

Cortes stood out in Saturday's loss, producing his first multi-hit performance since Aug. 2. Though his playing time has been inconsistent, the outfielder has generally been productive when called upon, slashing .309/.328/.418 with five extra-base hits and four RBI across 58 plate appearances this season. With Tyler Soderstrom covering first base for Nick Kurtz (oblique), there could be more opportunities available for Cortes in left field in the short term.

Varsho (hand) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Varsho was hit by a pitch on the right hand Friday and was diagnosed with a contusion after X-rays came back negative, and he'll be held out of the starting nine Sunday for a second straight game. The 29-year-old was reportedly available off the bench for Saturday's contest but didn't appear in the game, and he'll presumably be available in that capacity again Sunday.

Harris allowed a hit and no walks with no strikeouts over a scoreless inning in Saturday's 9-3 loss to the Rangers.

While the Athletics' pitching staff struggled in Saturday's loss, Harris turned in a clean outing when called upon in the fifth inning. The left-hander has pieced together a scoreless August, tossing 10 innings across eight outings, a sharp improvement on the 4.35 ERA and 1.65 WHIP he carried over 41.1 innings in 30 big-league appearances through July.

McLain went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Cardinals.

McLain's seventh-inning home run brought the Reds within a run, but they couldn't complete the comeback. The homer was his 12th of the season, but his first since July 18 and just his fifth extra-base hit in the second half. August hasn't been kind to McLain, who has a .219/.254/.281 slash line over 21 games this month.

The Padres optioned Jacob to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

Jacob's latest stint in the majors lasted only five days but the right-hander was busy, making three appearances and allowing just one hit and one walk over 4.2 scoreless innings. He'll cede his spot in the bullpen to Kyle Hart, who was recalled from El Paso.

The Padres recalled Hart from Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

Right-hander David Morgan is scheduled to serve as the opening pitcher for Sunday's game in Minnesota, but Hart could be tasked with covering multiple innings behind him. Hart previously made six starts for the Padres and nine for El Paso this season, but he's worked largely in relief since the All-Star break. The southpaw hasn't covered more than three innings in any appearance in August, so the Padres could end up treating this as more of a bullpen game rather than leaning on Hart as a bulk reliever.

Burns (elbow) threw a bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.

The session simulated Burns working multiple innings. The tentative next step for the right-hander is to face hitters in a batting practice session Tuesday. The Reds still believe Burns can pitch again before the end of the regular season, but there's no firm target date for his return.

Iglesias will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Twins.

With Xander Bogaerts landing on the injured list Friday due to a non-displaced left foot fracture, Iglesias has gained some traction in the San Diego infield. The 35-year-old will pick up his fourth consecutive start Sunday after going 3-for-12 with an RBI and a run scored over the previous three contests.

Clement (finger/shin) will start at third base and bat sixth Sunday against the Brewers.

Clement was held out of the starting nine the past couple days due to a hairline finger fracture and a laceration to his left shin, but he's ready to rejoin the lineup for Sunday's series finale. The 29-year-old's average has dipped in August as he's batting .247 in 24 games, though he still has a .729 OPS this month thanks to four home runs.

Alexander started at third base and went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Dodgers.

Alexander is swinging a hot bat right now, going 6-for-14 with two doubles, two home runs, four RBI and six runs scored over a four-game hit streak. A day after manager Torey Lovullo discussed Alexander's role -- shifting from primary third baseman to a utility role -- he was back at the hot corner against a right-hander. Lovullo talked to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports on Friday about having Jordan Lawlar playing the left side of the infield but added that would be against lefties and certain righties. As both Alexander and Lawlar are right-handed batters, this won't be a traditional platoon situation.