Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Returns to starting lineup
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Vargas started at first base and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 8-0 loss to the Marlins.
Vargas started for the first time since last Thursday, when he was removed from a game due to a thigh injury. He'd exclusively come off the bench since then, but Vargas has been replaced as the primary starter at first base by prospect LuJames Groover. Vargas is 1-for-18 over eight June games.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Out of lineup again
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Vargas is not in the Diamondbacks' starting lineup against the Nationals on Sunday.
It's the third game in a row in which Vargas will be on the bench for the start of the game. With Pavin Smith serving as the team's DH, Vargas has been losing playing time to rookie LuJames Groover, who is starting at first base and batting eighth in Sunday's series finale.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Comes off bench again
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Vargas (thigh) entered Saturday's game as a pinch hitter, went 0-for-1, and finished as the designated hitter in a 6-1 loss to Washington.
Vargas, who was removed from Thursday's game with a thigh issue, has come off the bench in the next two contests. He was able to play defense Friday before getting a plate appearance Saturday, indicating he has no limitations and may simply be slipping back into a bench role. The recent activation of Pavin Smith from the injured list and the call-up of prospect LuJames Groover, who started at first base Friday and Saturday, appears to be impacting Vargas' playing time.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Not in Saturday's lineup
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Vargas (thigh) is not in the Diamondbacks' starting lineup against the Nationals on Saturday.
Vargas is dealing with a left thigh contusion that forced him to leave Thursday's game against the Dodgers. He entered Friday's game against Washington after being absent from the starting lineup, so Vargas could be available off the bench for the Diamondbacks for Saturday's contest. LuJames Groover will start at first base and bat eighth.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Enters game late
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Vargas (thigh) entered Friday's game in the eighth inning to play second base. He did not get a plate appearance in a 14-1 loss to the Nationals.
Vargas was injured in a scary collision with Los Angeles' Max Muncy on Thursday but appears to have avoided a serious injury. That he was able to play the field for a couple of innings is an encouraging sign that Vargas can resume his role sharing first base and DH with occasional work at other infield spots.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Sitting down Friday
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Vargas (thigh) isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Nationals, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Vargas left Thursday's game with a thigh injury after a collision, and the D-backs will keep him out of action Friday to allow him to recover. His absence will allow LuJames Groover to make his MLB debut starting at first base and batting fifth.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Leaves game after collision
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Vargas was removed from Thursday's game against the Dodgers in the fifth inning after colliding with Max Muncy at first base, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.
Muncy legged out an infield single in the top of the fifth, but he and Vargas violently collided at the bag. Both players spent several minutes on the ground before each was helped off the field. Pavin Smith has replaced Vargas at first base. Vargas went 0-for-2 at the plate before the injury.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Productive outs in win
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Vargas went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-5 win over San Francisco.
Vargas had a couple of productive outs that knocked in runs. He's been in a significant slump the last two weeks -- Tuesday's eighth-inning double snapped an 0-for-22 run -- but Vargas continues to lead the team with 34 RBI. The 34-year-old infielder is slashing .303/.332/.486 over 194 plate appearances.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Four hits in win
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Vargas went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 9-1 win over the Rockies.
Vargas got the rout started with a run-scoring single in the first inning and logged hits in his first four plate appearances. It was his third consecutive game with two RBI, giving him 30 over his first 36 games. That's one shy of the career-high 31 he had across 86 games for the Nationals in 2023. It's been an unprecedented year for the utility infielder, who entered 2026 batting .249 and averaging 16 RBI across nine MLB seasons. Just when it looked like he was regressing, he's responded by going 7-for-14 with six RBI over the last three contests.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Plates two runs in loss
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Vargas went 1-for-5 with two RBI in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to Texas.
Vargas' two-run single in the ninth inning gave the Diamondbacks a 5-3 lead, but closer Paul Sewald couldn't convert the save. It was the second consecutive two-RBI game for Vargas, who has knocked in seven runs over the last nine games despite batting just .189 (7-for-37) during that stretch. When given RISP opportunities, Vargas has delivered a .343 average and .743 slugging percentage. He leads Arizona with 28 RBI.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Homers in loss
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Vargas went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the Rangers.
Vargas had two of the four hits Arizona could muster, including a second-inning solo homer. He later singled in a run during the team's three-run ninth inning. It was the career-high seventh home run for Vargas, who achieved that feat in just 34 games.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Scuffling since streak
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Vargas went 0-for-4 in Monday's 1-0 win over Texas.
Vargas, who opened the season with a 24-game hitting streak, was held hitless for a second consecutive game and is just 5-for-36 (.139) in the nine games since the hit streak ended. A regression was to be expected, but that won't cost him the starting job at first base. The Diamondbacks announced Monday that Carlos Santana aggravated his adductor injury Sunday and will not be returning this week to challenge Vargas for playing time.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Hitting streak comes to end
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Vargas went 0-for-4 in Saturday's loss to the Cubs.
Arizona's offense was limited to four hits and zero runs by Chicago, so Vargas certainly wasn't the only Diamondback to have a quiet day at the plate. The veteran infielder entered the game with three straight multi-hit performances and a 24-game hitting streak to open the campaign, and he's still slashing a robust .388/.412/.673 overall, so Saturday's hitless effort shouldn't dim what has been an out-of-nowhere torrid start.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Huge offensive performance in win
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Vargas went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a three-RBI triple, a double and two additional runs scored in Sunday's victory over San Diego.
Vargas was a catalyst in Arizona's come-from-behind win, launching a solo homer in the sixth inning before adding a three-run triple in the eighth inning to extend the lead. While he fell a single shy of the cycle Sunday, the veteran journeyman has rarely come up short throughout the 2026 campaign. Vargas has never produced an OPS+ above 100 in a season since debuting in 2017, yet he's slashing an eye-popping .367/.383/.722 with six homers, 20 RBI and 18 runs through 20 contests.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Lifts pair of homers
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Vargas went 2-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in Wednesday's 11-7 win over the White Sox.
Vargas made an early impact with a three-run blast in the second inning followed by a two-run homer in the third. He's launched three homers over the last two games and has extended his season-opening hit streak to 17 contests. Vargas is batting a remarkable .364 with a 1.079 OPS, five homers, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, five doubles, one triple and no stolen bases. He has taken over as Arizona's primary first baseman while Carlos Santana (thigh) is on the injured list, though Vargas' hot start should secure him an everyday place in the lineup for the near future, regardless of position.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Lashes homer in loss
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Vargas started at first base and went 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's 11-5 loss to the White Sox.
Vargas connected on a sinker that didn't sink for a three-run home run in the ninth inning. It was his third homer of the season and extended a season-opening hit streak to 16 games. Batting .361 with a 1.004 OPS, Vargas is punching well above his weight; the utility infielder owns a career average of .254 and OPS of .664.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Fills in at 1B
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Vargas started at first base and went 1-for-5 in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-inning loss to the Mets.
Vargas got the first crack at first base after the Diamondbacks placed Carlos Santana (adductor) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday. Arizona called up Luken Baker to replace Santana, adding another body to a rotation of players that could see time with both Santana and Pavin Smith (elbow) sidelined. in addition to Vargas and Baker, the Diamondbacks could deploy Jose Fernandez and Tim Tawa at first base.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Enters for injured teammate
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Vargas entered Sunday's game after first baseman Carlos Santana was removed due to a groin injury. Vargas went 1-for-2 with a walk, a triple and two RBI in a 6-5 extra-inning win over Atlanta.
Santana was done for the day in the second inning, and the two players that might normally have filled in at first base -- Jose Fernandez or Tim Tawa -- were already in the starting lineup. As such, manager Torey Lovullo turned to Vargas, who gave Arizona a lift. He tripled in two runs in his first plate appearance in the fourth inning and has hit safely in all four games in which he's played, going 6-for-11 with three extra-base hits and four RBI. Now that both Pavin Smith (elbow) and Santana are on the shelf, manager Torey Lovullo will roll with a rotation at first base that includes Vargas, Fernandez and Tawa.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Serves as DH
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Vargas went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 9-6 win over Detroit.
Vargas started at designated hitter Monday after the Diamondbacks placed Pavin Smith (elbow) on the 10-day injured list. The switch-hitting Vargas got the assignment against a right-hander, although manager Torey Lovullo typically likes to rotate bodies through the DH spot. Vargas is more experienced at second and third base, but he has played 14 games at first base during his career and could be part of the rotation there along with Carlos Santana and Tim Tawa.
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Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas: Expected to make roster
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Vargas is expected to be on Arizona's Opening Day roster, after the team reassigned Jacob Amaya to minor-league camp Sunday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
The Amaya transaction seemingly resolves the roster fates of Vargas, Jorge Barrosa and Tim Tawa. Vargas received the news well Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a Cactus League contest against the Padres. He's batting .378 (17-for-45) with four doubles, two homers and nine RBI over 15 spring games. He's expected to serve as a backup utility infielder along with Tawa, who will also find time in the outfield.
