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Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Adjustments continue to pay off for Chicago White Sox 3B Miguel Vargas, who earned AL Player of the Week honors
Miguel Vargas is proof that adjustments can pay off. The Chicago White Sox third baseman made tweaks at the plate last month. And his production has been steadily on the rise. Last week, Vargas slashed .417/.423/1.000 with two doubles, four home runs, nine RBIs and five runs in six games. On Monday, he was named the American League Player of the Week for May 12-18. 'It means a lot,' Vargas said of the honor before Monday's game against the Seattle Mariners at Rate Field. 'After what I've been through the last year and this year early, to accomplish this type of thing makes me very proud and to trust to keep going.' Since April 23, Vargas is slashing .350/.418/.638 with five doubles, six home runs, 15 RBIs and 13 runs in 22 games. During that span, the 25-year-old ranks third in the AL in average, fourth in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS (1.055) and tied for sixth in home runs and total bases (51). His adjustments included having his hands in a position where his first move would be a little bit higher. 'It means all the world to me for sure,' Vargas said of seeing results from the changes. 'Sometimes we don't get the result that we wanted and we get so sad about it. But when you've got weeks like this and you see a good process going on, you feel like you're back. You've got to keep trusting what you're doing and keep doing it.' Vargas had three home runs during the weekend City Series against the Chicago Cubs, including two on Friday. He homered again Sunday and had a brief conversation after getting hit by a Brad Keller pitch later in the game. 'I just wanted to know what was his favorite restaurant,' Vargas joked after Sunday's game at Wrigley Field. Vargas had a .139 batting average on April 21. It was at .245 entering Monday. 'We've talked for a couple weeks now about how his adjustments have been paying off,' manager Will Venable said. 'And they've continued to sustain and lead to an unbelievable performance for (Vargas). So super happy for him and just a great job by our hitting department, by (Vargas) for working extremely hard. 'He's been very consistent with everything that he's done from day one, and we're seeing the results on the field be very consistent as well.' The Sox acquired Vargas last July from the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the three-team trade that included sending pitcher Michael Kopech from the Sox to the Dodgers and pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham from the Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals. Chicago White Sox honor Pope Leo XIV with new Rate Field artwork commemorating his 2005 World Series attendanceVargas hit .104 in 42 games last season with the Sox after the deal. He's been able to leave that in the past after rebounding from the slow start to 2025. 'That's something that I've been working on, being in the present and being where I am right now,' Vargas said. 'It's a process that I've been really enjoying and I want to keep my feet on the ground and keep going and having these types of moments. 'In general, I think I'm a better player than I was before. That's what my goal is every single year. Right now I'm in a pretty decent spot and I just want to enjoy it and be the best I can be every day.' Vargas became the first Sox position player to be named AL Player of the Week since Luis Robert Jr. from June 19-25, 2023. He's focused on continuing to grow. 'I think it can be better for sure,' he said. 'The sky is the limit for me and I want to reach it the most that I can and just enjoy the ride.' The Sox reinstated outfielder Austin Slater from the 10-day injured list on Monday afternoon. Slater retroactively went on the IL on April 11 and underwent surgery on April 15 to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee. Slater entered Monday 5-for-20 (.250) with two doubles, one home run, one RBI and two runs in eight games this season. 'Any time you miss an extended period, you just want to get back out there to help any way you can,' Slater said before Monday's game. In Monday's corresponding move, the Sox optioned infielder/outfielder Brooks Baldwin to Triple-A Charlotte. The versatile Baldwin has a .215/.257/.331 slash line with six doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs and eight runs in 44 games. 'He did a great job,' Venable said. 'Baldwin's been asked to do a lot really early in his career. And so with some of these guys coming back and getting healthy, it's going to be a little less playing time. And he's at a point in his career where he really needs to play. 'And we want to expose him to center field a little bit more, (and have) some more opportunity on the dirt (at shortstop). We just think really highly of him and want to give him a chance to have everyday at-bats.' Additionally, Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Charlotte on Tuesday. The Sox retroactively placed Benintendi on the IL on May 5 with a left calf strain.
Boston Globe
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Tigers defeat Red Sox on Javier Báez's walk-off three-run homer
With a ghost runner aboard, Greg Weissert allowed a single by Jace Jung before Báez hammered a sweeper over the fence in left for his second homer of the game. He drove in six runs. Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell had give the Sox a 9-7 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the inning, Campbell drove a first-pitch fastball from Beau Brieske just over the fence for his fifth home run, driving in ghost runner Jarren Duran. Advertisement Both teams scored in the 10th inning. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Sox took the lead against Will Vest when ghost runner Nick Sogard scored on a fielder's choice by Ceddanne Rafaela. Facing Greg Weissert, Trey Sweeney's two-out single tied the game for the Tigers. Down 6-4, the Sox put together a two-out rally in the eighth inning to tie it. Carlos Narváez singled off Brenan Hanifee. The Tigers called in Tommy Kahnle to face David Hamilton. He left a changeup floating over the plate that Hamilton drilled into the stands in right field. The ball had an exit velocity of 106 m.p.h. It was his second home run of the season. The shot enlivened the Red Sox. Justin Slaten, who had not registered a strikeout since April 26, whiffed the side in the bottom of the inning. Advertisement Aroldis Chapman had a perfect ninth inning, sending the game to extra innings. Rafael Devers, the reigning American League Player of the Week, was 0 for 6 with three strikeouts, leaving four men on base. Sox starter Brayan Bello walked leadoff hitter Kerry Carpenter in the first inning. He got ahead of Gleyber Torres 0 and 2 but couldn't put him away and allowed a single to right field. Riley Greene's single scored Carpenter. Rafaela threw Torres out at third to keep the inning from getting out of hand. Lefthander Tyler Holton, who opened for Detroit, retired the first five hitters he faced before Nick Sogard doubled. Righthander Keider Montero came in and allowed an RBI single by Narváez. Bello walked No. 9 hitter Báez leading off the third inning. He went to third when Carpenter singled to right. Carpenter stole second as Torres struck out. Baez then scored when Narváez threw away a pickoff throw to second. Alex Bregman homered leading off the fourth inning. As the crowd booed, he slowed his trot a bit. The fans have been on Bregman during the series because he decided to sign with the Red Sox instead of the Tigers during the offseason. Detroit took a 3-2 lead when Spencer Torkelson homered leading off the fourth inning when Bello left a sinker over the plate. Hamilton, playing shortstop in place of slumping Trevor Story, singled leading off the fifth inning. He scored when Rafaela dropped a double down the left field line. Duran followed with a single to left and the Sox had their first lead of the series, 4-3. Advertisement There was an opportunity to add to it in the sixth inning when Wilyer Abreu and Sogard singled off Brant Hurter. Narváez struck out. Hamilton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Then Rafaela and Duran struck out swinging. The missed chances proved costly. Garrett Whitlock started the sixth inning charged with holding a 4-3 lead. Another leadoff walk put Torkelson at first base. Whitlock struck out the next two batters before hitting Jung with a two-strike slider. Báez lined a slider into the stands in left field for his fourth home run and a 6-4 lead for Detroit. Peter Abraham can be reached at
Boston Globe
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Nick Sogard has settled into his role with the Red Sox
He was traded to the Red Sox before the 2021 season and they developed him as a utility player, introducing him to third base then eventually all three outfield positions and first base last season. 'To be completely honest I didn't love it,' Sogard said Monday before the Sox played the Tigers. 'But as I grew to understand, there's a lot of value in players like Kiké Hernández or Brock Holt . He was somebody I Iooked up to. 'I've come to accept it. I've actually grown to like it a lot. It keeps it fresh.' Advertisement Sogard joined the Red Sox on Saturday having played only 45 innings over six games at first base in the minors. But he started two games at Kansas City and emerged unscathed. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up He even turned a double play to end the fifth inning in what was a 1-1 game on Sunday. Sox went on to a 3-1 victory. 'It's fairly new to me but I feel comfortable with a glove on,' Sogard said. 'But there are definitely some little intricacies here and there.' The Sox kept Sogard on the spring training roster right up until the day before the season started because they wanted him to get work at first base. He played 31 innings there and that's coming in handy now. Advertisement 'The footwork is better and I feel like it's pretty solid,' Sogard said. 'It's the kind of thing that will only come over time as it gets more instinctual and I see different kind of plays.' For now, the Sox are comfortable using Sogard and Abraham Toro in a platoon. '[Sogard] is going great,' manager Alex Cora said. 'Good decisions. He's a good player. He's a utility player on a championship-caliber club. The only thing he doesn't have is [major league] time. 'He puts good at-bats, we're happy with that. The moment is not too big for him.' Award winners In an amusing sidenote to all the drama of late, Rafael Devers was named the American League Player of the Week for the third time in his career. Devers was 10 for 21 (.476) with two home runs, eight RBIs, five walks, three runs, and a stolen base. He had a 1.387 OPS. Devers had four hits and three RBIs against Kansas City on Saturday. It was the 10th time in his career he had at least four hits and drove in at least three runs since making his debut in 2017. Only Mookie Betts , with 13, has more such games in that span. Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers was the National League Player of the Week. He was 14 of 28 with seven extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. Ceddanne Rafaela won the Play of the Week award for his catch against Texas on Thursday when he went into the center-field triangle at Fenway Park to steal an extra-base hit away from J osh Jung of the Rangers. Through Sunday, Rafaela had eight Defensive Runs Saved in center field, tied with Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs for the most in the majors. Advertisement Buehler progressing Walker Buehler , who is on the injured list with shoulder bursitis, has bullpen sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday that would line him up to face the Mets during the series that starts next Monday … Brayan Bello , who faces the Tigers on Tuesday, will be pitching at Comerica Park for the first time. He's faced them twice at Fenway and allowed eight earned runs over 11 innings … Cora met his brother Joey for breakfast on Monday. The elder Cora is Detroit's third base coach. He played in the majors from 1987-98 and has coached since 2004 … Monday also is the anniversary of Cora's 18-pitch at-bat against Matt Clement in 2004 when he was playing for the Dodgers. It ended with a home run to the delight of the late Vin Scully . 'What a moment,' he said. Cora joked that what he remembers is fouling off too many pitches that were right down the middle. Peter Abraham can be reached at
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rafael Devers named AL Player of the Week amid first base drama
Rafael Devers named AL Player of the Week amid first base drama originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Boston Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers' wild week ended with a reminder that he remains one of MLB's premier sluggers. Advertisement On Monday, Devers was named the American League Player of the Week. The three-time All-Star has gone 10-for-21 at the plate with two home runs, eight RBI, and a 1.386 OPS over the last seven days. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman earned the honor in the National League. Devers capped off his red-hot week by going 6-for-7 with a homer and five RBI over the last two games of Boston's series in Kansas City. That Royals series started with Devers making headlines for his words rather than his bat. After the team's series finale against Texas at Fenway Park, the 28-year-old called out the Red Sox front office for asking him to move to first base in the wake of Triston Casas' season-ending injury. His comments prompted team owner John Henry and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to travel to Kansas City to meet with their disgruntled star. Advertisement While the plan is to keep Devers at DH for the foreseeable future, Breslow and manager Alex Cora have left the door open for Devers to make the switch. The club has yet to find a permanent solution for the void at first base. After taking two out of three against the Royals, the Red Sox will begin a three-game set in Detroit on Monday night.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene named American League Player of the Week
The Detroit Tigers currently have one of the best offenses in baseball, and Riley Greene is a big reason why. The outfielder, who had been slumping for much of the season, broke out offensively over the Tigers' last two series against the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels, and has been named the American League Player of the Week for his play. Advertisement Over his last seven games, Greene is slashing .464/.500/.893, good for a 1.393 OPS, with four home runs and eight RBI in 30 plate appearances. On May 3, Greene became the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in the ninth inning of a game in the Tigers' 9-1 win over the Angels. Greene was also the first Tiger since Magglio Ordóñez in 2007 to hit two home runs in the same inning. Before the series against Houston, Greene was hitting just .224 with four total home runs in 114 plate appearances. Since then, the 2024 All-Star has doubled his home run total and raised his season slash line to .274/.319/.489. Advertisement He's now fifth on the team among Tigers regulars with a .808 OPS, behind Spencer Torkelson (.889), Kerry Carpenter (.870), Javier Báez (.829) and Gleyber Torres (.826). He finished second on the team with an .827 OPS in 2024. The Tigers (22-13) currently have the best record in the AL and hold a 1½ game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL Central. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene named AL Player of the Week
