MLB Player News

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a stolen base in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Mets.

Getting the start at third base and batting seventh, Encarnacion-Strand delivered what proved to be the winning runs when he lofted a Tylor Megill fastball over the fence in right-center field in the fourth inning. Encarnacion-Strand hasn't been seeing regular playing time lately on a crowded Reds roster, but the 23-year-old has been making the most of his opportunities, slashing .325/.357/.525 through 12 games in September with two doubles, two homers, four runs and five RBI.

Wade will sit for the second half of Saturday's doubleheader against Colorado, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Wade went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, a walk and a pair of runs scored in the afternoon game. With lefty Kyle Freeland on the mound for the nightcap, Wade will hit the bench as Wilmer Flores slides over to first base.

Steer will sit Saturday against the Mets.

Steer owns an .837 OPS in the month of September and an .808 OPS on the year, but he'll hit the bench after starting 35 consecutive games. The timing of his off day is somewhat unusual given that he's homered in each of his last two games, but it seems to be merely a routine rest day.

Cooper will sit Saturday against Oakland.

Cooper owns a .485 OPS over his last 12 games, well below the .869 OPS he managed over his first 18 games as a Padre. Ji-Man Choi will handle first base Saturday.

Freeman went 0-for-3 with a stolen base and a run Friday in a 6-3 victory versus Seattle.

Freeman reached on a hit-by-pitch in the eighth inning, swiped second base and reached third on an error. He then scored an important insurance run on a J.D. Martinez single. Freeman has gone 19-for-20 in stolen-base attempts this season, tacking significant value onto his typically outstanding slash line (.336/.414/.573) and power numbers (26 homers, 55 doubles, 93 RBI). The running aspect of his game has blossomed in his first two seasons with the Dodgers -- he's nabbed 32 thefts so far in that span after topping out at 10 steals across 12 years with Atlanta.

Santana went 2-for-3 with a walk and two solo home runs in Friday's 5-3 win over the Nationals.

The veteran first baseman accounted for Milwaukee's final two runs of the night, getting hold of a Jake Irvin sinker in the fifth inning before launching a Hunter Harvey fastball deep to right field in the eighth. Santana is putting together a strong September as the Brewers push for the NL Central title, slashing .280/.357/.480 through 13 games with three of his 21 homers on the season.

Steer went 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run and two RBI in Friday's 5-3 win over the Mets.

Steer homered for a second straight day and the fourth time in the last 11 games, upping his season total to 22. Cincinnati manager David Bell likes to take advantage of Steer's versatility and moves him around the lineup. Over the last six games, Steer made starts at first base, third base and right field; he also moved mid-game to left field and second base during that stretch. For the season, Steer has started 60 games at first base, 46 at third base, 34 in left field, 15 at second base, six at designated hitter and two in right field.

Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Phillies.

Goldschmidt had gone over a month since his last steal (Aug. 14). In that span, the first baseman hit a light .247 over 26 contests. He's up to 11 thefts in 13 attempts this year while slashing .271/.365/.448 with 24 home runs, 74 RBI and 83 runs scored over 142 games. He should continue to see regular playing time down the stretch, though it wouldn't be surprising to see the Cardinals rest the 36-year-old a bit more often since they are out of contention.

Smith isn't in the Nationals' lineup Friday against Milwaukee, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Smith will take a seat Friday against left-hander Wade Miley. Joey Meneses will fill in as Washington's first baseman while Carter Kieboom serves as the DH.

Encarnacion-Strand is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets.

Encarnacion-Strand will be on the bench for the fourth time in five games, with two absences coming against right-handed pitchers and two coming versus left-handed pitchers. With the power-hitting rookie no longer assured of even a short-side platoon role, he's tough to justify rostering in shallower redraft formats. Encarnacion-Strand's downturn in playing time comes even as he's gotten off to a solid start to September with a .297/.333/.432 slash line through 11 games.