MLB Player News

Raley is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The lefty-hitting Raley will take a seat against a right-hander (Drew Hutchison), marking the third time in four games he's been excluded from the lineup. Though Raley appeared poised to get regular playing time in the outfield when the Rays moved Josh Lowe and Brett Phillips off the active roster, the trade-deadline pickups of David Peralta and Jose Siri may result in Raley settling into more of a part-time role.

Smith (ankle) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith has been sidelined with a right ankle sprain since mid-July but has now been cleared to return to game action with the minor-league club. The Mets recently acquired Daniel Vogelbach and Tyler Naquin, so it's not yet clear whether Smith will have a regular role with the big-league squad once he's deemed fully healthy.

Pratto is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox.

Pratto is 2-for-24 with seven walks and 14 strikeouts over his past nine contests and will head to the bench Thursday. Michael Massey will enter the lineup in his place, with Hunter Dozier shifting to first base.

Voit will start at first base and bat third in Thursday's game against the Phillies.

The lone veteran the Nationals took back as part of the six-player haul they received Tuesday in the deal that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres, Voit will be making his Washington debut Thursday. Though he's 31 years old and doesn't necessarily fit in with the 36-70 Nationals' long-term rebuilding plan, Voit is under club control through 2024 and is expected to be a key cog in the lineup for the time being. Manager Dave Martinez confirmed Wednesday that Voit will be the Nationals' first baseman or designated hitter for the rest of the season while slotting into the heart of the order, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com.

Bell went 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs in Wednesday's 9-1 win over the Rockies.

Each of San Diego's three offensive trade-deadline acquisitions -- Bell, Juan Soto and Brandon Drury -- who played in the contest reached base multiple times, though Bell was the only one among them who didn't record a hit. Still, he made an impact by drawing two free passes and scoring twice. Bell figures to settle into an everyday role at first base for the Padres and is enjoying a solid season with a .300/.385/.491 slash line, 14 homers and 57 RBI.

Cronenworth isn't starting Thursday against the Rockies, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Cronenworth has been hot at the plate recently, going 7-for-15 with two homers, six RBI and four runs over the last five games. However, he'll get a breather while Brandon Drury starts at the keystone and bats fifth.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 9-5 victory over the Nationals.

Alonso launched a two-run homer in the third inning that scored Francisco Lindor. The first baseman then came around to score on Daniel Vogelbach's grand slam in the fifth inning. The home run was Alonso's 28th of the year, good for fifth most in the majors. The slugger already has two home runs in three August games after hitting four in July. After Wednesday's performance, he is slashing .276/.354/.547.

Abreu went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Royals.

Abreu launched a three-run blast in the third inning that scored Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez and put the White Sox up 4-0. It was his 14th home run of the year. The first baseman now has homers in back-to-back games and has nearly matched his total of three home runs in July. Abreu has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball since the start of June and is continuing to perform well, going 4-for-13 for a .308 average to begin August.

Cronenworth went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, two total runs and three total RBI in Wednesday's 9-1 victory over Colorado.

Cronenworth was credited with an RBI as a result of being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first inning. He later accounted for the Padres' final runs with his two-run shot to right field in the fifth. Cronenworth reached base 11 times in 17 plate appearances while recording two homers and five RBI over the four-game set versus the Rockies.

Guerrero went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Rays.

All of a sudden, the 23-year-old slugger is a five-category threat. Guerrero has four steals on the season, and all of them have come in the last seven games. He also extended his hitting streak to 14 games with Wednesday's performance, a stretch in which he's batting .418 (23-for-55) with seven doubles, a homer, seven RBI and 13 runs.