MLB Player News

Alu isn't in the Nationals' lineup Saturday against Philadelphia, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

With left-hander Cristopher Sanchez starting on the bump for the Phillies, the lefty-hitting Alu will retreat to the dugout to begin Saturday's action. Michael Chavis will fill in at the keystone and bat eighth.

Hoerner went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Friday's loss to the Royals.

Hoerner batted second but still served as an effective tablesetter for the Cubs. The infielder has done a good job of that this season with a .345 on-base percentage, and when he gets on base, he typically likes to run. Hoerner has tallied a career-best 30 stolen bases so far, which has propelled his fantasy value.

Bae went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk in Friday's loss to the Twins.

Bae (ankle) returned to the lineup for the first time since July 1 and provided two hits for the punchless Bucs. When healthy, Bae has been a good source of speed with 20 steals. However, a slash line of .243/.307/.317 highlights the 24-year-old utility player's offensive limitations.

McNeil went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Friday's win over the Cardinals.

McNeil knocked an RBI single and later belted a three-run homer. Since the start of August, he's gone 21-for-71 (.296) with three long balls and 11 RBI. He's produced five multi-hit games during that span. McNeil improved his season slash line to .259/.331/.348 with 26 extra-base hits and 45 RBI through 503 plate appearances.

The Pirates reinstated Bae (ankle) from the injured list Friday.

Bae landed on the injured list with a left ankle injury in early July and will now return to the Pirates' lineup after missing a month and a half. The 24-year-old was able to get his bat going during his assignment, going 9-for-32 with a home run over nine games with Triple-A Indianapolis. However, with a .609 OPS in the majors this season, there's no guarantee Bae's hot streak carries over into the bigs. Jared Triolo was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Mathias, who had been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, has the transaction reversed and he has instead been placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Aug, 14 with a right shoulder strain, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 29-year-old utility man went 2-for-10 during his recent eight-day stint with San Francisco. Mathias is on his fourth organization of the year, having been DFA'd by the Rangers and Pirates earlier in 2023 and spending July at the Triple-A level with the Mariners before being acquired by the Giants.

Marte is not in Thursday's lineup against the Padres.

Marte is hitting .151 with two home runs in 53 at-bats this month. Arizona will deploy both of its shortstops for Thursday's contest, with Geraldo Perdomo manning the keystone.

Gorman (back) is scheduled to receive a pain-killing injection Thursday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Gorman was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Aug. 14, with a lower-back strain. The second baseman has been dealing with ongoing back discomfort since late July. The injection was going to keep him sidelined for at least the next three days, so the Cardinals opted to put him on the IL and bring up Richie Palacios. It's possible Gorman could return when first eligible Aug. 25 in Philadelphia.

Gorman was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Aug. 14, with a lower-back strain.

Gorman has been dealing with off-and-on back discomfort since late July and will now get an extended period of rest. He leaves behind an .815 OPS with 24 home runs and 67 RBI in 104 games on the year. Jose Fermin and Taylor Motter will likely share time at second base for the Cardinals while Gorman is on the shelf.

Alu is out of the lineup again Thursday against the Red Sox.

Michael Chavis will start at second base and bat sixth as the Nationals take on another left-hander in Chris Sale. Alu has slashed just .235/.273/.314 across his first 55 major-league plate appearances and will probably continue to sit versus southpaws.