MLB Player News

Bichette (leg/ankle) will start at third base and bat third Thursday against the Phillies.

Bichette got a break from starting during the Mets' final series of the first half, giving him a chance to recover from general leg and ankle soreness. After getting three additional days off thanks to the All-Star break, the 28-year-old is now ready to return to the starting nine. With just a .676 OPS through 96 games, Bichette is on track for one of the worst seasons of his career. However, since the beginning of June, he's turned things around with a .315/.342/.490 slash line over 155 plate appearances.

Machado went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 5-4 win over Toronto.

Machado collected three singles, with his RBI knock in the eighth frame tying the game at 4-4. Jase Bowen entered as a pinch runner for Machado and scored the game-winning run. The 34-year-old will head into the All-Star break swinging a hot bat, slashing .291/.381/.500 with five homers, 12 RBI, eight runs and a stolen base over his past 15 contests. Overall, he sports a .203/.290/.418 line with 19 homers, 55 RBI, 46 runs and two stolen bases across 93 games this season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Sunday that Hamilton (hamstring) will miss "a couple series" following the All-Star break, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

After landing on the injured list Tuesday due to a left hamstring strain, Hamilton will end up needing more than the minimum 10 days to heal up from the injury. Murphy's comments indicate that the speedy infielder will remain out for the Brewers' first six games of the second half, and it's unclear whether Hamilton will need a rehab assignment before making his return from the shelf. Joey Ortiz will likely receive the bulk of the reps at third base while Hamilton is stuck on the IL.

Bregman went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, an additional run scored and four total RBI in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Reds.

Bregman goes into the All-Star break with home runs on consecutive days to give himself a little momentum after a mostly uneven first half of the season. The veteran third baseman is batting .241 with a .695 OPS, nine long balls and 41 RBI across 94 contests. During his career, Bregman's best two months by OPS are August and July, so he could be primed for continued success after the break.

Bichette (leg/ankle) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

Just as interim manager Andy Green hinted would be the case, Bichette will hit the bench for the Mets' final game before the All-Star break while he contends with general leg and right ankle soreness. In Bichette's absence, Zack Short will draw a third straight start in the New York infield. Bichette walked in a pinch-hitting appearance during Saturday's 4-0 loss and should be available off the bench again Sunday, setting the stage for his likely to return to the starting nine immediately following the All-Star break.

Mead is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.

Mead will be given a break for the series finale after he started seven straight games while going 11-for-28 (.393) with two home runs, one stolen base, four RBI and three runs. Washington will go with Jorbit Vivas at third base in Mead's stead.

Bregman went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in a 5-3 win against the Reds on Saturday.

Bregman made a huge impact with his lone hit, as he launched a two-run homer to left field in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie. That ended up being the decisive knock, as neither team scored for the remainder of the game. Bregman entered Saturday in an 0-for-11, three-game skid, and he's had a subpar first half of the campaign, slashing .236/.333/.345 with eight homers, 43 runs, 37 RBI and two stolen bases through 93 contests.

Arenado went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a second run scored in Saturday's 9-2 win over the Dodgers.

Arenado has gone deep four times over his last 11 games. He's batting .282 (11-for-39) with six RBI in that span. The third baseman is up to a .243 average, .731 OPS, 12 homers, 39 RBI, 44 runs scored, 16 doubles and three stolen bases over 89 contests this season.

The Pirates optioned Brannigan to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.

Brannigan struck out in his lone plate appearance after getting called up from Triple-A on Tuesday, and he'll now return to the minors in order to make room for new acquisition Jacob Gonzalez. Brannigan, 25, has slashed .219/.341/.478 in 213 plate appearances across all five levels of Pittsburgh's farm system this season.

Mets interim manager Andy Green said Saturday that Bichette is dealing with soreness in his legs and his right ankle, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Bichette's soreness helps to explain why he has been left out of the starting lineup since the Mets began their series against Boston. Green noted that Bichette is available off the bench, but the 28-year-old infielder may also sit out Sunday's game to give him more time to fully "reset" ahead of the second half. If that ends up being the case, Zack Short would be likely to pick up another start in the infield.