Baker went 0-for-2 with two walks, one RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Padres.

Baker is hitting just .133 over eight contests since he was recalled from Triple-A Memphis, but he has drawn six walks in that span. That gives him a .364 on-base percentage. Baker has added a home run, five RBI, two runs scored and a double across 22 plate appearances. He's taken over for Matt Carpenter as the Cardinals' preferred designated hitter versus right-handed pitchers, and as a right-handed batter, Baker has a good chance of sticking in the lineup versus southpaws as well.

Pederson is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Mets.

Lefty David Peterson is on the hill for the Mets, so the left-handed-hitting Pederson will begin the series finale on the bench. Randal Grichuk will serve as Arizona's designated hitter and will bat second.

Carpenter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres.

After going 1-for-12 with a home run and three walks over a stretch of five starts in six games, Carpenter's time as the Cardinals' primary designated hitter looks to have come and gone. He finds himself on the bench for a third straight game Thursday, with the Cardinals having faced right-handed pitchers in each of those contests. Luken Baker now looks to be St. Louis' preferred option at DH.

Baker will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Thursday's game versus the Padres.

Baker will make his third straight start at DH, which is especially notable given that all three have come against right-handers. He's also batted either third or fourth in each contest. The 27-year-old has produced back-to-back 30-homer seasons at Triple-A Memphis and could be worth a look in deeper leagues if the playing time sticks.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a homer, two stolen bases and three runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Ohtani crushed a hanging slider from Corbin Burnes to lead off the contest and added a single in his second trip to the plate before swiping his 41st bag of the season and eventually coming around to score for a second time. The superstar slugger has now tallied two hits in back-to-back games and in four of his last five overall. Over that latter stretch, he's batting .400 (8-for-20) with three homers, seven RBI, eight runs and three stolen bases. He's also scored at least one run in six straight contests.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Mets.

Pederson bopped a two-run home run in the third inning, his 21st long ball of the season. The lefty-swinging outfielder/DH has made a career out of mashing right-handers, posting a career .846 OPS off them, but Pederson has exceeded that mark in 2024 (.961).

Carpenter is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Padres.

Carpenter made five starts at designated hitter in a six-game stretch but has now been out of the lineup for two games in a row against righties. San Diego's starter Wednesday, Joe Musgrove, has reverse splits this season, which likely factored into Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol's decision to go with Luken Baker at DH.

McCutchen (knee) recently went through a full workout which included running the bases, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

McCutchen is eligible for activation from the 10-day injured list now and believes he's ready to return, but the Pirates are still discussing the next step for the veteran designated hitter. He's been out since mid-August with left knee inflammation.

Sanchez isn't in the Brewers' lineup for Tuesday's game against San Francisco.

Sanchez went 3-for-6 with a homer and five RBI during Milwaukee's previous series against the Athletics, and he'll now get a breather to open the Brewers' three-game set against the Giants. In his place, Jake Bauers will serve as the designated hitter and bat fourth.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.

Heading into Tuesday's game, Pederson has appeared in the last seven games, going 5-for-21 with a home run and seven walks. However, with left-hander Sean Manaea on the mound for the Mets, Pederson will begin the game on the bench. In his designated hitter spot, Randal Grichuk has the start and is batting fifth.