MLB Player News

Yelich is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.

The Mets are starting a left-hander in Zac Thornton, offering the Brewers a chance to get the lefty-swinging Yelich off his feet for a day. William Contreras will be used in the designated hitter spot, and Gary Sanchez will do the catching.

Smith is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Padres.

The veteran unsurprisingly remained on the bench Monday with lefty JP Sears taking the mound for San Diego, but Smith's absence Tuesday is coming against righty Walker Buehler. Mike Yastrzemski (elbow) is serving as the designated hitter in his return from the injured list.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Ohtani (knee) could throw a bullpen session as soon as this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani has not made a start on the mound since July 3 as he deals with nagging irritation in his left knee. He had the knee drained and was given a cortisone shot over the All-Star break but felt more soreness while playing catch this past weekend. Ohtani played catch again Monday and might be ready to throw off a mound in a few days, but it will be multiple weeks before he's ready to start a game on the bump for the Dodgers. The knee issue has not kept Ohtani from designated hitter duties, as he will make an 11th straight start Monday in Philadelphia.

Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Padres.

The left-handed-hitting Smith will hit the bench for the second time in four games since the All-Star break while Atlanta goes up against lefty JP Sears in the series opener. With Smith taking a seat, Drake Baldwin will get a day off from catching but will stay in the lineup at designated hitter.

The Padres placed Andujar on the 10-day injured list Monday with a fractured right wrist.

Andujar was struck by a Lucas Erceg pitch during Sunday's win over the Royals. He remained in that contest, but subsequent testing revealed a fracture. Andujar needs only a splint and not a cast, and the Padres expect him to return sometime in August, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. With Andujar shelved, the Padres could utilize Manny Machado in the designated hitter spot and Sung-Mun Song at third base. On Monday in Atlanta, the club has Xander Bogaerts at DH and Song at shortstop.

Del Castillo went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's 8-7 extra-inning win over the Cardinals.

Del Castillo made his first appearance since being recalled Saturday, serving as the designated hitter. An injury to Lourdes Gurriel (thigh) provides an opportunity for the left-handed batting Del Castillo to get platoon work at DH, although he was demoted earlier this month due to a lack of hitting.

Lowe went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 9-6 win over the Rockies.

Lowe wasted no time getting Cincinnati on the board, crushing a three-run homer off Ryan Feltner in his first plate appearance as part of a five-run opening inning. The blast was his 11th of the season, and after enduring a 28-game home run drought, he has now gone deep twice over his last three contests. Across 72 games this season, Lowe is slashing .249/.333/.473 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles, 30 RBI and 22 runs scored.

Eldridge went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Mariners.

Eldridge had no problems with the pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park over the weekend, going 4-for-12 with two homers during the three-game set in Seattle. His homer Sunday came in the first inning, and it was his 10th long ball of the season. He also logged the first steal of his career during the eighth inning. Eldridge is batting .275 with an .858 OPS, 23 RBI, 30 runs scored and 13 doubles across 57 contests.

Manager Dave Roberts said that "it's going to be some time" before Ohtani retakes the mound for the Dodgers, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

The two-way superstar was initially expected to make his first start on the mound after the All-Star break Wednesday in Philadelphia, but that plan was scrapped after he felt discomfort in his left knee while playing catch this weekend. Ohtani will continue to serve as Los Angeles' primary designated hitter, however, since the injury presents more problems while pitching due to the "torque of landing on that leg," per Roberts. Ohtani seems unlikely to pitch for at least the next couple weeks but is without an official timeline for his return to the bump.

Ohtani (knee) will not start this upcoming Wednesday against Philadelphia, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Ohtani's second-half pitching debut will have to wait a little longer, as the Dodgers want to be cautious and give his knee some more time to heal. Manager Dave Roberts expects Ohtani to return to the mound at some point this season but admitted Sunday that it is "going to be some time" before the two-way star is pitching again, per Harris. Despite his knee problems, the 31-year-old will continue to handle designated hitter duties, and he will make his ninth consecutive start Sunday against the Yankees.