MLB Player News

Pederson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.

The Giants will roll out a right-handed-heavy lineup to counter Atlanta southpaw Max Fried, leaving no room in the starting nine for Pederson. Triple-A Sacramento call-up Luis Matos will serve as the Giants' starting left fielder while Pederson heads to the bench.

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Saturday's loss to the Blue Jays.

One night after his first career walk-off homer, Encarnacion-Strand notched the first steal of his young career, serving as the trail runner in a ninth-inning double steal. Considering he stole just two bases in 67 minor-league games this year, it's unlikely that the 23-year-old will have the green light on the basepaths. Encarnacion-Strand has now hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, boasting a .278/.366/.528 slash line with three homers, six RBI, four runs scored and a steal across 41 plate appearances during that stretch. However, the rookie's 36.6 percent strikeout rate during that same time frame certainly causes some concern.

McCutchen went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and five RBI in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Twins.

McCutchen delivered a pair of big hits, including a two-run double in the sixth inning and a three-run home run three frames later. The long ball was his first since June 30, a span of 27 games. Powered primarily by a hot start to the season, McCutchen has a 114 wRC+ and .342 wOBA across 419 plate appearances on the campaign.

Blackmon went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and two runs scored Saturday against the White Sox.

Blackmon has a hit in each of his five starts since returning from a hand injury, and his long ball in the seventh inning was his second extra-base hit in that span. All five of those contests have taken place at Coors Field, though Blackmon has still successfully returned to the field following a two-month absence. He should continue to be a source of runs scored and a decent batting average down the stretch as he remains locked into the leadoff role in Colorado.

Martinez isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Marlins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez went 1-for-3 in his return to the lineup Friday and will sit out Game 1, allowing Will Smith to serve as the DH and Austin Barnes to start behind the plate. Assuming Martinez's nagging groin injury isn't an issue, the 35-year-old slugger will likely return for the nightcap.

Blackmon went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI on Friday against the White Sox.

Blackmon has at least one hit in all four games since returning from a hand injury, and he's reached base multiple times in each of his three starts. The Rockies have plenty of candidates for at-bats between designated hitter and the outfield, though Blackmon still looks to be in line for a consistent role and has occupied the leadoff spot upon his activation.

Martinez (groin) went 1-for-3 in Friday's 11-3 loss to the Marlins.

Martinez has dealt with a groin/hamstring issue that's bothered him for much of the month, leading to multiple absences. With a doubleheader on tap Saturday, it wouldn't be surprising to see him only play in one of the two games. He's gone 4-for-17 (.235) in August while managing the issue, dropping his slash line for the year to .259/.312/.552 through 91 contests.

Soler went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs, an additional run scored and a walk in Friday's 11-3 win over the Dodgers.

Soler took Tony Gonsolin deep on the second pitch of the game and then repeated the feat with a leadoff blast in the third. Through 15 games in August, Soler's racked up seven homers and 11 RBI while primarily hitting out of the leadoff spot versus right-handed pitchers. He's up to a .245/.335/.515 slash line with 32 long balls, 67 RBI, 67 runs scored, 20 doubles and a stolen base through 116 contests. His career high of 48 homers from 2019 is likely out of reach, but he's still had an impressive year in the power department.

Encarnacion-Strand went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the ninth inning of Friday's 1-0 win over the Blue Jays.

The Reds and Blue Jays were locked in a scoreless tie with one out in the bottom of the ninth when Jordan Hicks hung a slider, and Encarnacion-Strand launched it 411 feet for the game's only run. It was the first walk-off hit in the 23-year-old's career, and Encarnacion-Strand now has four home runs in his first 28 big-league contests.

Martinez (groin) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter Friday against the Marlins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez was a late scratch from Thursday's game against Milwaukee, but he'll return after just a one-game absence. The 35-year-old has been in a bit of a slump recently, slashing just .214/.353/.357 since the start of August.