MLB Player News

Encarnacion-Strand is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Brewers.

Jake Fraley will serve as the Reds' designated hitter and Joey Votto will cover first base versus the Brewers and ace right-hander Corbin Burnes. Encarnacion-Strand went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Monday's loss to Milwaukee and is slashing .269/.296/.385 through his first 27 major-league plate appearances.

McCutchen went 1-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored in Monday's 8-4 win over the Padres.

McCutchen's steal was his 10th of the season, his most thefts since 2018. The 36-year-old has hit safely in six of his seven games since the All-Star break, going 6-for-23 (.261) with five walks in that span. He's slashing .268/.384/.415 with 10 home runs, 28 RBI and 43 runs scored over 81 contests. With Carlos Santana and Ji-Man Choi competing for first base, McCutchen doesn't have a hold on an everyday role at designated hitter.

Martinez (hamstring) should be available off the bench to hit Monday against the Blue Jays, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Martinez isn't in the starting nine Monday due to tightness in his left hamstring, but he's expected to return to action Tuesday. Skipper Dave Roberts indicated before the first game of the series that Martinez might also be able to pinch hit if needed. The team will likely have another update on the slugger's status prior to Tuesday's clash.

Winker is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.

Winker has now sat out three times in the last five games, with all three of those absences coming against right-handed pitching. The 30-year-old has been a strict platoon player all season, but his underwhelming .557 OPS in 183 plate appearances versus righties looks as though it's beginning to cost him playing time. Since Winker offers little defensive value as a corner outfielder, he could wind up being a roster casualty if he doesn't show dramatic improvement with his hitting. Winker is on an $8.25 million salary for 2023 but is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Pederson will take a seat for the second day in a row while the Giants face a left-handed starter (Tarik Skubal) in the makeup game with Detroit. Despite not starting in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Nationals, Pederson accounted for the Giants' only run of the day when he slugged a seventh-inning pinch-hit home run, his 10th of the season.

Pederson went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Nationals.

Pederson was responsible for the Giants' lone run in Sunday's loss with an opposite-field homer off Amos Willingham in the seventh inning after pinch-hitting for David Villar. It's been a rough July overall for Pederson, who's gone 9-for-47 in 17 games this month, though he now has two homers and four extra-base hits in his last three contests. Overall, the 31-year-old Pederson is slashing .244/.368/.457 with 10 homers, 35 RBI and 38 runs scored through 239 plate appearances this season.

Blackmon (hand) took dry swings on the field Sunday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Though he hasn't been cleared to face pitching, Blackmon seems to be gradually regaining strength in his fractured right hand. As Harding notes, Blackmon had previously been limited to taking swings with his right hand controlling the bat, but he was able to use both hands to swing through the air Sunday. The Rockies don't have a timeline for Blackmon's return from the 10-day injured list and probably won't until he's ready to take live batting practice, but those holding him in fantasy leagues probably shouldn't count on him being activated until August.

Manager Dave Roberts said Martinez (hamstring) won't be in the lineup Monday against the Blue Jays, but the slugger is expected to return to action Tuesday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Martinez was a late scratch Sunday due to tightness in his left hamstring, but there's apparently not much concern over the injury since Roberts also said an MRI won't be necessary. The 35-year-old has swung a hot bat out of the All-Star break, as he's hitting .345 with two homers and 11 RBI through seven games.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

The Red Sox are bringing a lefty opener (Brennan Bernardino) to the hill for the series finale, so the lefty-hitting Vogelbach will bow out of the starting nine. Rookie Mark Vientos will replace Vogelbach as the Mets' designated hitter.

Martinez was scratched from the lineup Sunday at Texas due to left hamstring tightness, Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA reports.

Martinez was penciled in at designated hitter Sunday, per usual, but the hamstring issue will force him to the bench. Will Smith was poised for a full off day but will instead bat third as the designated hitter.