MLB Player News

Melendez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The left-handed-hitting Melendez will take a seat for the second time in the series while the Reds send another lefty (Andrew Abbott) to the bump. Eric Wagaman will step in for Melendez as the Mets' designated hitter and will bat seventh.

Eldridge went 1-for-4 with a double in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to Arizona.

Eldridge lined a double to right field in the second inning, marking his second two-bagger of the season. The 21-year-old struggled upon being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento, though he's been trending upward of late. He's recorded at least one hit in four of his last six games, slashing .286/.348/.381 with an RBI and a run scored across 23 plate appearances during that span.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani is on track make a start as a pitcher Wednesday against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, but the Dodgers haven't decided if Ohtani will hit during the game, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

While serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter in Tuesday's 15-6 win, Ohtani went 0-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and a run scored. After being struck on his right (pitching) hand during his plate appearance in the bottom of the fourth, Ohtani took his base but was removed from the contest the next time his turn in the batting order came up in the fifth. The Dodgers already held a nine-run lead at that point, and Roberts said afterward that Ohtani was merely removed as a precaution. Even so, while Ohtani shouldn't face any limitations with his workload as a pitcher, the Dodgers could still look to give him a break from hitting Wednesday. Ohtani has been included in the lineup for four of his first eight starts as a pitcher this season.

Schmitt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Schmitt made his impact early, going yard in the first inning and adding an RBI single in the third. Those were the only two runs the Giants produced against Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Schmitt has been an engine for run production lately, racking up six homers and 13 RBI over his last 10 games. He's now batting .298 with a .906 OPS, 12 long balls, 31 RBI, 26 runs scored, 10 doubles, one triple and three stolen bases over 47 contests. Schmitt has the ability to move around the diamond, but he has a clearer path to playing time in left field while Heliot Ramos (quadriceps) is on the mend. Schmitt has also seen time at first base, second base and designated hitter over the last week.

Del Castillo went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Giants.

Del Castillo hadn't gone yard since May 3 versus the Cubs. He hit a meager .136 over 16 games during the power drought, adding just six RBI and a 6:16 BB:K before his long ball Tuesday. For the season, the 26-year-old is hitting .191 with a .586 OPS, four homers, 19 RBI, eight runs scored and four doubles across 120 plate appearances. Del Castillo continues to play regularly versus right-handed pitchers, splitting his time between designated hitter and catcher, though he's done nothing to challenge for a spot higher in the order.

Suarez went 2-for-5 with a two-run double during the Reds' 7-2 win over the Mets on Tuesday.

Suarez got the Reds on the board early after his double to center field brought home both Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart. They were the first RBI that Suarez has recorded since he was activated from the 10-day IL on Friday, and he has logged two hits in back-to-back games.

Soto went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Reds on Tuesday.

Soto supplied the Mets' lone runs Tuesday, smacking a two-run homer off Chase Burns in the sixth inning. It was the 11th home run of the season for Soto, eight of which have come in May. Over his last 14 games, he has gone 17-for-49 (.347) with four steals, seven home runs and 13 RBI.

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

The Mets are sending a lefty (David Peterson) to the bump for the second game of the series, so the left-handed-hitting Lowe will retreat to the bench. Spencer Steer will cover first base in place of Lowe, who went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and a run in the Reds' 8-2 win Monday in the series opener.

Tena is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Guardians.

The left-handed-hitting Tena will hit the bench for the sixth time in seven games, this time taking a seat against Guardians lefty Joey Cantillo. Two of Tena's recent absences came against right-handed pitchers, perhaps signaling that the 25-year-old doesn't have a firm grip on a strong-side platoon role. The Nationals may be more inclined to give a look at Curtis Mead as an everyday player at third base; though he's done most of his damage against lefties this season, Mead started against a right-hander (Tanner Bibee) in Monday's 10-2 win over Cleveland and went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs.

Schwarber went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Monday's victory over San Diego.

Schwarber added to his MLB-leading home run total by launching a Griffin Canning changeup over the right-field wall for a solo shot in the first inning. The veteran slugger has been on an outrageous tear of late, crushing 10 homers across his past 14 games and showing little sign of slowing down. Overall, Schwarber is slashing .233/.354/.617 with 21 homers, 37 RBI, 35 runs and a stolen base across 51 contests.