MLB Player News

Martinez is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Orioles, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Martinez will get a breather after he went 2-for-9 with two RBI, a run scored and four strikeouts over the first two games of the series. Will Smith will slot in at designated hitter while Austin Barnes enters the lineup at catcher and bats ninth in the series finale with Baltimore.

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's 11-10 loss to San Francisco.

Encarnacion-Strand, who went 0-for-3 in his major-league debut Monday, homered as a pinch hitter for Jake Fraley to make his first MLB hit a special one. It gave the Reds an 8-7 lead, but they couldn't hold it. Encarnacion-Strand stayed in the game as the third baseman and singled in his next plate appearance.

Morel was scratched from the Cubs' lineup Tuesday against Washington due to neck tightness, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Miles Mastrobuoni will fill in at second base while Morel sits. Morel is still available off the bench, so his injury likely isn't too serious, and he should be considered day-to-day going forward.

Canha was added to the lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox.

Canha will cover right field and bat eighth in place of Starling Marte, who was scratched due to a migraine headache. It doesn't sound like Marte will be out long, though Canha has been seeing semi-regular playing time at other positions (left field, DH) as he continues to get on base at a decent clip.

Vogelbach is not in the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox.

DJ Stewart will serve as the Mets' designated hitter and bat ninth versus the White Sox and right-hander Lucas Giolito. Vogelbach carries a disappointing .223/.330/.349 batting line through 65 games (203 plate appearances) this season.

Harper will again serve as the Phillies' designated hitter Tuesday against the Brewers.

Harper's debut at first base has appeared imminent for a couple of weeks now, but the Phillies will hold off on that idea a little while longer. The 30-year-old has slashed .300/.395/.426 with four homers and six steals in 60 games this year, all out of the DH spot.

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

As usual, the lefty-hitting Pederson will retreat to the bench while the Giants oppose a southpaw (Brandon Williamson) in the series opener in Cincinnati. Michael Conforto will get a day out of the outfield and will replace Pederson as the Giants' designated hitter.

Encarnacion-Strand will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in his major-league debut Monday versus the Giants.

Encarnacion-Strand earned his long-awaited promotion after slashing .331/.405/.637 while clubbing 20 home runs in 316 plate appearances with Triple-A Louisville. He's capable of playing both corner infield spots and has a bit of experience in the outfield, too, but the 23-year-old might be best suited for DH.

The Reds selected Encarnacion-Strand's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Encarnacion-Strand earned his call-up after he had been one of the most productive power hitters in the upper levels of the minors this season, posting 20 home runs and slashing .331/.405/.637 in 316 plate appearances at Louisville. He kept his strikeout rate at any acceptable level (21.8 percent) and also got his feet wet at a few different positions, taking reps in both corner-outfield spots as well as first base and third base. The 23-year-old is still probably best suited for designated-hitter duties, though the versatility he displayed at Triple-A should help him pick up steady playing time in his first taste of the majors. Look for Encarnacion-Strand to be a mainstay in the lineup versus left-handed pitching, though he could be part of a rotation for the final spot in the starting nine versus right-handers while Cincinnati has all of its key hitters available.

Canha went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in Sunday's extra-inning win over the Dodgers.

He also got hit by a pitch. While he's no longer a regular member of the starting nine for the Mets, Canha continues to see a steady trickle of at-bats thanks to his on-base skills, and over his last 20 games he's slashing .225/.385/.375 with one of his six homers and three of his seven steals on the season.