MLB Player News

Madris will sit Saturday against Baltimore.

Madris had started six straight games, including three at first base, though he grabbed just one hit over that stretch. Josh VanMeter will be the first baseman Saturday.

Canha will sit for the afternoon portion of Saturday's doubleheader against Atlanta.

Canha finds himself on the bench for the fourth time in five games, all of which have come against righties. Tyler Naquin starts against right-hander Jake Odorizzi in this contest, but Canha should return to left field against southpaw Max Fried in the nightcap.

Ozuna will sit for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Mets.

Ozuna has struggled to a .152/.176/.273 line across his last eight games, dropping his OPS on the season down to .670. Travis d'Arnaud will serve as the designated hitter for the afternoon game, but Ozuna should return for the nightcap.

Canha will sit Friday against Atlanta.

The Mets' outfield got more crowded after the team added Tyler Naquin in late July, and it looks like that may be having a larger impact on Canha's playing time than previously expected. The last four games have all come against righties, and it's been Naquin getting the start in left field in three of them. Canha's .270/.366/.375 slash line remains strong, and he's not in any sort of significant slump, but his fantasy appeal may take a hit if he continues to find himself on the bench several times a week.

Vogelbach went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-4 win over Atlanta.

Vogelbach went back-to-back with Pete Alonso in the third inning. With a homer in each of the last two games, Vogelbach is starting to flex his power for the Mets. He's gone 10-for-30 (.333) in 10 contests since he was traded from the Pirates. For the season, the 29-year-old slugger is slashing .240/.354/.449 with 14 homers, 39 RBI, 33 runs scored and 12 doubles in 85 games between the two teams.

Harper (thumb) said Thursday he hopes to return from the injured list sometime in September, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Harper has been sidelined since undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left thumb in late June, and he's been hesitant to put a timeline on his return from the 10-day IL other than suggesting that he intends to play again in 2022. As Lauber notes, Harper had the pins removed from his left thumb Monday, and he was able to begin a throwing program Wednesday after the time on the shelf had allowed him to heal up from the torn ligament in his right elbow that had limited him to designated-hitter duties since mid-April. Harper looks like he'll have a chance to complete his throwing program and resume an everyday role in right field once he's activated, but he'll still likely require a few weeks to ramp back up from both the elbow injury and thumb surgery.

Meneses is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Phillies.

Meneses started at first base in the final two games of the Nationals' series with the Mets and went 1-for-8 with a solo home run, but he was merely keeping a seat warm in the lineup for Luke Voit, who was acquired in Tuesday's blockbuster deal that saw Juan Soto and Josh Bell go to San Diego. Voit has joined the Nationals in Philadelphia and will make his team debut Thursday at first base, taking over the everyday role that briefly belonged to Meneses. Unless Nelson Cruz's neck issue forces him to the injured list and the Nationals are in need of a new designated hitter, Meneses doesn't look like he'll have a path to playing regularly in Washington.

Canha isn't starting Thursday against Atlanta.

Canha is out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games after he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Wednesday. Tyler Naquin will take his place in left field and bat seventh.

Pederson (concussion) is expected to be activated from the 7-day injured list Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Pederson landed on the concussion IL on July 29, and he'll rejoin the active roster Saturday after being sidelined for the 7-day minimum. The 30-year-old struggled in his first eight appearances out of the All-Star break, going 2-for-18 with a double, a walk and six strikeouts.

Mercedes will serve as San Francisco's designated hitter and No. 4 batter in Thursday's game against the Dodgers.

Despite going 1-for-11 in the first three games of the series, Mercedes will get another look as the Giants' DH in the finale. It's worth noting that the Giants faced four lefty starters in the series, so the righty-hitting Mercedes should still be viewed as a short-side platoon player.