MLB Player News

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres.

McCutchen will receive a breather after serving as Pittsburgh's designated hitter for 12 straight games, slashing .298/.377/.511 during that stretch. The Pirates will give Joey Bart a day off from catching and deploy him as the DH in place of McCutchen.

Alvarez (hand) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox, though manager Joe Espada said the slugger is feeling better and isn't expected to require medical imaging, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez was scratched from Saturday's starting nine due to inflammation in his right hand, and he'll sit for a second consecutive game in Chicago. The 27-year-old doesn't appear to be dealing with a serious injury, though the fact medical imaging hasn't been completely ruled out could indicate Alvarez will miss another game or two after Sunday.

Sheets is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

The left-handed-hitting Sheets will remain on the bench for the second day in a row while the Pirates send another lefty (Andrew Heaney) to the bump. Luis Campusano will replace Sheets as the Padres' designated hitter.

Rice is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.

After starting each of the last four games while going 4-for-17 with two solo home runs, a double and two additional runs, Rice looks to be getting a routine breather for the series finale versus Tampa Bay. Rice's absence from the lineup will open up a spot in the starting nine for Trent Grisham, who will cover center field while Cody Bellinger slides over to right field and Aaron Judge serves as the Yankees' designated hitter.

Steer went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 11-6 loss to Washington.

He struggled at the beginning of the season while able to serve only as a designated hitter due to a shoulder issue, but since Steer has been cleared for defensive duties, his bat has come alive. Prior to April 20, Steer had a .390 OPS with three RBI over 15 games. Since then, he has an .851 OPS with eight RBI over 12 games.

Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two additional runs and a walk in a 10-3 win against Atlanta on Saturday.

Ohtani broke a 1-1 tie with a 415-foot solo homer to center field in the third inning. He reached base three other times in the rout and pushed his league-leading runs-scored total to 35. Ohtani's role as Los Angeles' leadoff hitter has been a factor in his accumulation of just 11 RBI so far this season, but the two-way star has otherwise been excellent with a .293/.396/.569 slash line while maintaining a 40-40 pace with eight homers and nine stolen bases through 31 games.

Devers went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Minnesota.

Devers got the Red Sox on the board in the third inning with an RBI single to center field, and he tacked on another run in the seventh following a 72-minute rain delay. Devers' strikeout issues at the start the season are a distant memory, as the 28-year-old has driven in at least one run in nine of his past 11 games. Over that span, Devers has gone 15-for-44 (.341) with nine runs scored, three home runs and 11 RBI.

Bell isn't starting Saturday against the Reds due to a groin issue, but he could be available to pinch hit, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

It doesn't sound like the Nationals are very concerned about Bell's injury, as Nusbaum notes that the team is "being careful" due to wet weather conditions. The veteran slugger's potential availability to pinch hit also suggests he isn't dealing with a serious issue. With Bell out of his customary DH role Saturday, James Wood is getting a day out of the field as the designated hitter while Alex Call is getting a start in left field.

Sheets isn't in the Padres' lineup for Saturday's matchup versus Pittsburgh.

The lefty-hitting Sheets will begin Saturday's game on the bench with Pittsburgh sending southpaw Bailey Falter to the mound. Sheets has just 10 at-bats against left-handed pitchers this season, going 2-for-10 with a double, an RBI, a walk and four strikeouts. With Sheets out of the lineup, Luis Campusano -- who was called up from Triple-A earlier in the day -- is getting a turn at DH.

Alvarez was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the White Sox due to inflammation in his right hand, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez said his hand didn't feel right after hitting in the cages before the game, so the Astros will hold him out of action Saturday. The team will presumably take him in for imaging to see if he's dealing with any structural damage, and an update on his status should come in the near future. In the meantime, Victor Caratini will fill in as Houston's designated hitter and bat sixth.