MLB Player News

Herrera is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Diamondbacks.

It's the first day off this season for Herrera, who has made 63 starts at designated hitter and 38 starts at catcher for the Cardinals this season. The 26-year-old is just 7-for-48 at the plate over his last 12 games. Alec Burleson is getting a start at DH, and Jimmy Crooks will do the catching for St. Louis.

Benintendi went 2-for-4 with two RBI on Wednesday against the Rangers.

Benintendi delivered RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings to help the White Sox to a win. Though that was his first multi-hit game in six starts since the All-Star break, Benintendi has six RBI and two runs scored in that span. He remains on pace to deliver his best season since joining Chicago, and he has a strong chance to top 70 runs driven in for the first time since 2021.

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Marlins.

Alvarez has hit safely in nine straight games, seven of which have been multi-hit efforts. He has gone 17-for-33 (.515) with five homers and 10 RBI in that span. The star slugger has been excellent throughout the campaign, batting .328 with a 1.089 OPS, 34 homers, 77 RBI, 69 runs scored, 20 doubles and one stolen base through 102 contests. If he stays healthy, he is tracking toward career-best marks in homers and RBI and should receive plenty of MVP buzz.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

The Rangers will keep Pederson on the bench for the second day in a row while the White Sox send another lefty starter (Anthony Kay) to the bump. Wyatt Langford will replace Pederson as the Rangers' designated hitter and leadoff batter.

Ohtani (knee) threw a bullpen session Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani threw 31 pitches in the session and used his entire repertoire. It's the first time he's thrown off the mound since having his left knee drained and treated with a cortisone shot over the All-Star break. The next step for Ohtani isn't clear, but it's expected to be a few weeks before he's ready to make a start on the mound. Ohtani will continue serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter.

Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Smith will retreat to the bench for the third game in a row, with his latter two absences coming while the Padres have sent right-handed starting pitchers to the hill. The 31-year-old has held down a strong-side platoon role for much of the season, but he's been squeezed for playing time in the wake of Mike Yastrzemski's return from the injured list. The lesser role comes while Smith has provided a poor .468 OPS over 13 games since the start of July, though he could still see at least semi-regular starts until Ronald Acuna (hamstring) completes his rehab assignment.

Soler is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Soler drove in two runs in Tuesday's win over the Cardinals, but he's put up a .472 OPS with no home runs across his last 18 games. The Angels will give Jo Adell a day at designated hitter, and Wade Meckler will grab a start in the outfield.

Suarez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

Suarez will receive a breather while the Reds wrap up their series in Seattle with a day game after a night game. Nathaniel Lowe will serve as the Reds' designated hitter Wednesday, while Ke'Bryan Hayes gets the nod at third base.

Polanco will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

Though he'll be included in the starting nine for the series finale, Polanco has cracked the Mets' lineup just three times in the last seven games. Since he's not yet cleared to play first base since making his return from a lengthy stay on the shelf due to Achilles and ankle injuries, Polanco will be limited to the DH spot. The Mets may be more inclined to rotate players at DH rather than leaning on Polanco as the primary option, especially while he's mustered a lowly .489 OPS through 21 games on the season.

Lowe went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Mariners.

Lowe homered for the third time over his last four games. He's added six RBI in that span. The first baseman could get a boost in playing time as long as Spencer Steer (ribs) is out of the lineup. Lowe is batting .249 with an .815 OPS, 12 homers, 31 RBI, 23 runs scored and 13 doubles over 235 plate appearances this season.