MLB Player News

Pederson is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Pederson takes a seat after homering and drawing a pair of walks while also being hit by a pitch against Arizona on Friday. The left-handed hitter was hit in the hand, so it's possible his absence is related to that occurrence. Wilmer Flores will be the designated hitter and hit second against Zac Gallen and the Diamondbacks.

McCutchen will sit Saturday against the Orioles, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

McCutchen has been managed carefully by the Pirates this season, spending most of his time as the designated hitter while getting frequent off days. The plan seems to be working, as he's hitting .248/.362/.478. His .840 OPS is his best mark since 2017, the final year of his previous stint in Pittsburgh. Miguel Andujar will be the designated hitter in his absence.

Carpenter is not in Saturday's lineup against the Dodgers.

With lefty Julio Urias starting for the Dodgers, Nelson Cruz is starting at designated hitter and batting fifth. Carpenter hasn't started against a lefty since April 25.

Blackmon is not in Saturday's lineup against the Phillies.

Blackmon sometimes sits against southpaws, and that will be the case in this one with Ranger Suarez on the hill for the Phillies. Kris Bryant is at designated hitter while Brenton Doyle gets the start in the outfield.

Canha will sit Saturday against the Nationals.

Canha hasn't been particularly productive at the plate this season, hitting .218/.294/.361 in 35 games. Jeff McNeil will move out to left field Saturday, with Luis Guillorme starting at second base.

Rooker will sit Saturday against the Rangers.

Rooker hit a walk-off three-run homer Friday, raising his season slash line to .319/.428/.673. His reward will be a day off, with JJ Bleday getting the start in left field while Jordan Diaz serves as the designated hitter.

Buxton will sit Saturday against the Cubs.

Buxton has exclusively served as the designated hitter this season, but the plan has enabledhim to start nearly every day. He'll hit the bench Saturday after starting 14 consecutive games, with Alex Kirilloff getting the chance to rest his legs in the DH spot. Buxton has gone hitless in seven straight games, so the Twins will hope the off day helps him reset at the plate.

Pederson went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run, two walks and an additional run scored in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Pederson opened the scoring with a two-out blast in the first inning. The 31-year-old has gone 3-for-9 with two homers, three RBI, four runs scored and four walks over his last four games. For the season, he's slashing .235/.351/.494 with five long balls, 18 RBI, 12 runs scored, four doubles and a triple through 97 plate appearances as a strong-side platoon option. He's played exclusively at designated hitter this season.

Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk Friday against the White Sox.

Alvarez added an insurance run with his ninth-inning homer, his ninth long ball of the season. He's shown plenty of power of late, going deep in back-to-back games and five times in his last 15 starts. Unsurprisingly, he has an impressive .408 wOBA and 164 wRC+ to go along with 35 RBI across 32 games this season.

Rooker went 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run home run in Friday's 9-7 victory over the Rangers.

Rooker ended the game with a walkoff homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, which was the first of his career. The outfielder/designated hitter now leads MLB with a 1.100 OPS, and is one of the few bright spots on a struggling Athletics team. The 28-year-old is also tied for fourth in the league with 11 home runs.