De La Cruz went 1-for-4 with a grand slam home run in Friday's 8-4 win over Minnesota.

De La Cruz broke open a close game in the seventh inning with the slam, his first as a major leaguer, and his 24th home run of the season. The dynamic De La Cruz has managed to make an impact this month despite batting .205 over 12 games. During that stretch, he has seven walks, five extra-base hits, eight RBI, three stolen bases and seven runs scored.

Saggese went 1-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Friday's 4-3 extra-innings loss to the Blue Jays.

Saggese picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice in the first inning. He then lifted his first major-league homer off former Cardinals reliever Genesis Cabrera in the eighth. Through four games with the big club, Saggese has gone 3-for-16 with three RBI and three runs scored. This was the third game in a row he's started at second base, and Brendan Donovan has played in left field for two of those contests -- there could be room for both players in the lineup down the stretch, at the expense of corner outfielders Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker.

Sosa (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Back spasms have kept Sosa on the injured list since Sunday, though he has already been cleared to participate in minor-league games. Assuming everything goes smoothly in Triple-A, it seems the 28-year-old has a good chance of returning to Philadelphia once eligible Tuesday.

Lindor was removed from Friday's game versus the Phillies with lower-back soreness.

Lindor went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored before his back forced him out of the game in the seventh inning. It's unclear how severe his injury is, but Eddy Alvarez could be in line to start at shortstop if Lindor needs to sit out Saturday's contest.

An MRI on Friday revealed no structural damage to Fitzgerald's lower back, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Fitzgerald left in the third inning of Thursday's game against the Brewers due to lower-back tightness, an issue that had flared up during pre-game workouts. Imaging didn't reveal anything serious, and the 25-year-old is listed as day-to-day. Fitzgerald is not in the Giants' lineup Friday against the Padres, and Brett Wisely will start at shortstop and bat eighth, per Rubin.

McLain (shoulder/rib) is unlikely to return before the end of the season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Manager David Bell noted Friday that McLain has started swinging a bat again, but there simply aren't enough games left on the schedule for him to realistically rejoin the Reds. The 25-year-old infielder has been held out of action all season while recovering from shoulder surgery and a stress reaction in his rib cage, and it now seems he'll turn his focus to getting ready for spring training.

The Nationals scratched Abrams from the lineup Friday against Miami due to left shoulder soreness, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Abrams made a diving play during Thursday's game and tweaked his left shoulder. He was slated to bat leadoff and play shortstop prior to being scratched. Nasim Nunez will enter the lineup in place of Abrams, but will bat ninth. Abrams will likely undergo further testing, but the injury doesn't seem to be significant at this point.

Fitzgerald does not believe the back injury he suffered against the Brewers Thursday is serious, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Fitzgerald said his back started to lock up in pre-game workouts and got worse before he was ultimately pulled in the third inning. The 26-year-old will undergo imaging Friday and seems likely to sit for the series opener versus the Padres, but he said he's dealt with similar issues previously without major concern.

Fitzgerald exited Thursday's game against Milwaukee due to lower-back tightness, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Fitzgerald left the game in the third inning after going 0-for-1 in his lone plate appearance. The severity of the injury is currently unclear, so he should be considered day-to-day heading into Friday's series opener versus the Padres.

Saggese went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 6-1 win over the Reds.

Saggese had nothing to show for through his first two games, going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts. He was finally able to check off some accomplishments Thursday, which included an RBI single in the eighth inning. The infield prospect flexed some power with Triple-A Memphis this year, hitting 20 home runs while slashing .253/.313/.438 across 125 contests prior to his call-up to the majors. Saggese will serve as infield depth during his time in the majors, though it's unclear if he'll stay up with the big club through the end of the regular season. The Cardinals are six games out of a wild-card spot, so it makes sense for them to give one of their top prospects an audition down the stretch.