MLB Player News

De La Cruz will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks.

De La Cruz sits for just the second time since being called up in early June. He's been stuck in a slump since the break, going 2-for-31 with 15 strikeouts and dropping his OPS from .887 to .757. The arrival of Christian Encarnacion-Strand crowds the Reds' roster, and the team is in the thick of a playoff race, so De La Cruz will need to keep performing to remain in an everyday role down the stretch.

Swanson (heel) was activated off the 10-day injured list Saturday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Swanson hasn't played in a little over two weeks after bruising his heel in early July, but he's ready to go without a rehab assignment. The shortstop has had a fine first season in Chicago, slashing .258/.343/.409, though his four steals in 83 games are a disappointment from a fantasy perspective after he swiped a career-high 18 bags last season. It remains to be seen if the heel issue will have any lingering effects on his willingness to take off on the bases. Jared Young was optioned to clear space for Swanson's return.

McLain went 2-for-4 with a walk, a grand slam, a second run scored and a stolen base in Friday's 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks.

The rookie shortstop supplied the biggest blow on the night, driving a 100.9 mph fastball from Justin Martinez over the right-field fence in the fifth inning for McLain's first career grand slam. It's his ninth homer of the season and second in his last four games, and through his first 57 big-league contests he's slashing an impressive .301/.367/.519 with eight steals, 34 RBI and 44 runs.

Arcia went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Friday's win over Milwaukee.

Arcia went deep in the second inning for his 10th homer of the year. He's hit three long balls in the last four games after a nine-game drought. The All-Star shortstop is now slashing .291/.345/.448 with 22 extra-base hits and 34 RBI through 75 games.

Abrams went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a stolen base and a second run scored in the Nationals' win over the Giants on Friday.

Abrams entered the game with a .405/.450/.568 slash line in 42 plate appearances since moving into the leadoff spot July 7, and he only improved on that line by taking Alex Wood deep in the bottom of the second inning before adding a single in the bottom of the fifth. The quickly blossoming 22-year-old shortstop is up to nine homers and 19 steals in 88 games this season.

De La Cruz batted leadoff in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Giants, going 1-for-4 with a walk and a caught stealing.

De La Cruz was atop the order for a fourth straight game, all coming against right-handers. TJ Friedl had served in that role previously but was dropped to second behind the dynamic rookie. De La Cruz has slumped since the All-Star break, going 2-for-28 (.071) over seven games.

DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 7-2 win against the Cubs.

DeJong plated the final runs for the Cardinals in the contest with his two-run shot to right field in the fifth inning. The long ball ended an 18-game homerless stretch for the shortstop during which he knocked in just five runs. DeJong is batting just .238 on the season, though his 13 homers rank fourth on the team.

Edman (wrist) is scheduled to begin taking live at-bats early next week, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Edman is currently doing throwing and fielding work without issue, but the big test for his sore right wrist will be how it holds up against contact swings. The versatile 28-year-old has been on the shelf since July 7 and received an injection in the wrist over the All-Star break to aid the healing process. He could perhaps be activated late next week if there are no setbacks from this point forward.

Crawford said Thursday that he's already shown improvement and won't require a cortisone shot for his inflamed left knee, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford landed on the injured list Wednesday but may be sidelined for only the 10-day minimum, given that he seems to be making good progress in his recovery. Casey Schmitt is expected to serve as the Giants' primary shortstop for however long Crawford is on the shelf.

McLain is out of the lineup Thursday against the Giants.

It's a rare day off for the rookie infielder. The Reds are going with Elly De La Cruz at shortstop and Spencer Steer at third base for their matinee versus San Francisco.