MLB Player News

Winn is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game in Miami.

Winn will get his first day off of August while he's in the midst of a 1-for-14 slump at the plate. Thomas Saggese will receive a start at shortstop as the Cardinals go for the series sweep.

Ohtani will start as a pitcher and designated hitter in Wednesday's game against the Rockies but is expected to be out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani hasn't been given a rest day so far this season, though he did miss two contests in April while on the paternity list. The decision doesn't seem to have anything to do with the All-Star's performance at the plate -- he's reached base safely in 17 straight contests and has slashed .381/.506/.746 with six home runs, 10 RBI, 20 runs, four stolen bases and a 16:21 BB:K during that span. Rather, manager Dave Roberts may just want to make sure Ohtani doesn't wear down in the dog days of the summer, especially as the two-way star continues to pitch deeper into games when he takes the mound. Per Ardaya, the plan is for Ohtani to go five frames in his start Wednesday in Colorado. That evening game is followed by a day game Thursday, which also likely played into the decision to give Ohtani a breather. Will Smith is expected to get a day off his feet behind the plate and serve as the team's DH on Thursday.

Del Castillo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians.

Though his absence from the lineup against a left-handed starter (Parker Messick) doesn't come as a surprise, the left-handed-hitting Del Castillo was on the bench for two matchups against right-handed starters over the Diamondbacks' previous three contests. Del Castillo has slashed an underwhelming .232/.270/.391 with a 32.4 percent strikeout rate over 74 plate appearances since being called up from Triple-A Reno coming out of the All-Star break, and until he picks up the pace at the dish, he might have to settle for more of a part-time role.

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

After returning from the injured list Monday, the left-handed-hitting Smith was included in the lineup for the first two games of the series while the Guardians sent right-handed starters to the hill. With southpaw Parker Messick toeing the rubber for Cleveland in the finale, Smith will give way to the right-handed-hitting Tyler Locklear at first base. The two players could end up forming a loose platoon at the position over the final few weeks of the season.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Valdez (shoulder) will meet his surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, in Alabama later this month and could be cleared to resume hitting thereafter, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Valdez underwent season-ending surgery in May to address a dislocated left shoulder, but the Pirates anticipate that he'll be ready to play during winter ball. More specifically, Tomczyk suggested that Valdez could be fully cleared for game action by October, though that will hinge on how quickly the 26-year-old is able to advance through his hitting program. Valdez is a left-handed hitter but a right-handed thrower, so the surgery to his left shoulder is of greater concern to his long-term outlook at the plate rather than as a defender.

Jones (elbow) will meet with his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, in early September and could be cleared to begin a throwing program if all goes well during his checkup, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Nearly four months removed from surgery to repair a UCL tear in his right elbow, Jones thus far hasn't hit any snags in the early stages of his recovery and could soon take his first major step forward by beginning to play catch. At the time Jones' surgery was performed May 21, the Pirates estimated that he would be ready to pitch in games approximately 10-to-12 months later, so the right-hander would appear to have an outside chance of being ready for Opening Day in 2026. Jones' outlook for next season likely won't become clearer until spring training, when the Pirates should have an update regarding where he stands in his throwing program.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Cruz (concussion) has ramped up his activity over the last 24-to-48 hours but isn't yet ready to return from the 7-day injured list, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. "He's making progress and he's improving and he's feeling a lot better," Tomczyk said.

After landing on the IL last Wednesday, Cruz is now eligible to return at any point, but the 26-year-old looks like he'll still need a little more time to clear the concussion protocol. Jack Suwinski has received most of the starts in center field while Cruz has been on the shelf.

Bart is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Bart will yield to Henry Davis at catcher for the second day in a row after he had started both of the two games prior to that. Neither catcher has made much of a case offensively for more playing time, though Bart has put up an .846 OPS in a nine-game sample in August.

McCutchen is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

In what's becoming a regular occurrence since the All-Star break, McCutchen will get a breather for the day game after a night game. With McCutchen on the bench, Bryan Reynolds will serve as the Pirates' designated hitter.

Kiner-Falefa is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Blue Jays.

Kiner-Falefa will receive a day of rest after starting each of the previous eight games. The Pirates will shift Jared Triolo over to third base and install Liover Peguero at shortstop in Wednesday's series finale.