MLB Player News

Church is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

The Cardinals will keep the left-handed hitter on the bench for the second time in the series while the Phillies send another southpaw starter to the bump in Cristopher Sanchez. Jose Fermin will replace Church in center field and bat seventh.

Crooks is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

The left-handed hitter will take a seat for the second time in the series while the Phillies send another southpaw to the hill in Cristopher Sanchez. Pedro Pages will handle catching duties Sunday in place of Crooks while Ivan Herrera is the DH.

Hentges (1-6) took the loss and was charged with a blown save Saturday against the Red Sox, allowing two earned runs on two hits and an intentional walk across one-third of an inning. He also hit a batter.

Hentges entered in the ninth inning with a runner on first base and plunked the first batter he faced. The 30-year-old southpaw went on to give up a single and a double before Boston won on a fielder's choice. Hentges owns a 3.56 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 33:23 K:BB across 30.1 innings this season.

The Marlins recalled Ralston from Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday.

The right-hander was added to Miami's 40-man roster in early August, and he's now on the cusp of making his major-league debut. Ralston has enjoyed a strong season for the Jumbo Shrimp with a 2.04 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 76:30 K:BB across 61.2 innings out of the bullpen.

Abrams (ankle) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Abrams will miss out on a fourth straight start after he sprained his left ankle late in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Rangers. The 25-year-old should continue to be considered day-to-day for now, but a stint on the injured list could be considered if he misses more time. Jose Tena will pick up another start at second base for the Nationals Sunday.

Winn (thumb) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn will be on the bench for a fourth straight contest while he contends with a sore left thumb, which stemmed from a hard slide into a base during Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Reds. The 24-year-old was able to make a pinch-hitting appearance Thursday and served as a late-inning defensive replacement Friday, so the Cardinals are seemingly hopeful that Winn will be ready to return to the starting nine after another day of rest coupled with Monday's team off day.

The Cardinals reinstated Urias (elbows) from the 60-day injured list Sunday. He'll start at second base and will bat eighth in the team's series finale in Philadelphia.

The veteran infielder has been sidelined by tennis elbow in both arms since early May, with a hit-by-pitch in late July prolonging his absence. Urias doesn't have a clear path to regular playing time, though he could benefit from Masyn Winn's thumb injury, which will keep Winn on the bench Sunday for a fourth straight game.

The Cardinals placed Pereira on the 10-day injured list Sunday due to a left hand contusion.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals initially feared that Pereira broke his left hand when he was hit by a fastball in the eighth inning Friday, but X-rays came back negative. The outfielder will still need to miss at least the next week and a half while he recovers from a bruised hand. His move to the shelf clears room on the active roster for infielder Ramon Urias (elbows), who was reinstated from the 60-day IL on Sunday.

Arraez (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

The Phillies will give Arraez the day off after he made an early exit in Saturday's 12-3 win due to cramping near his hamstring. Interim manager Don Mattingly hasn't suggested that Arraez is dealing with anything more serious, so the 29-year-old is trending toward a return to the lineup Monday in Seattle. Bryson Stott will get the nod at second base while Arraez sits for the first time since the Phillies acquired him from the Giants on Aug. 3.

Atlanta recalled Hicklen from Triple-A Gwinnett to serve as the 27th player for Sunday's Little League Classic against the Brewers.

After playing the first two games of the series in Milwaukee, the two clubs will head to Williamsport for the finale, so they'll each get an extra player for the contest. Hicklen was up with Atlanta for a couple weeks in July and performed well in his limited opportunities, going 7-for-23 with four walks, four doubles, three RBI and five runs in eight games.