MLB Player News

Yastrzemski is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest in Milwaukee, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Giants are facing a right-hander in Aaron Civale, but the left-handed-hitting Yastrzemski will nonetheless begin the series finale on the bench. Jerar Encarnacion will occupy right field Thursday.

Carpenter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres.

After going 1-for-12 with a home run and three walks over a stretch of five starts in six games, Carpenter's time as the Cardinals' primary designated hitter looks to have come and gone. He finds himself on the bench for a third straight game Thursday, with the Cardinals having faced right-handed pitchers in each of those contests. Luken Baker now looks to be St. Louis' preferred option at DH.

The Giants designated Knapp for assignment Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Knapp served as the backup catcher behind Curt Casali while Patrick Bailey was on the 10-day injured list. With Bailey back in tow, Knapp will head to waivers.

The Giants activated Bailey (oblique) from the 10-day injured list. He'll start at catcher and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the Brewers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bailey missed the minimum 10 days with a strained oblique and will return without having gone on a rehab assignment. The switch-hitting catcher had been slashing just .057/.089/.075 in August prior to the injury. Andrew Knapp was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Joe went 3-for-4 with a solo home run two RBI and two walks Wednesday against the Cubs.

He got the start in right field in place of Bryan De La Cruz, and Joe delivered his second home run in his last three appearances. Though his playing time has come primarily against lefties, Rowdy Tellez (undisclosed) exited Wednesday's game early, and Joe would be the likely replacement if Tellez is out for an extended period.

Bednar (3-7) was charged with the loss and a blown save after he allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks across 0.2 innings Wednesday against the Cubs.

Bednar was tasked with protecting a two-run lead to begin the ninth inning. He allowed a trio of singles, the final of which was a two-run knock with the bases loaded. Since the start of August, Bednar has allowed at least one earned run in seven of his 11 appearances and a total of 13 earned runs across 10.2 frames. Aroldis Chapman was also hit hard Wednesday but has pitched better than Bednar in the second half, and he could be in line for save chances in the final month of the regular season.

Pages is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Padres.

Pages started Wednesday's contest but has now yielded to Ivan Herrera at catcher in three of five games since Herrera was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Playing time between the two should be split fairly evenly while Willson Contreras (finger) is on the shelf.

Baker will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Thursday's game versus the Padres.

Baker will make his third straight start at DH, which is especially notable given that all three have come against right-handers. He's also batted either third or fourth in each contest. The 27-year-old has produced back-to-back 30-homer seasons at Triple-A Memphis and could be worth a look in deeper leagues if the playing time sticks.

Betts went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Betts recorded an RBI single in the third before stealing second and eventually coming around to score on a three-run shot from Teoscar Hernandez. It marked the star utility man's second straight game with a steal, and he's now hit safely in four straight contests. Betts has also been a big run producer for the Dodgers as of late, racking up eight RBI over his last seven games while scoring three runs himself over that stretch. He's batting .276 in August with seven extra-base hits, 12 RBI and eight runs scored.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a homer, two stolen bases and three runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Ohtani crushed a hanging slider from Corbin Burnes to lead off the contest and added a single in his second trip to the plate before swiping his 41st bag of the season and eventually coming around to score for a second time. The superstar slugger has now tallied two hits in back-to-back games and in four of his last five overall. Over that latter stretch, he's batting .400 (8-for-20) with three homers, seven RBI, eight runs and three stolen bases. He's also scored at least one run in six straight contests.