MLB Player News

Donovan is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Milwaukee.

Donovan will get the day off Sunday, opening up a start at second base for Jose Fermin. Since being reinstated from the injured list Sept. 12, Donovan is batting .321 with one home run, five runs and three RBI.

Arenado is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Milwaukee.

Arenado made five straight starts after being activated from the injured list Monday and went 5-for-20 (.250 average) with two doubles and six RBI over that stretch. Nolan Gorman will fill in for Arenado at third base Sunday.

Stewart entered Saturday's 6-3 win over the Cubs in the sixth inning to play first base and went 0-for-1 in his lone plate appearance.

Stewart entered the game when left fielder Austin Hays (back) was removed, and Spencer Steer moved from first base to left field. Stewart had been held out of the starting lineups Friday and Saturday, likely in deference to the hot-hitting Steer and the return of third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, who missed time with a back issue. The Hays injury could lead to opportunities for Stewart at first base, although manager Terry Francona has more options for left field than just Steer. Will Benson and Gavin Lux could also fill in.

McLean didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 5-3 extra-innings loss to the Nationals, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.

Errors by Juan Soto and Pete Alonso in the second inning helped put Mclean in a 3-0 hole before he was lifted after 92 pitches (59 strikes), but the Mets' offense got him off the hook for the loss before the game slipped away in the 11th. The rookie right-hander has yet to give up more than two earned runs in a big-league start, and through his first 42.2 innings he sports a 1.27 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 46:14 K:BB. Per Tim Britton of the Athletic, McLean lines up to make his final start of the regular season Thursday on the road against the Cubs, which would set him up to pitch in Game 1 of the playoffs, but first the Mets have to get there -- they're just one game up on the Reds for the final wild-card spot in the NL, with the Diamondbacks two games back.

Lile went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Mets.

The rookie outfielder's blast generated maximum drama and excitement, as he ripped a ball off the center-field fence in the top of the 11th inning that ricocheted away from Cedric Mullins and turned into a game-winning, inside-the-park homer. Lile has been on a stunning extra-base hit surge in September, and through 19 games on the month he's slashing .370/.425/.753 with two doubles, four home runs and an incredible seven triples. His 11 three-baggers on the season -- in only 330 plate appearances -- have tied the franchise record set by Denard Span in 2013.

Steer went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Cubs.

Whatever Steer did to overcome the neck spasms that forced him out the starting lineup for three games early this week seems to have worked. He's bashed four home runs over four contests since his return while driving in 10 runs. The Reds have won all four and sit one game out of the final wild-card spot in the NL. Steer is up to 21 home runs and 74 RBI over 139 games.

Poulin struck out one in a perfect 11th inning Saturday to record his first career save in a 5-3 win over the Mets. He struck out one.

After Daylen Lile broke open a 3-3 tie in the top of the 11th with an inside-the-park homer, Poulin got the call in the bottom of the frame to face the Mets' 9-1-2 hitters, which included Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. The rookie left-hander didn't flinch, firing seven of 12 pitches for strikes and getting Soto on a called strike three to end it. Jose Ferrer had worked the eighth and ninth just to get the game to extras, and Poulin isn't likely to get more closing chances this season, but through his first 22.2 MLB innings he's delivered a 2.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 23:11 K:BB with two wins and five holds in addition to Saturday's save.

Cavalli came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 5-3 extra-innings win over the Mets, allowing five hits and a walk over five scoreless innings. He struck out three.

The right-hander continues to provide effective innings in September. Cavalli has gone exactly five frames in four straight starts and hasn't served up a homer on the month, posting a 3.15 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 12:7 K:BB through 20 innings. The 27-year-old will look to keep building his case for a spot in the 2026 rotation in his final outing of the current campaign, which lines up to come at home next weekend against the White Sox.

McCann went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 4-3 win over Philadelphia.

McCann doubled in the game-tying run in the sixth inning before scoring the game-deciding run later in the frame. He's received an uptick in playing time behind the plate of late, which allows manager Torey Lovullo to use Gabriel Moreno as a designated hitter to get his bat into the lineup without wearing him down. McCann's hit safely in five of six starts since returning from back tightness Sept. 6, going 7-for-21 (.333) with two home runs and seven RBI in that span.

Vargas started at first base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Phillies.

Vargas delivered a two-out, run-scoring single in the sixth inning to plate the eventual game-winning run. Since Pavin Smith (quadriceps) and Tyler Locklear (elbow) landed on the injured list, Vargas has helped fill the void at first base, making five starts there in Arizona's last 11 games. He's hit safely in 10 of his last 11 appearances (nine starts), going 12-for-35 (.343) with one home run and eight RBI during that stretch.