MLB Player News

Mack isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Padres.

Mack will get a breather after hitting a home run in Friday's contest to extend his hitting streak to four games. Liam Hicks will handle catching duties with Mack on the bench.

Early (elbow) threw an inning in a bullpen session Friday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Early, who had played catch out to 120 feet earlier in the week, added a bullpen session to his rehab progression. The left-hander also added pitchers' fielding practice to his list of activities. The next steps for Early will be a two-inning session in the bullpen followed by live batting practice. A short rehab assignment is anticipated.

Duran started at third base and went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Friday's 5-4 win over Seattle.

Duran made a second consecutive start at third base, while Josh Jung tends to a sore calf. The injury was not considered serious when Jung left Tuesday's game, but the Rangers held him out of Wednesday's game, figuring he'd be ready to go after Thursday's off day. He tested the injury Friday, per Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com, and was unable to go full speed. Wilson added the Rangers will probably need to make a decision about placing Jung on the injured list Saturday. However it plays out, Duran is expected to fill in at third base for as long as needed. He's hit safely in four straight games.

Gordon struck out two batters and allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk across 5.2 innings of relief in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Reds.

After coming off the injured list June 30, Gordon made each of his three appearances as a starter prior to the All-Star break, logging a 6.60 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in 15 innings across those outings. However, with Tomoyuki Sugano getting cleared to return from the IL to begin the second half, Gordon has since shifted back to the bullpen. He ended up mopping up Sunday behind started Ryan Feltner, who took the loss after being rocked for eight earned runs across 2.1 innings.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Dodgers.

The 24-year-old backstop supplied the Mets' last gasp of offense on the night when he took Evan Phillips deep in the eighth inning. Alvarez is up to 12 homers on the season, and three of them have come in five games since the All-Star break. Over 123 plate appearances since returning from knee surgery in early June, Alvarez has produced a .274/.333/.504 slash line with eight home runs, 11 runs scored and 16 RBI.

Gilbert went 2-for-2 with a walk in Friday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Angels.

Gilbert lined a single to center field in the second inning and added another base hit in the fourth. The 25-year-old outfielder delivered his first multi-hit performance since July 5 and is now batting .256 with five RBI, three runs scored and a home run in 47 plate appearances on the month. He's slashing .233/.316/.357 with 23 runs scored, 21 RBI and four long balls across 239 plate appearances this season.

Eldridge went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and a double in Friday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Angels.

Eldridge drew a walk in the first inning before coming around to score, and he hit a ground-rule double in the third before adding another run. The 21-year-old has now logged three doubles across 18 outings in July, batting .242 with nine runs scored, seven RBI, four home runs and a stolen base in 77 plate appearances this month. Overall, he's slashing .266/.363/.472 with 32 runs scored, 23 RBI, 10 long balls and a stolen base across 248 plate appearances this season.

Robert went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Dodgers.

The center fielder took Roki Sasaki deep in the second inning to give the Mets an early lead, although they couldn't make it hold up in an eventual 4-2 loss. It was Robert's fourth homer of the year, and his second in four games since coming off the IL following a nearly three-month absence due to back issues. The 28-year-old's checkered injury history and lack of consistent production limit his value despite the impressive physical tools he possesses when he's fully healthy, but Robert is still a player New York will likely try to move at the trade deadline.

Sears is no longer listed as the starting pitcher for Saturday's game against Miami.

Randy Vasquez will step in as San Diego's starter, but because he hasn't pitched more than three innings since June 27, Sears may still end up working in bulk relief Saturday. The 30-year-old lefty turned in one of his best outings of the season during his last appearance, allowing two runs (one earned) in five innings against Atlanta on Monday.

Soto (calf) will undergo imaging Saturday after being removed from Friday's game early, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports. "This has nagged him for a week," interim manager Andy Green said after Friday's contest. "Anytime you get an image, you're concerned."

The superstar outfielder has been dealing with a sore left calf since the first game following the All-Star break and has mostly played DH during that time while also getting Wednesday off, but that hasn't been enough to clear up the issue. Soto also missed time with a calf strain earlier this season, but that was his right calf, not his left. Over 17 games in July, Soto has managed a .218/.405/.436 slash line in 74 plate appearances with four homers, eight runs and 13 RBI.