MLB Player News

Church is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.

The Cardinals will send Church and fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Lars Nootbaar to the bench Wednesday while southpaw Reid Detmers toes the rubber for the Angels. Jose Fermin will take Church's spot in center field and will bat seventh.

Nootbaar is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.

The Cardinals will send Nootbaar and fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Nathan Church to the bench Wednesday while southpaw Reid Detmers toes the rubber for the Angels. Nelson Velazquez will take Nootbaar's spot in left field and will bat fifth.

Holmes (fibula) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Holmes is slated to throw three innings in what will be his first game appearance since he suffered a fractured right fibula in mid-May. Mets interim manager Andy Green noted that Holmes will likely require an additional rehab outing after Thursday, though it will depend on how the righty feels during and after his start with Syracuse. Holmes has posted a 2.39 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 45:18 K:BB through 52.2 innings this season and is a candidate to be traded at the deadline.

Early (elbow) threw off flat ground out to 120 feet Tuesday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Early had been playing catch out to 90 feet last week, so the left-hander has taken another step forward in his throwing program, albeit a marginal one. The southpaw remains without an official timeline to return from the 15-day injured list, after the Red Sox deactivated him July 1 due to left elbow inflammation.

The Athletics recalled Barnett from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Barnett is grabbing the roster spot vacated by the injured J.T. Ginn (finger). He's also a candidate to take Ginn's rotation spot even though all 13 of his appearances in the majors this season have been in relief. Barnett has made 10 starts in 2026 with Las Vegas, posting a 4.34 ERA and 42:26 K:BB over 45.2 frames.

The Athletics placed Ginn on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a blister on his right middle finger.

Though the injury appears to be a minor concern for Ginn that could allow him to return from the shelf when first eligible Aug. 3, it's nonetheless a frustrating development after he had delivered a gem of an outing his last time out Saturday. In that start, Ginn improved to 8-6 on the season and lowered his ERA to 3.46 and his WHIP to 1.22 while striking out seven batters and limiting the Nationals to one hit and three walks across 6.1 innings. The Athletics recalled righty Mason Barnett from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move, and he could be a candidate to enter the rotation the next time Ginn's turn comes up this weekend in Minnesota.

Lindor went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Tuesday's win over the Brewers.

The star shortstop's injury woes have been a big contributing factor in a lost season for the Mets, but Lindor is finally beginning to build some momentum at the plate. He's banged out seven hits in the last three games, and over 16 contests in July he's produced a .271/.358/.475 slash line with three doubles, three homers, eight runs and eight RBI.

Robert is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

The Mets will give Robert a breather for the matinee contest after he started in center field in the first two games in Milwaukee following his return from the 60-day injured list, going 1-for-9 with a solo home run and a 0:4 BB:K between those contests. Robert could get a day off or two per week coming off his lengthy stint on the shelf due to a back injury, but he should be essentially locked in as a near-everyday player now that he's healthy again.

Baty will start in right field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

With Juan Soto and Luis Robert resting for the series finale in Milwaukee, Baty will pick up a start in the outfield alongside A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge. Robert's return from the IL earlier this week looks like it could result in Baty fading into more of a part-time role, as the Mets already sent the 26-year-old to the bench against right-hander Brandon Sproat during Tuesday's 4-0 win. Baty has produced a palatable .273/.293/.436 slash line thus far in July, but he's still holding down an underwhelming .614 OPS over 340 plate appearances on the season.

Polanco will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

Though he'll be included in the starting nine for the series finale, Polanco has cracked the Mets' lineup just three times in the last seven games. Since he's not yet cleared to play first base since making his return from a lengthy stay on the shelf due to Achilles and ankle injuries, Polanco will be limited to the DH spot. The Mets may be more inclined to rotate players at DH rather than leaning on Polanco as the primary option, especially while he's mustered a lowly .489 OPS through 21 games on the season.