MLB Player News

Noda went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in a loss to the Mariners on Wednesday.

Noda continued to operate out of the leadoff spot and snapped a 1-for-14 funk with his second multi-hit effort over the last six games. The 27-year-old came within a hair of his second multi-RBI tally in that same period on his seventh-inning flyout, but Esteury Ruiz was thrown out at the plate. Despite the recent brief skid, Noda has been in productive form overall since returning from a fractured jaw Aug. 21, producing a .273 average, .809 OPS and significantly improved 19.5 percent strikeout rate over the 10 games he's played since.

Vaughn went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 10-5 victory over Baltimore.

Vaughn took Kyle Gibson deep in his first at-bat, driving home Eloy Jimenez to bring the White Sox back within two runs of Baltimore. But the 25-year-old first baseman wasn't done there, driving home Jimenez yet again on a double in the very next inning to put Chicago on top 6-4. The home run was Vaughn's fourth this month and he's now recorded multiple hits in five of his last nine starts. On the downside, he's also drawn just two walks in August while striking out 23 times.

Encarnacion-Strand went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Giants.

The rookie provided the Cincinnati bullpen with some breathing room when he launched a two-run shot off Tyler Rogers in the eighth inning. Encarnacion-Strand hadn't had a multi-hit performance since Aug. 19 and hadn't homered since Aug. 18, but the more important streak he snapped dated back to Aug. 4 -- the last time he avoided striking out. He closes the books on the month having posted a .255/.324/.418 slash line with four homers, nine runs and 12 RBI in 27 games, but his 34.3 percent strikeout rate and 5.6 percent walk rate during that time highlight the biggest obstacle between his loud tools and consistent production.

Freeman went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, a double and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 7-0 win over the Diamondbacks.

Freeman's blast was his 25th of the season, making this the third time in six seasons he's reached that mark. Even by his lofty standards, the first baseman has had a good August, batting .375 with four homers, 16 doubles, 16 RBI, 22 runs scored and four stolen bases over 28 games. The impressive month has lifted his season slash line to .338/.413/.586 through 132 contests.

Torkelson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Yankees.

Torkelson went deep in the sixth inning against New York starter Gerrit Cole, giving him 24 home runs this season and nine in August alone. The youngster struck out in his other three at-bats, and he's striking out just under 25 percent of the time on the year. That will be an area for Torkelson to improve upon if he wants to take another step forward in 2024, though he's definitely shown signs of progress in his second MLB campaign.

Pratto (groin/hip) will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Omaha.

Pratto seems likely to return to the Royals' active major-league roster by early next week, assuming all goes well during his stint in the minors. The 24-year-old landed on the injured list July 28 with a left groin strain and encountered a bit of a hip issue last week, but he's ready now to get back into live games.

Gurriel will start at first base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Rays, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Gurriel will serve as the Marlins' first baseman for the second day in a row, essentially replacing Jorge Soler (hip) in the lineup while Josh Bell handles designated-hitter duties. Since the Marlins acquired Bell on Aug. 1, Gurriel has made just 10 starts and is hitting .162 with two extra-base hits (both doubles) over 37 at-bats on the month.

Abreu is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

Abreu has put together some good at-bats since being activated from the 10-day injured list exactly a week ago, as he's slashing .300/.391/.500 with a pair of extra-base hits and three walks against two strikeouts in his first five games back in action. He'll give way to Jon Singleton at first base in the day game after a night game, but Abreu still appears to be locked in as Houston's primary first baseman, despite enduring a career-worst season during his first year with the Astros.

Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Most of the lefty-hitting Smith's absences from the lineup typically come against left-handed pitching, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday against right-hander Chris Bassitt. With Smith taking a seat after starting in each of the past four games, Joey Meneses will serve as the Nationals' first baseman while Keibert Ruiz gets a day off behind the plate and settles in as the team's designated hitter.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said France (wrist) will be in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Athletics, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

France was removed from Tuesday's 3-1 loss after a ball struck his left wrist on a pickoff attempt. He's evidently feeling much better a day later and won't wind up missing any starts. France boasts an .868 OPS so far in August.