MLB Player News

Donovan is not in the lineup Tuesday versus the Twins.

Donovan still can't throw due to a flexor strain and Jordan Walker is taking a turn as the Cardinals' designated hitter Tuesday against Minnesota. Taylor Motter will play second base with Nolan Gorman (back) also still sidelined.

Gorman (back) is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins.

Gorman was scratched from Sunday's series finale against the Cubs due to back tightness and isn't ready to return even after Monday's scheduled team off day. Taylor Motter will start at second base for the Cardinals on Tuesday as Jordan Walker takes a turn as the designated hitter.

Alu is starting at third base and batting eighth Tuesday against the Brewers.

Alu will be making his first career start at third base, after his other four starts with Washington this season came in left field. The utility man was called up Monday after the Nationals traded Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs. Alu was slashing .298/.360/.428 with five home runs and 16 steals through 74 games this season at Triple-A Rochester and could get an extended look with the big club over the final two months of the 2023 campaign.

Marte went 1-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 4-3 extra-innings win over the Giants.

Marte did not get the ball out of the infield in his first four at-bats, but the second baseman salvaged the night with a run-scoring double in the top of the 11th inning to plate the game-winning run. He's hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games, going 17-for-43 (.395) with a double, three triples, two home runs, six RBI, seven walks and seven runs scored.

Rodgers (shoulder) went 1-for-4 in Monday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Padres.

Rodgers missed four months of the campaign while recovering from a shoulder injury. He got the nod at designated hitter Monday, though he should also eventually enter the mix for playing time at second base, which has primarily been Harold Castro's position lately. Rodgers slashed .266/.325/.408 with 13 home runs over 137 contests last season, so he should provide some modest pop and on-base skills if he can work his way into an everyday role.

The Nationals recalled Alu from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

After the Nationals traded Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs on Monday, they will bring up Alu to fill the active roster. He is just 3-for-14 with a stolen base across five games in the majors this season, and Washington will have plenty of at-bats available for players like Alu over the final two months.

Estrada (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Estrada resumed hitting and fielding drills last week, and he's now set to return to game action in the minors. Assuming all goes well on the farm, Estrada should return to the Giants' lineup within a few days. The 27-year-old was slashing .179/.238/.231 in his last 10 games before getting injured.

The Giants recalled Diaz from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

With Mike Yastrzemski (hamstring) headed to the injured list, Diaz will come up from the minors to give the Giants another bat on their bench. Diaz is slashing .250/.337/.511 across 104 plate appearances in the minors, but has had very limited success throughout his career in the big leagues.

Mathias was traded from the Mariners to the Giants on Monday along with designated hitter AJ Pollock and cash for a player to be named later, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Mathias was claimed off waivers by the Mariners on July 2 and AJ Pollock might be seen as a negative value contract, so there likely won't be a notable prospect headed back to Seattle. Mathias, who turns 29 on Wednesday, is a career .249/.323/.402 hitter with six home runs and seven steals in 68 big-league games. He'll likely report to the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento.

Kim (shoulder) is leading off and serving as the designated hitter Monday in Colorado.

He exited Sunday's game with a jammed right shoulder but won't miss any further time with the issue, although he'll be spared from his defensive duties Monday. Kim is slashing .341/.451/.553 with five home runs, eight steals and more walks (15) than strikeouts (14) in 85 at-bats this month.