MLB Player News

Villar is starting at third base and hitting sixth Thursday against the Brewers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Villar was not originally in the lineup but will draw his 11th consecutive start after Wilmer Flores (calf) was scratched. Villar has maintained a .258/.385/.452 line across 39 plate appearances this season.

McNeil (personal) was reinstated from the paternity list Thursday and will start in left field and bat fifth in his return to the lineup for the Mets' series finale with the Cubs.

McNeil rejoined the Mets in Chicago after he missed the entire three-game series in Atlanta while observing the birth of his child. Though he'll be filling in for a resting Mark Canha in Thursday's contest, McNeil is expected to see most of his opportunities at second base moving forward, especially with Starling Marte (groin) back in the lineup in right field following a four-game absence.

Gorman is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Gorman started the past seven games and will head to the bench after posting a .154/.241/.308 slash line with a 34.5 percent strikeout rate during that stretch. Brendan Donovan, who's been out the past few days with a non-COVID illness, will start at the keystone and bat eighth.

Donovan (illness) is starting at second base and batting eighth Thursday versus the Dodgers, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Donovan has been held out since Saturday due to a non-COVID-19 illness, but he'll return to the starting nine for Thursday's series finale. The 25-year-old has struggled through nine games in July, going 5-for-32 with three walks.

McNeil (personal) will be activated from the paternity list ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Cubs, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

McNeil will return to action after missing three contests while observing the birth of his son. Since the beginning of July, the 30-year-old has struggled to a .219 average with two doubles, two RBI and five runs, but he'll look to turn that around in the Mets' final series ahead of the All-Star break as they take on the Cubs in a four-game set.

Marte was caught stealing to end the first inning of Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Giants.

This was Marte's first attempted steal since returning from a hamstring injury June 21. The hamstring continues to be bothersome and has recently limited him to DH duty, but the attempted swipe suggests Marte is feeling better.

Marte went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Giants.

Marte took Sam Long yard in the third inning to record his seventh home run of the season. He returned to the lineup after getting Tuesday to allow an extra day of rest for his lingering hamstring injury. The issue has caused him to serve as Arizona's designated hitter exclusively since June 21. In 18 games since, Marte has managed a .268 average with three home runs, six RBI and 10 runs scored. Overall, Marte owns a .269/.363/.444 line across 322 plate appearances for the season.

Gonzales (heel) has shed his walking boot, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Gonzales progressed well since landing in a walking boot in late June and will now be able to ramp up his recovery process. The 23-year-old is slated to head to the Pirates' extended spring training facility in Florida soon to continue rehabbing.

Chavis is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

Chavis had started in six of the Pirates' last seven games, but he largely benefited from Pittsburgh facing a lefty-heavy schedule. With right-hander Pablo Lopez on the mound for the Marlins, the righty-hitting Chavis will retreat to the bench. Yoshi Tsutsugo, Daniel Vogelbach and Kevin Newman should serve as Pittsburgh's primary starters at first base, designated hitter and second base, respectively, closing off Chavis' three main paths to a full-time role.

Donovan (illness) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

Though Donovan rejoined the Cardinals earlier this week, he'll sit out his fifth straight contest while he works to regain conditioning following a bout with a non-COVID-19-related illness. The rookie's continued absence will open up spots in the corner outfield for Corey Dickerson and Lars Nootbaar on Wednesday.