MLB Player News

Frazier is not in the lineup against the Cubs on Thursday.

Frazier will head to the bench with left-hander Jon Lester on the mound for Chicago. In his place, Josh Harrison will start at second base and bat sixth during the series finale.

Marte went 2-for-3 with a walk Wednesday in the Diamondbacks' 7-2 win over the Dodgers.

Looking to spark an offense that has been stagnant for much of September, manager Torey Lovullo went with a different leadoff man for the fourth consecutive game, appointing Marte to the table-setting role. In reaching base three times during the contest, Marte made a compelling case for an audition atop the lineup for the Diamondbacks' season-ending series against the Padres. It's unclear if Lovullo intends to use Marte as his leadoff hitter again, but at the very least, the second baseman will be at less risk of sitting out over the weekend compared to some of the other veteran regulars in the Arizona lineup.

Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to Arizona.

Hernandez entered the starting lineup at second base despite a right-handed starter taking the bump for the Diamondbacks. The 27-year-old's improved play against righties this season (.234/.321/.473) has elevated his role from platoon backup to super-utility man. Hernandez is slashing .242/.324/.456 overall with a career-best 21 homers over 442 plate appearances.

Marte went 3-for-4 with a home run, triple and three RBI in the Diamondbacks' 7-4 loss to the Dodgers on Monday.

Marte was the Diamondbacks' offensive star for the night, with his hit total representing nearly half of the team's output (seven) in the category. Unlike most of Arizona's hitters thus far during September, Marte has held his own at the dish with a .264/.322/.547 batting line on the month, which has included three home runs and 13 RBI in 19 games. As one of the few capable bats in the lineup at the moment and a young player on a long-term deal, Marte should see steady at-bats for the non-contending Diamondbacks during the final week of the season.

McNeil went 4-for-5 with a walk, RBI and stolen base Sunday in the Mets' 8-6 win over the Nationals.

As a 26-year-old who had logged only 18 games above the Double-A level prior to 2018, McNeil didn't have much cachet among prospect enthusiasts heading into the spring. The infielder opened some eyes, however, after delivering a .342/.411/.617 batting line between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, earning his first call to the big leagues in late July as a result. McNeil hasn't stopped hitting since joining the Mets, with Sunday's four-hit performance pushing his average up to .340 across his first 221 plate appearances in the majors. While a .369 BABIP has surely aided the average, McNeil's stellar contact skills -- he's struck out just 9.5 percent of the time -- have played an integral part in his success. In light of his stable playing time and hot bat, McNeil be worth keeping active in just about every format over the final week of the season.

Albies is not in the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Albies is one of five Braves to get a rest after Atlanta clinched the division Saturday. Ryan Flaherty starts at second base in his place.

Frazier will hit the bench Sunday against southpaw Wade Miley and the Brewers.

Frazier has been platooning with Josh Harrison at second base over the last 10 games. Harrison will get the start Sunday with the lefty on the mound.

McNeil will be on the bench Saturday against Washington.

McNeil sits after making nine straight starts, a stretch in which he hit .289 with a .799 OPS. Jack Reinheimer will play second base in his absence.

Albies went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's win over the Phillies.

Albies clubbed his 23rd home run of the year in the seventh inning off reliever Pat Neshek to fuel the Braves' eventual comeback win. Although Albies hasn't hit much in September (.219 average), he's still tied for second among all MLB second basemen in home runs (23) while leading in runs (103) and ranking second in doubles (39) at the position. The 21-year-old is hitting .267/.310/.460 with 70 RBI and 13 stolen bases on the year.

Frazier went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Royals.

His fifth-inning shot, Frazier's ninth homer of the year, provided the game-winning run for the Pirates as they try to breathe life into their dying playoff hopes. He's now hitting .281 through 16 games in September with two homers and eight RBI.