MLB Player News

Reds manager David Bell said Senzel was withheld from the lineup for Sunday's series finale in Milwaukee to get more time off to work on his swing, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "We're going to take it one day at a time, but I did want to give him a step back in order to have some freedom to work on some things in the cage and then out on the field," Bell said of Senzel, who was one of two Reds players who took batting practice prior to Sunday's game.

Senzel, who also sat out Saturday's 5-1 loss, will get two days off to work on his swing while he endures a prolonged rough patch at the plate. Since the All-Star break, Senzel has hit .202 with a .505 OPS, numbers that have made it tough for the Reds to justify including him in the lineup on an everyday basis even in the midst of a non-contending season. Senzel still looks to have a hold on the Reds' everyday center-field gig for now, but he could lose work to Aristides Aquino and/or Stuart Fairchild down the stretch if his slump continues to linger into the upcoming week.

Muncy (knee) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Sunday's game against the Padres.

He'll step back into the starting nine for the series finale following a two-game hiatus due to a minor left knee injury. Muncy received an injection to alleviate pain in the knee, so it's possible the Dodgers limit him to a DH-only role for a few games to avoid a flareup down the stretch that might sideline him for a longer period of time.

Arenado is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Arenado is mired in a 6-for-34 (.176) slump, so he will get a day off after starting 14 straight games. Brendan Donovan will man the hot corner in Arenado's place.

Segura is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, according to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Segura has not sat much since returning from the injured list in early August, but he will get a day off after making 18 straight starts. Nick Maton will cover the keystone Sunday for the Phillies.

Escobar went 3-for-5 with one double, one homer, two RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 11-3 win over the Marlins.

Escobar gave the Mets the lead with an RBI double in the fourth inning and led off the seventh with a home run off righty reliever Jeff Brigham. The third baseman has been on a great run in his last eight games with a .500 average and 1.496 OPS in 32 plate appearances. After going 18 games without a home run, the 33-year-old has hit four in his last eight games.

Maton went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Saturday's win over the Nationals.

Maton homered with two out in the fifth off righty reliever Andres Machado to push Philadelphia's lead to four. The 25-year-old has now homered in back to back starts after struggling to find the lineup for most of the season. The utility man has been versatile in his few appearances, spending time at second base during seven games and in the outfield during 13 games.

Machado went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Saturday's loss to the Dodgers.

The Padres weren't able to muster much offense against their rivals until the ninth inning, but Machado provided some firepower with solo homers off Julio Urias in the third and sixth frames. The All-Star third baseman is up to 28 long balls on the campaign, matching his mark from last season. If he goes deep twice more in the regular season, Machado will notch his sixth career campaign of 30-plus homers, which would be his first since 2019.

Castro went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Cardinals.

Five of Castro's seven homers on the year have come in his last 17 games, including a first-inning solo shot Saturday. In that span, he's hit .242 (15-for-62) with eight RBI, six runs scored, a double, five walks and 25 strikeouts. The infielder is up to a .232/.295/.417 slash line with 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and four stolen bases, and it appears he has the inside lane over Kevin Newman for playing time at second base down the stretch.

Arenado went 1-for-5 with a three-run double in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Pirates.

Arenado hit a bases-clearing double in the ninth inning, providing enough offense for the Cardinals to get the win with their first lead of the game. The third baseman has been a bit sluggish at the plate in September, hitting .176 (6-for-34) with four RBI, three runs scored and two doubles. The slump has him down to a .298/.360/.548 slash line with 28 home runs, 93 RBI, 67 runs scored, four stolen bases and 38 doubles through 130 contests.

Muncy (knee) is expected to start at third base Sunday against the Padres, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Muncy has been dealing with knee issues recently and has been out since he received a cortisone injection Wednesday. While the Dodgers could afford to rest him for an extended period given their comfortable perch atop the National League standings, a longer absence evidently won't be necessary.