MLB Player News

Riley (quadriceps) will start at third base and bat ninth Wednesday in Game 1 against the Reds.

We already knew that he was going to be in the Game 1 lineup, despite the fact he is not fully healthy. Riley will have his work cut out for him facing righty Trevor Bauer, who has held same-handed hitters to a .146/.205/.220 line this season.

Senzel is starting in center field and leading off Wednesday in Game 1 against the Braves.

Senzel hit .074 in 30 plate appearances against lefties this season, but he only struck out four times over that tiny sample, so the Reds are showing confidence in their young outfielder by starting him against southpaw Max Fried. "We're going with our best lineup, everything that's happened in the past is behind us," Bell told C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. "We knew Nick had a tough challenge this season, since then he's gotten more at-bats."

Vargas (hamstring) could be included on the Cubs' postseason roster, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Vargas was sidelined for the final week of the regular season, but manager David Ross said Tuesday that he could return for the postseason. If Vargas is included on the roster, he'd serve as middle-infield depth after slashing .196/.222/.314 with three RBI over 51 at-bats with the Diamondbacks, Twins and Cubs during the regular season.

Riley (quadriceps) isn't 100 percent but will be in the in lineup Wednesday against the Reds for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Quadriceps tightness has kept Riley off the field since Friday, the only time he's played in the past week. Given that we're now in the playoffs, however, teams will be more willing to risk players who are less than 100 percent, so it's no surprise that Riley is expected to play.

Hayes went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 8-6 loss to Cleveland.

Hayes gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead in the third inning with his fifth homer of the season. The 23-year-old hit safely in his last eight games, going 16-for-31 (.516) with three homers, eight runs scored and four RBI in that span. He ended the year with a .376/.442/.682 slash line across 95 plate appearances. Hayes figures to have a good chance at the starting job at third base in 2021.

Riley (quadriceps) is expected to return for the first game of the playoffs Wednesday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Riley was held out of the final two games of the regular season after aggravating his right quad Friday, but manager Brian Snitker said that Riley felt great during live batting practice Sunday. He should play third base as Atlanta takes on the Reds in the first round of the playoffs.

Davis is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.

With little at stake in the season finale, the Mets will hold out a few regulars for maintenance purposes, as Davis will be joined on the bench by Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil. Davis struggled down the stretch with a 2-for-28 showing at the plate over his last nine games, saddling him with a .249/.370/.392 slash line for the season heading into the finale. That's a 134-point drop in OPS from his career-best 2019 campaign.

Wisdom was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Sunday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs added their top pitching prospect, Brailyn Marquez, to the big-league squad and Wisdom was the roster casualty. Wisdom ended up spending just a couple days with Chicago, logging a pair of at-bats. He was previously DFA'd by the Mariners in August.

Hayes went 5-for-5 with three runs scored and three doubles in Saturday's 8-0 win over Cleveland.

Hayes scored in the first, third and fourth innings while reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. He added a single in the seventh and a double in the ninth to complete an impressive performance at the plate. Hayes has four homers, 16 runs scored, 10 RBI and a stolen base in 23 games as a rookie. He's added seven doubles and a pair of triples.

Davis isn't starting Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Davis went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts during Game 1 and will take a seat for the nightcap. Robinson Cano will serve as the designated hitter while Luis Guillorme starts at second base.