MLB Player News

Donaldson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 13-1 loss to the Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLDS.

The home run was a solo blast in the fourth inning off of St. Louis starter Jack Flaherty, Donaldson's only long ball of the series. The 33-year-old went just 3-for-19 (.158) in the NLDS but enjoyed a terrific first year overall in the National League. Donaldson slashed .259/.379/.521 in 155 regular-season games with 37 homers and 94 RBI, proving he was past the injuries that plagued him throughout the 2018 season. Donaldson played on a one-year contract in 2019 and will once again be a free agent entering the offseason.

Donaldson will start in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Cardinals on Thursday, batting fourth.

The third baseman missed the final game of the season with a bruised left hip but is ready to go for Game 1 of the NLDS. Donaldson hit four home runs and 17 RBI over 22 games in September.

Riley will not be on the Braves' NLDS roster, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Riley came out of the gates hot but cooled off significantly, finishing his rookie season with a .226/.279/.471 slash line. The Braves wanted a left-handed bat off the bench, so Rafael Ortega was preferred over Riley.

Davis went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Braves in 11 innings.

Davis wraps up the campaign with 22 home runs and 55 extra-bases in total, with the production coming in just 453 plate appearances. The 26-year-old was a major liability in the field, but the Mets are probably willing to live with his shortcomings in that area moving forward if he can maintain his impeccable form at the dish. He supported his .307/.369/.527 slash line with a 47.7 percent hard-hit rate that placed him in the 93rd percentile of all players with at least 50 batted-ball events, lending some credence to the notion that his performance at the plate can be sustained.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a double in a loss to Arizona on Sunday.

Machado concluded his first year in San Diego by going 6-for-11 over his final three games. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old's season as a whole was mildly disappointing as his .256 batting average was the lowest of his career and his home run (32) and RBI (85) totals fell short of his 2018 marks. The Padres invested heavily in Machado last offseason and will undoubtedly be expecting a bounceback campaign in 2020.

Donaldson was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets due to a bruised left hip, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The issue stems from Donaldson getting hit by a Steven Matz pitch during Saturday's 3-0 loss. Donaldson doesn't look to be at any real risk of missing any games during the Braves' upcoming NLDS series that begins Thursday, so his removal from the lineup for the regular-season finale was probably precautionary more than anything. Adeiny Hechavarria will replace him at third base and bat fifth.

Donaldson was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The Braves haven't announced a reason behind Donaldson's removal, but his absence is presumably for maintenance purposes more than anything else with the postseason just days away. Assuming Atlanta doesn't summon Donaldson from the bench, he'll conclude his first season in the National League with a .259/.379/.521 slash line, 37 home runs, 96 runs, 94 RBI and four steals across 659 plate appearances.

Arenado (side) is not in Sunday's lineup against the Brewers.

As expected, he will be unable to make it back before the end of the regular season. Ryan McMahon is starting at third base and hitting cleanup.

Segura (ankle) is not in Sunday's lineup against the Marlins.

He will end up missing the final three games of the regular season with the ankle injury but is expected to have a normal offseason. Sean Rodriguez is starting at shortstop and batting eighth.

Rendon is not in Sunday's lineup against the Indians.

The Nationals have secured home-field advantage for Tuesday's Wild Card Game, so it makes sense that they would give their best position player a breather on the final day of the season. Wilmer Difo is starting at third base and hitting eighth.