MLB Player News

Martinez isn't in the Dodgers' lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with the Marlins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez went 1-for-3 in his return to the lineup Friday and will sit out Game 1, allowing Will Smith to serve as the DH and Austin Barnes to start behind the plate. Assuming Martinez's nagging groin injury isn't an issue, the 35-year-old slugger will likely return for the nightcap.

Blackmon went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI on Friday against the White Sox.

Blackmon has at least one hit in all four games since returning from a hand injury, and he's reached base multiple times in each of his three starts. The Rockies have plenty of candidates for at-bats between designated hitter and the outfield, though Blackmon still looks to be in line for a consistent role and has occupied the leadoff spot upon his activation.

Martinez (groin) went 1-for-3 in Friday's 11-3 loss to the Marlins.

Martinez has dealt with a groin/hamstring issue that's bothered him for much of the month, leading to multiple absences. With a doubleheader on tap Saturday, it wouldn't be surprising to see him only play in one of the two games. He's gone 4-for-17 (.235) in August while managing the issue, dropping his slash line for the year to .259/.312/.552 through 91 contests.

Soler went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs, an additional run scored and a walk in Friday's 11-3 win over the Dodgers.

Soler took Tony Gonsolin deep on the second pitch of the game and then repeated the feat with a leadoff blast in the third. Through 15 games in August, Soler's racked up seven homers and 11 RBI while primarily hitting out of the leadoff spot versus right-handed pitchers. He's up to a .245/.335/.515 slash line with 32 long balls, 67 RBI, 67 runs scored, 20 doubles and a stolen base through 116 contests. His career high of 48 homers from 2019 is likely out of reach, but he's still had an impressive year in the power department.

Encarnacion-Strand went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in the ninth inning of Friday's 1-0 win over the Blue Jays.

The Reds and Blue Jays were locked in a scoreless tie with one out in the bottom of the ninth when Jordan Hicks hung a slider, and Encarnacion-Strand launched it 411 feet for the game's only run. It was the first walk-off hit in the 23-year-old's career, and Encarnacion-Strand now has four home runs in his first 28 big-league contests.

Martinez (groin) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter Friday against the Marlins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez was a late scratch from Thursday's game against Milwaukee, but he'll return after just a one-game absence. The 35-year-old has been in a bit of a slump recently, slashing just .214/.353/.357 since the start of August.

McCutchen isn't in the Pirates' lineup Friday against the Twins.

McCutchen has gone 0-for-12 at the plate across his last four games, so he'll get a break Friday in order to regroup. Bryan Reynolds will take over as Pittsburgh's designated hitter and Ji Hwan Bae will move to the outfield in McCutchen's absence, allowing Liover Peguero to start at second base while batting seventh.

Vogelbach isn't in the Mets' lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

After a 1-for-4 effort in Thursday's series opener, Vogelbach will step out of the lineup against left-hander Zack Thompson. Brandon Nimmo will fill in as New York's DH, allowing Tim Locastro to start in left field and bat second.

Meneses went 2-for-5 with two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Red Sox.

Meneses put the Nationals on top 3-1 with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning and added another two-run double in the sixth to further extend the lead. The first baseman racked up a career-high five RBI on the afternoon and raised his batting average to .283 on the season. Meneses has now recorded multiple hits in two straight games and three of his last four, scoring six runs over that stretch to go along with his five RBI on Thursday.

Martinez (groin) was a late scratch from the lineup Thursday versus the Brewers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Martinez was originally set to be in the lineup for the series finale, but he will now be on the bench. Martinez has been dealing with a hamstring/groin injury for multiple weeks, and it appears to have flared up again. Will Smith will take over at designated hitter and bat cleanup against Milwaukee.