MLB Player News

Martinez (hamstring) is out of the lineup again Thursday versus the Athletics.

Martinez has been sidelined since Sunday due to lingering left hamstring tightness, but imaging scans taken this week showed no structural damage, and he is expected to avoid the injured list. Will Smith will take a turn as the Dodgers' designated hitter Thursday as Austin Barnes handles the catching duties.

Arizona optioned Lewis to Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

This move frees up a 26-man roster spot for Tommy Pham, who was acquired from the Mets ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline and will officially report to the Diamondbacks ahead of Thursday's series finale in San Francisco. Lewis has batted just .182/.229/.303 in 35 plate appearances this season at the major-league level.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup again Thursday versus the Royals.

Vogelbach sat Wednesday with the Royals throwing a lefty, and he'll remain on the bench Thursday as right-hander Brady Singer readies to toe the slab for Kansas City. Mark Vientos is serving as the Mets' designated hitter and batting sixth.

Soler went 1-for-6 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 9-8 extra-innings win over the Phillies.

With the Marlins down by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Soler crushed a 98.8-mph sinker from Gregory Soto to right-center field to tie the game at 5-5, setting the stage for a wild finish. The 31-year-old slugger was ice cold coming out of the All-Star break, batting .136 (6-for-44) in 11 games with a 36.7 percent strikeout rate, but he's now hit safely in five straight and gone yard in two of the last three contests while fanning only four times. On the season, Soler's up to 26 homers and 57 RBI through 104 games with an .825 OPS, which would be his highest mark since 2019 when he launched 48 homers for the Royals.

Morel went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 16-6 win over the Reds.

Morel hit a two-run shot in the third inning, his 17th home run of the season, and added another RBI on his 12th double. Despite the Cubs' acquisition of Jeimer Candelario at the trade deadline, Morel has stuck in the lineup, serving as the designated hitter each of the last two nights. With Candelario slotting in at first base, Cody Bellinger figures to play mostly in center, with Mike Tauchman also in the mix. Morel's playing time should be secure if he keeps delivering at the plate like he's done all season long.

Martinez (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Wednesday versus the Athletics.

Martinez has been sidelined all this week due to left hamstring tightness, though he said Tuesday that he believes he will be able to avoid the injured list. Chris Taylor is serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter Wednesday and batting sixth.

Vogelbach is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Vogelbach is 3-for-12 with a home run and a walk over his past four games, but he'll take a seat Wednesday with lefty Cole Ragans pitching for Kansas City. Pete Alonso will rest his legs as the designated hitter while Mark Vientos starts at first base.

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-5 with two RBI in Tuesday's 20-9 loss to the Cubs.

Encarnacion-Strand bounced back from his first stretch of adversity in the majors. After a five-game stretch in which the 23-year-old went 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts, Encarnacion-Strand has four hits, three RBI and a run scored without striking out in his last two games.

Martinez (hamstring) is absent from the lineup Tuesday versus Oakland.

Martinez made an early exit from Sunday's series finale against the Reds due to left hamstring tightness. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, the results of which have not yet been made available. Chris Taylor is serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter Tuesday.

The Pirates traded Choi and Rich Hill to the Padres on Tuesday in exchange for Alfonso Rivas, Jackson Wolf and Estuar Suero, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

San Diego has been giving regular starts at DH to the backup catcher (Luis Campusano) since letting Nelson Cruz go, and Choi will provide an upgrade versus right-handed pitching. While Choi has mostly struggled this season, he is a career .246/.351/.459 hitter against right-handers.