MLB Player News

Pederson is out of the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the Dodgers' World Series matchup with the Rays, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

As per usual, the lefty-hitting Pederson will take a seat with a southpaw (Blake Snell) on the mound for the opposition. Enrique Hernandez enters the lineup in his stead, batting eighth and manning second base, while Chris Taylor shifts to Pederson's usual post in left field. Pederson struck out in both of his at-bats Tuesday in the Dodgers' 8-3 win in Game 1.

Choi will sit for Game 1 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Tuesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The Rays' smart usage of platoons has gotten them this far, and they won't change plans now. Yandy Diaz starts over Choi at first base with the left-handed Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Dodgers.

Pederson will sit for Game 6 of the NLCS against Atlanta on Saturday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

As usual, Pederson will sit with southpaw (Max Fried) on the mound for the opposition. A.J. Pollock will be the left fielder, with Will Smith remaining in the lineup as a designated hitter even with Austin Barnes starting behind the plate.

Choi is not in the lineup for Game 6 of the ALCS against the Astros on Friday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi went 2-for-2 with a solo homer and two walks during Thursday's Game 5 defeat, and he'll take a seat with lefty Framber Valdez starting for Houston in Game 6. Yandy Diaz receives the start at first bay Friday for the Rays.

Ozuna went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, three runs and four RBI during Thursday's Game 4 win over the Dodgers.

The 29-year-old hit a solo homer during the fourth inning and his RBI double during the sixth gave the Braves a 3-1 lead while chasing starter Clayton Kershaw. Ozuna is 11-for-40 with three homers, three doubles, 10 RBI and 14 strikeouts through nine playoff games as the Braves are one win away from advancing to the World Series.

Choi went 2-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run in the Rays' Game 5 loss to the Astros on Thursday.

The 29-year-old's second homer of the postseason was a big one as it knotted the game at 1-1 in the eighth inning, though Tampa Bay would ultimately fall short. Choi figures to find himself on the bench against lefty Framber Valdez for Game 6, just like he was for Game 1.

Brantley underwent an X-ray after fouling a ball off his foot Wednesday but is in the lineup Thursday for Game 5 of the ALCS against the Rays, batting second as the designated hitter, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Brantley left Wednesday's game due to the incident, though his removal was evidently precautionary. The veteran is hitting .341/.413/.610 with three homers in 10 games this postseason, so the Astros will certainly be happy to have him available.

Pederson went 4-for-6 with a three-run homer in Wednesday's NLCS Game 3 win against Atlanta.

Pederson's three-run shot off Kyle Wright in the first inning accounted for a small fraction of the 11 runs the Dodgers would score in that frame. He's now hitting .467/.500/.667 in six games this postseason.

Alvarez (knees) posted a video Wednesday on his personal Instagram account featuring him running on an anti-gravity treadmill, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Neither the Astros nor Alvarez have issued a formal update on where he stands in his recovery from Aug. 28 arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees, but his ability to do some running -- albeit with mechanical aid -- is seemingly encouraging. Alvarez is expected to make a full recovery from the procedures and should be ready to go for spring training, though the Astros may abandon the idea of the 23-year-old handling even part-time duty at first base or in the corner outfield in 2021 as a means of preserving his health. He's thus slated to enter the upcoming season as a utility-only player in fantasy leagues, and those investing in Alvarez in early drafts may have to have some blind faith that his offseason rehab program remains setback-free.

General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that the Yankees are viewing Stanton primarily as a DH-only player heading into 2021, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

During his first three years in New York, Stanton has already spent most of his time at DH, logging only 85 starts in the outfield over that stretch. Heading into 2020, the Yankees eyed Stanton for full-time DH duty after he was slowed by a calf injury in spring training, but even that wasn't enough to keep the slugger healthy throughout the campaign. Due to a hamstring injury, Stanton only played in 23 of the team's 60 games, slashing .250/.387/.500 in 93 plate appearances. He at least finished the team's postseason run at full strength, but the Yankees apparently don't envision a healthy Stanton being a factor in the outfield in 2021 outside of an emergency basis. Since all 23 of his starts came at DH in 2020, Stanton will only be eligible as a utility player in most fantasy leagues next season, and he may not regain outfield eligibility at any point if Cashman's word holds true.