MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said recently that he plans to continue playing Herrera "mostly at the DH," Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Herrera is starting at designated hitter again Sunday versus the Rangers, marking the 17th time in 20 starts since being activated from the 10-day injured list May 9 that he's been at DH. The 25-year-old will be mixed in at catcher 1-to-2 times per week, but the bulk of the starts behind the dish will continue going to Pedro Pages for the time being. Herrera has slowed down at the plate recently, going 4-for-30 across his last nine contests.

Smith started at first base and went 1-for-3 with a walk, a triple, two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 11-7 loss to Washington.

Smith plated two runs with a triple as part of Arizona's five-run sixth inning that made a potential blowout somewhat interesting. It was the second straight game with multiple RBI for Smith, who has knocked in five over the last five contests. He has just 16 RBI through 53 games after driving in 36 over 60 games a season ago.

Yelich went 4-for-6 with a run and an RBI in Saturday's 17-7 win over the Phillies.

After walloping two home runs in Friday's series opener, Yelich took a more contact-based approach Saturday as the Brewers finished with a season-high 23 hits. Though his .737 OPS on the season represents a 173-point drop from the 2024 regular season, Yelich has been running hot at the plate lately. He's in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak and is slashing .472/.513/.917 with five home runs, two stolen bases, 13 RBI and 10 runs during that stretch.

Grichuk went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 11-7 loss to the Nationals.

Grichuk was in the lineup versus a right-handed pitcher for just the second time this season, getting the start in left field. His homer also came off a righty, as he took reliever Jackson Rutledge deep in the sixth inning. Grichuk is up to three homers this season, two of which have come over his last five games. He's batting .275 with 11 RBI, 13 runs scored, nine doubles and no stolen bases over 86 plate appearances on the year, while mainly working in a short-side platoon between the corner outfield and designated hitter.

McCutchen went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a second run scored and a walk in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Padres.

McCutchen has logged multiple hits in four of his last seven games, going 10-for-28 (.357) in that span. The homer was his first since April 27 versus the Dodgers. The 38-year-old veteran is up to a .265/.370/.388 slash line with four homers, 16 RBI, 17 runs scored, nine doubles and one stolen base over 200 plate appearances this season. He continues to hold down a spot as the Pirates' primary designated hitter.

Diaz went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a walk, two total runs and three total RBI in Saturday's 16-3 rout of the Astros.

Diaz gave the Rays their first lead with a two-run blast in the third inning and added a run-scoring double to cap the scoring in the ninth. Diaz's three-hit performance was his fifth of the season and his first since May 4. He finished May on a strong note but batted just .224 (22-for-98) during the month, though he added five long balls and 21 RBI over 24 games.

Rice is not in the Yankees' starting lineup against the Dodgers on Saturday.

Aaron Judge will serve as the Yankees' designated hitter while Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger start in the outfield. Rice has slashed .230/.293/.446 with three home runs and 10 RBI across 82 plate appearances since the beginning of May.

Polanco is not in the Mariners' starting lineup against the Twins on Saturday.

Polanco snapped a seven-game hitless streak Friday when he went 1-for-5 with a run scored. He'll begin Saturday's game in the dugout while Cal Raleigh serves as the designated hitter and Mitch Garver starts behind home plate.

Heineman (concussion) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Heineman landed on the 7-day concussion IL on Sunday after taking multiple foul balls off his catcher's mask, but he seems to be nearing the end of his recovery process. The Blue Jays haven't specified how long they plan to keep the 33-year-old backstop in the minors, though he shouldn't require too many tune-up games.

Alvarez (hand) had imaging done following Friday's batting practice session that revealed a fracture that is 60 percent healed, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports. He will be shut down from hitting until the fracture is fully healed.

Even though the batting practice session appeared to go well, Alvarez felt some discomfort that led to the examination. Morales reported that previously they didn't see the fracture due to the inflammation in Alvarez's hand. He appeared close to making his return from the injured list, but the veteran slugger now seems likely to be sidelined for at least a couple more weeks.