MLB Player News

Carpenter is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres.

After going 1-for-12 with a home run and three walks over a stretch of five starts in six games, Carpenter's time as the Cardinals' primary designated hitter looks to have come and gone. He finds himself on the bench for a third straight game Thursday, with the Cardinals having faced right-handed pitchers in each of those contests. Luken Baker now looks to be St. Louis' preferred option at DH.

Baker will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Thursday's game versus the Padres.

Baker will make his third straight start at DH, which is especially notable given that all three have come against right-handers. He's also batted either third or fourth in each contest. The 27-year-old has produced back-to-back 30-homer seasons at Triple-A Memphis and could be worth a look in deeper leagues if the playing time sticks.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a homer, two stolen bases and three runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Ohtani crushed a hanging slider from Corbin Burnes to lead off the contest and added a single in his second trip to the plate before swiping his 41st bag of the season and eventually coming around to score for a second time. The superstar slugger has now tallied two hits in back-to-back games and in four of his last five overall. Over that latter stretch, he's batting .400 (8-for-20) with three homers, seven RBI, eight runs and three stolen bases. He's also scored at least one run in six straight contests.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the Mets.

Pederson bopped a two-run home run in the third inning, his 21st long ball of the season. The lefty-swinging outfielder/DH has made a career out of mashing right-handers, posting a career .846 OPS off them, but Pederson has exceeded that mark in 2024 (.961).

Alvarez went 3-for-4 with three home runs and a walk in Wednesday's 10-0 win over the Phillies, finishing with three runs scored and four RBI.

Alvarez belted a two-run blast off Taijuan Walker in the fourth before launching a pair of solo shots off Michael Mercado in the seventh and eighth innings. Wednesday marked the third time in his career that Alvarez has tallied three home runs in a game and the first time he achieved the feat since September 2022. The 27-year-old has been unstoppable in August, batting .372 with eight home runs, 16 RBI, 15 runs scored and an exemplary 14:11 BB:K.

Larnach is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.

Larnach will give way to Manuel Margot in left field while Atlanta sends southpaw Chris Sale to the hill for the series finale. Over 90 plate appearances against lefties this season, Larnach is hitting .183/.244/.280 with four extra-base hits.

Carpenter is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Padres.

Carpenter made five starts at designated hitter in a six-game stretch but has now been out of the lineup for two games in a row against righties. San Diego's starter Wednesday, Joe Musgrove, has reverse splits this season, which likely factored into Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol's decision to go with Luken Baker at DH.

McCutchen (knee) recently went through a full workout which included running the bases, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

McCutchen is eligible for activation from the 10-day injured list now and believes he's ready to return, but the Pirates are still discussing the next step for the veteran designated hitter. He's been out since mid-August with left knee inflammation.

Larnach went 3-for-6 with a double, a run scored and three RBI in Tuesday's 8-6 extra-inning loss to Atlanta.

His RBI single in the eighth inning off Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias tied the game at 4-4, but the Twins couldn't complete the comeback. Larnach has at least three hits in three of his last five games, and through 71 plate appearances in August the 27-year-old is slashing .318/.366/.530 with five doubles, three homers, 11 RBI and 15 runs.

O'Hearn went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Dodgers.

O'Hearn took Jack Flaherty deep in the second to give his team the early lead. The home run was his first since July 20 and just his second hit in his last 21 at-bats. For the year, O'Hearn is slashing .268/.343/.438 with 13 homers, 49 RBI, 51 runs, three steals and a 40:51 BB:K in 399 plate appearances.