MLB Player News

Ozuna will start at designated hitter and bat seventh Wednesday against Atlanta.

Ozuna will pick up just his second start through the Pirates' first seven games of July. Per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, general manager Ben Cherington said Wednesday that Ozuna had been managing a toe injury that rendered him unavailable for a few of the Bucs' games in Washington over the weekend, but it's unclear if the 35-year-old would have started in any of those contests even if fully healthy. Ozuna has been a major disappointment this season, having thus far turned in a career-worst .610 OPS while striking out in 30.7 percent of his plate appearances.

Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's tilt in Pittsburgh.

It's righty Jared Jones on the bump for the Pirates, but the left-handed-hitting Smith will begin the contest on the bench. It's the first time since May 6 that Smith has been absent from the lineup when the opposition has a right-hander on the mound. Drake Baldwin is getting a start at designated hitter, and Joey Bart will be Atlanta's catcher.

Lowe is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Phillies.

Lowe is in a lengthy slump at the plate, slashing just .203/.313/.261 without a single RBI over his past 27 games. His playing time has dipped as a result, as Lowe hasn't made consecutive starts since June 26 and 27.

Springer will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Toronto reinstated Springer from the family medical emergency list Monday, but he was held out of the lineup for the club's first two games of its series in San Francisco. Springer will return to the lineup for the finale in what will be his first start since June 30, and he'll bat somewhere other than the leadoff spot for the first time all season while manager John Schneider sticks with Ernie Clement atop the batting order for the third straight contest. The arrangement won't necessarily be a permanent one, but slotting behind Vladimir Guerrero in the order could prove beneficial for Springer, who has struggled to a .221/.308/.373 batting line over 276 plate appearances on the season.

Yelich went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader sweep of the Cardinals.

The veteran slugger led off the twin bill with a ground-rule double before driving in runs with a single in the third inning and another two-bagger in the seventh. It was an encouraging effort from Yelich, but after he went 0-for-5 with another RBI in the nightcap, he's batting just .138 (4-for-29) to begin July with a homer, a steal, three runs and five RBI over seven games.

Suarez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Phillies.

Suarez accounted for Cincinnati's only offense Tuesday, taking Zack Wheeler deep in the seventh inning for his ninth home run of the season. Since his two-homer performance against the Mets on June 15, the veteran slugger has cooled off, batting .167 with a 39.7 percent strikeout rate. On the year, Suarez is slashing .207/.280/.374 with 10 doubles, 32 RBI and 21 runs scored across 246 plate appearances.

Schwarber went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Reds.

Schwarber provided the biggest swing of the night in the third inning, taking Andrew Abbott deep for his MLB-leading 31st home run of the season. Through six July contests, Schwarber is 5-for-21 while drawing a walk in each game. Across 393 plate appearances this season, Schwarber is slashing .255/.370/.570 with nine doubles, one triple, 57 RBI, 56 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies.

Ohtani's solo shot led off the bottom of the first inning. He has homered in consecutive contests and now has 20 long balls on the year. The superstar is batting .294 with a .950 OPS, 56 RBI, 62 runs scored, six stolen bases, 15 doubles and two triples over 88 contests. Ohtani has hit at least 34 homers in five straight seasons, but his power pace this year means he's facing an uphill climb if he's to get back to the 50-homer power he displayed in his first two years as a Dodger.

Tena went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Houston.

Tena was brought out for the ninth inning to pinch hit for Jacob Young, and the former answered the call by taking Alimber Santa deep to right-center field for a solo homer. It was the fifth long ball of the season for Tena, two of which have come over his last four games. He is slashing .239/.303/.411 with 19 RBI, three steals and 16 extra-base hits across 178 plate appearances this season.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Yankees.

Diaz drove in a run on a single in the second inning before adding a solo shot in the fourth. It was a much-needed effort for the 34-year-old, who entered Tuesday just 1-for-20 through five July contests. On the season, he's slashing .319/.401/.492 with 13 homers, 55 RBI, 47 runs scored and one steal across 372 plate appearances, earning his second career All-Star nod.