MLB Player News

McCutchen isn't in the lineup Friday against Miami.

McCutchen is getting a day off after he went 2-for-8 with a walk and four strikeouts over the last two games. Keston Hiura will take over as the designated hitter and bat sixth.

Carpenter (foot) took batting practice on the field and hit in the cage Friday, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Carpenter has been working on weight-bearing activities on his fractured foot recently and hasn't had any issues. It's still possible that the 36-year-old rejoins the Yankees for their upcoming series against the Rangers to close out the regular season, but manager Aaron Boone also hinted Friday that Carpenter could ultimately head to Somerset to take live at-bats ahead of postseason play. Regardless of whether Carpenter is back in action during the final series of the regular season, it seems likely that he'll be in the mix for a postseason return.

Collins isn't starting Friday against the Cardinals.

After being held hitless in his last 20 at-bats, Collins will retreat to the bench for the second straight game. Ben Gamel will take his place at first base and bat sixth.

Alvarez (ankle) is starting Friday against the Rays.

Alvarez sat out Wednesday's series finale against the Diamondbacks due to a left ankle injury, but he'll serve as the designated hitter and bat third a day later. The 25-year-old is riding a four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 5-for-11 with two RBI, a run, four walks and four strikeouts.

Vogelbach will sit Friday against Atlanta.

With lefty Max Fried on the mound for Atlanta, it's no surprise to see Vogelbach hit the bench. Francisco Alvarez will make his MLB debut in the designated hitter spot.

Ruf was placed on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain Friday, retroactive to Sept. 27.

Ruf has had limited playing time over the last few weeks, but he's apparently been dealing with a neck injury that has kept him off the field recently. Although the move was backdated, the 36-year-old will be forced to miss the rest of the regular season. It's not yet clear whether he'll be healthy in time for the postseason.

O'Keefe is expected to be called up by the Mariners on Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

O'Keefe slashed .253/.330/.449 with 13 homers, 42 runs, 40 RBI and a stolen base over 83 games at Triple-A Tacoma this season and should provide additional depth behind the dish in the coming days since Curt Casali is expected to be placed on the paternity list. O'Keefe was a Rule 5 pick out of the Cardinals organization in 2019 and hasn't yet made his major-league debut.

Harper went 3-for-4 in Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

Harper recently went through a 1-for-16 stretch over five games but has broken out of it with five knocks in his last three contests. In addition, the outfielder has tallied seven RBI during his last six games.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run and two runs scored Thursday against the Orioles.

Martinez took Dillon Tate deep in the eighth inning to provide the game-winning runs and his 14th homer of the season. He has a modest four-game hitting streak, though his production in that span is notable as he's smacked three doubles and two homers. Despite the recent hot stretch, Martinez has only a .169 ISO across 577 plate appearances this season -- his lowest mark since 2013.

Winker went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Thursday's 10-9 extra-innings win over the Rangers.

The 29-year-old drew a walk in the fourth inning and scored on a Jarred Kelenic home run. Later in the contest, Carlos Santana pinch hit for Winker. It's been a rough September for Winker, as he's gone just 8-for-47 (.170) with a 12:13 BB:K through 18 contests. He's at a .218/.343/.339 slash line with 13 homers, 50 RBI, 49 runs scored and 15 doubles through 134 games overall.