MLB Player News

Winn (illness) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Brandon Crawford is starting at shortstop Saturday and batting ninth with Winn fighting off a cold, per Jones. With the Cardinals off Sunday, Winn should return for Monday's series opener against the Reds. Since the All-Star break, Winn is slashing .258/.320/.449 with four home runs and eight RBI across 96 plate appearances.

Abrams (back) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Abrams told reporters Saturday that he first felt his back issues flare up Thursday during rain delays, which led to his removal from Friday's lineup, per Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com. With the Nationals scheduled for an off day Monday, Abrams will be held out for the weekend series against the Angels and aim to return Tuesday for the series opener against the Orioles. The 23-year-old has struggled from the plate since the All-Star break and is slashing .165/.212/.266 with nine runs scored, two home runs and 11 RBI across 83 plate appearances.

Cruz went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and an additional RBI in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Dodgers.

Cruz came up a triple shy of the cycle, logging his second three-hit game in a row since returning from an illness. The shortstop has gone 12-for-24 (.500) with three extra-base hits over six contests in August. Cruz is up to a .262/.315/.473 slash line with a career-high 18 homers, 59 RBI, 54 runs scored, 24 doubles and 11 stolen bases over 103 games this season.

Rojas went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 9-5 win over the Pirates.

David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reported Friday that Mookie Betts (hand) will shift to right field when he returns Monday, so Rojas will remain in competition with Nick Ahmed and Amed Rosario for playing time at shortstop. Rojas has started two straight games since he returned from the injured list himself after missing two weeks with a forearm injury. For the season, Rojas has been a steady batter, hitting .270 with a .713 OPS, three home runs, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored, six steals and 17 doubles over 215 plate appearances. As long as he can avoid a slump, Rojas appears to be in line for the bulk of the action at shortstop.

Adames went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Friday's 8-3 victory over Cincinnati.

The Milwaukee shortstop opened the game's scoring with a 391-foot blast off Carson Spiers in the first frame, Adames' second consecutive game with a homer. This marks his sixth homer since the All-Star break as he's hitting .285 (20-for-70) with 13 runs scored and 12 RBI over his last 18 games. Overall, the 28-year-old sports a .252/.335/.457 slash line with 65 runs scored and 79 RBI across 499 plate appearances.

Nunez exited Friday's game against the Angels due to cramps, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Nunez was able to limp off the field after laying down a sacrifice bunt in the 10th inning, and the Nationals don't seem to be very concerned about his availability. The 23-year-old went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts while filling in for CJ Abrams, who was scratched from the lineup due to back spasms.

Abrams was scratched from the lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Angels due to back spasms, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Abrams' injury was enough to keep him from playing Friday, but the team doesn't expect it to lead to an extended absence. Nasim Nunez started at shortstop instead Friday but left the game early due to cramping, creating uncertainty over who might get the nod at the position Saturday.

Betts (hand) will play right field when he returns Monday against the Brewers, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Betts noted Friday that the decision to move off shortstop was "mostly" mutual between him and manager Dave Roberts, and the superstar acknowledged that the Dodgers' best chance to win likely comes with him in right field, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. That means Nick Ahmed and Miguel Rojas will continue to split time at shortstop, while Jason Heyward sees less playing time in the outfield. Roberts could also tinker with his lineup depending on who's on the mound for the opposition. Betts has been sidelined since June 17 due to a bone fracture in his left wrist. Prior to the injury, he was slashing .304/.405/.488 with nine stolen bases, 10 home runs and 40 RBI across 331 plate appearances.

Abrams was scratched from the Nationals' lineup ahead of Friday's game versus the Angels.

The Nationals haven't yet announced why Abrams was taken out of the lineup, but more clarification should come shortly. In the meantime, Nasim Nunez will fill in at shortstop and bat ninth.

Reds manager David Bell told reporters Friday that McLain (shoulder/rib) will not begin his rehab assignment that was scheduled for Monday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

McLain has been on the 60-day injured list since the start of the season while recovering from offseason surgery on his left shoulder. He was cleared for baseball activities in early July and was progressing toward a rehab stint, but the 25-year-old infielder experienced a setback when he suffered a stress reaction in his rib cage. It's unclear whether the setback will simply delay McLain's rehab assignment or keep the 2021 first-round pick out of action for the rest of the year.