MLB Player News

The Pirates placed Cruz on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to Monday, with non-displaced fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures in his left hand.

Cruz sustained the injury during a hard slide in Saturday's contest and hasn't played since. He'll land on the injured list now that he's been confirmed to be dealing with multiple fractures, and the Pirates expect him to be sidelined for about a month, per Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com. Billy Cook was recalled from Triple-A to replenish Pittsburgh's outfield depth.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

Ryan O'Hearn will get the nod at designated hitter Wednesday after Ozuna filled that spot in the lineup the previous two games while going 1-for-7 with four strikeouts. After signing a one-year, $12 million deal in February, Ozuna has been a major disappointment so far for the Pirates. He's striking out at a career-high 29.1 percent clip and has posted a .580 OPS through 50 games, a bottom-five mark among players who have logged at least 200 plate appearances.

Cruz (hand) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

Cruz will remain on the bench for a third straight game while he continues to experience discomfort stemming from a cut to his left hand, which he sustained during a hard slide in Atlanta over the weekend. Jake Mangum will pick up a start in center field in place of Cruz, who is being viewed as day-to-day while he continues to receive treatment for the injury.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Smith (neck) will "most likely" be placed on the injured list, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports. "We'll have to make that decision at some point in time [after Wednesday's game against the Pirates]," Roberts said.

Roberts acknowledged that the three-time All-Star is progressing, but Smith -- who will be out of the lineup Wednesday for a fourth straight game -- has missed enough time at this point that he'll require a ramp-up period before returning to action, per Jack Harris of the California Post. Dalton Rushing will step in as the Dodgers' top backstop for the duration of Smith's absence, and Los Angeles will likely call up Chuckie Robinson or Eliezer Alfonzo from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Thursday's series finale in Pittsburgh to serve as Rushing's understudy.

Griffin (elbow) did some flat-ground throwing from out to 90 feet Wednesday at about 75 percent intensity, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Griffin threw for the first time since he landed on the 10-day injured list May 31 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. He also took part in fielding drills without throwing, which is something the rookie has done since first going on the IL. Griffin remains without a timeline to rejoin the Pirates' active roster, but more clarity on that front should become available as he continues to ramp up his throwing.

Melendez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Melendez had started in four of the team's previous five matchups with right-handed pitchers, but the Mets won't have room for him in the lineup Wednesday while Francisco Alvarez handles designated-hitter duties in his second game back from the IL. Since the start of May, Melendez has posted a weak .533 OPS, so he likely still has more work to do in order to strengthen his grasp on a regular lineup sot.

Vientos is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Vientos will head to the bench for the fifth time in six games and appears to have lost his grip on a regular role while he's mustered a .128/.146/.213 slash line over his last 15 games. Jared Young has displaced Vientos as the Mets' preferred option at first base.

Call is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Call will hit the bench for a second straight day, with both of his absences from the lineup having come while Pittsburgh has sent right-handed pitchers to the hill. Since Teoscar Hernandez (hamstring) landed on the injured list May 29, Call has gone just 5-for-26 with a 2:4 BB:K over a stretch of 11 games. The lack of production appears to have resulted in Call moving into the short side of a platoon in left field with Ryan Ward.

Smith (neck) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Though recent imaging on Smith's neck revealed nothing overly concerning, the catcher will nonetheless remain on the bench for a fourth straight game Wednesday. Smith was able to do some throwing and take some indoor batting practice prior to Tuesday's series opener in Pittsburgh, but a stint on the injured list could still be in play for the 31-year-old. Dalton Rushing will make another start Wednesday and is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster for the moment, but the Dodgers opened up a spot by releasing infielder Tyler Fitzgerald and can now more easily promote another backstop from the minors if Smith needs to go on the IL.

Norby is not in the lineup for Wednesday's tilt versus the Diamondbacks.

Norby reached base in all three of his plate appearances during Tuesday's game, but he'll begin Wednesday's contest on the bench. Christopher Morel will handle first base and bat seventh for the Marlins.