MLB Player News

Nootbaar started in left field and went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored as the leadoff batter in Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Padres.

Nootbaar was moved to left field in his second game in a Diamondbacks uniform after serving as the designated hitter Tuesday. He also took over the leadoff spot for a resting Ketel Marte. Nootbaar has extensive experience atop the order, having been deployed there 185 times in his career with the Cardinals. Marte and Corbin Carroll are the primary leadoff hitters for Arizona, but Nootbaar carries the traits a team seeks in the role -- he's below league average in chase rate while consistently above average in his walk rate.

Lawlar (hamstring) went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in a rehab game Wednesday with Double-A Amarillo.

Lawlar, who played six innings in center field Tuesday in the first game of his rehab assignment, was given a break from defense but remained in the Amarillo lineup Wednesday at designated hitter. He showed that his strained right hamstring wasn't an issue in the sixth inning, when he stole second base and scored the game-tying run on single. The Diamondbacks will likely re-evaluate Lawlar on Thursday before determining his next steps, but if he isn't activated from the injured list, he'll likely continue his rehab assignment this weekend with Amarillo or another affiliate.

Tatis went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 10-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Tatis got the Padres on the board in the ninth inning, but the deficit was too much to overcome. The outfielder had slipped back into a power drought lately -- he went 12 contests without a homer prior to Wednesday, batting just .234 in that span. For the season, he's hitting .280 with a .751 OPS, nine homers, 50 RBI, 59 runs scored, 26 stolen bases, 23 doubles and two triples over 113 games.

Mize (4-7) allowed eight runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out one over 3.1 innings to take the loss versus the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Mize was traded to San Diego by Detroit on Monday, but his debut with his new team couldn't have gone much worse. The right-hander had allowed just eight runs (seven earned) with a 17:5 K:BB over 21.2 frames in his last four starts with the Tigers, and he hadn't allowed more than five runs in any game this season prior to Wednesday. Mize is now at a 3.40 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 86:22 K:BB through 90 innings over 17 starts. He'll look to bounce back next week in a home start versus the Brewers, and getting some starts at pitcher-friendly Petco Park should be beneficial for him in the long run.

Waldschmidt went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Padres.

Waldschmidt has six multi-hit efforts over his last 11 games, going 16-for-34 (.471) in that span. The outfielder's strong play is a positive sign, but it's unclear if it'll be enough for him to maintain his playing time once Jordan Lawlar (hamstring) completes a rehab assignment. Waldschmidt could be at risk of falling into a platoon role once Lawlar returns, as the Diamondbacks added Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals at the trade deadline to provide more outfield depth. Waldschmidt is batting .298 with a .749 OPS, one home run, 13 RBI, 21 runs scored, 13 doubles, one triple and six stolen bases over 49 contests in his rookie year.

Carroll went 2-for-3 with a walk, one RBI, one stolen base and two runs scored in Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Padres.

Carroll had gone 0-for-12 with five strikeouts over his previous three games. The outfielder stole six bases over 16 games from July 10-31, and he looks to be keeping up the speed on the basepaths in August. For the season, he's batting .245 with an .810 OPS, 16 steals, 16 home runs, 53 RBI, 69 runs scored, 22 doubles and 12 triples over 111 contests.

Tawa went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a second RBI and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 10-4 win over the Padres.

Tawa has gone 7-for-20 with two homers and five RBI over five games in August. It's a nice turnaround for the utility man, who ended July in an 0-for-15 skid. On the year, he's batting .232 with a .687 OPS, six homers, 26 RBI, 20 runs scored, eight doubles and two stolen bases over 170 plate appearances. Tawa has seen most of his time at first base lately, but he provided cover for a resting Nolan Arenado at third in Wednesday's contest.

Bratt (1-1) allowed one hit and three walks while striking out nine over seven scoreless innings to earn the win over the Padres on Wednesday.

This was Bratt's longest start yet, and while he walked multiple batters for the third start in a row, he made up for it by giving the Padres little to hit. The nine strikeouts matched the total from his previous three outings combined. Bratt's performance early in his big-league career has been solid -- he has a 3.90 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 21:18 K:BB through 27.2 innings over six starts, but he will need to cut down on the walks to find long-term success. The 23-year-old rookie is tentatively lined up to make his next start at home versus the Rockies. Bratt is likely competing with Kohl Drake for the last spot in the rotation when Michael Soroka (glute) returns from the injured list.

McLain went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over the A's.

McLain has been an active part of Cincinnati's lineup, starting in every game, since returning from the 10-day injured list in late July due to a calf injury. The second baseman has continued his light hitting (4-for-19 with two extra base-hits), but he hit a clutch long ball Wednesday to right to give the Reds a 2-1 lead. The homer ends a 27-game power drought that dated back to June 7.

General manager Ben Cherington said that there is no timeline for Cruz (hand) to return from the injured list, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Cruz was cleared for all baseball activities July 29, seemingly paving the way for him to return from the 60-day injured list Aug. 7. However, Cherington only made a vague statement that Cruz is making progress and on track, with the hope that he returns to games soon. While it sounds like Cruz is still nearing activation, that may not occur until closer to mid-August.