MLB Player News

Smith is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Rockies on Wednesday, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

Smith will take a seat Wednesday while Austin Barnes starts behind home plate and bats ninth against Rockies right-hander German Marquez. Smith has gone 6-for-12 with one home run and five RBI over his last three games.

Hernandez (illness) is starting in right field and batting cleanup against the Rockies on Wednesday, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

Hernandez missed the Dodgers' last two games while battling through a stomach bug, but he's progressed enough in his recovery to return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale. He's begun the season slashing .286/.309/.563 with two stolen bases, nine runs scored, five home runs and 16 RBI in 68 plate appearances.

The Dodgers optioned Knack to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

The move creates room on 26-man roster for the Dodgers to recall Bobby Miller from Triple-A, who will start in Wednesday's series finale against the Rockies. Knack went 1-0 across three games (two starts) for the Dodgers and registered a 7.27 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 7:6 K:BB across 8.2 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander will head to Triple-A but could return to the big club should the Dodgers need depth in the rotation.

The Dodgers recalled Miller from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

Miller never quite got his feet underneath him in the majors last season, turning in an 8.52 ERA and 1.77 WHIP across 56 innings in 13 outings. He's off to a much better start in the minors this year with three runs allowed through 12 frames, and he'll get another chance to prove he can stick with the big-league squad. Landon Knack was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Frazier is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.

Frazier had been included in the lineup in the last three games, but the lefty-hitting veteran will take a seat Wednesday while the Nationals send southpaw Mitchell Parker to the hill. With Frazier on the bench, Jared Triolo (back) will draw the start at second base in his first game back from the IL.

DeJong (nose) was held overnight at a Pittsburgh hospital for observation but was released Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

DeJong was hit in the face by a pitch in Tuesday's game versus the Pirates and was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a fractured nose. The Nationals are hopeful DeJong isn't dealing with any additional injuries, but they won't know for sure until the swelling around his eye goes down. Amed Rosario is at third base for Washington on Wednesday and should see the bulk of the time there while DeJong is out.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez confirmed that Herz (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday in Dallas, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

TalkNats.com was first to report earlier Wednesday that Herz had decided to undergo the season-ending procedure, though it wasn't immediately clear when the surgery would take place. Rather than scheduling surgery for a later date, Herz elected to have the operation performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, whom he had recently visited for a second opinion on the partially torn UCL in his left elbow. Martinez noted that Herz's surgery didn't involve the insertion of an internal brace, so he'll likely be in line for a 14-to-18-month rehab process rather than a 12- or 13-month recovery. The 24-year-old is thus unlikely to be ready to contribute for the Nationals until around the middle of the 2026 season.

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

Young will head to the bench for the second time in three games while Dylan Crews receives the starting nod in center field. Though Young (.700 OPS) has handily outproduced Crews (.290 OPS) this season, the Nationals have more of an investment in Crews -- the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft -- and are likely to keep him involved in at least a part-time role while he's up with the big club. Young thus looks like he could be stuck in a timeshare with Crews unless the Nationals choose to option the latter player to Triple-A Rochester if he continues to flounder at the plate.

Nunez will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

With Paul DeJong (nose) joining CJ Abrams (hip) on the injured list Tuesday, Nunez looks as though he could have a clear path to regular playing time in the short term. He had already started at shortstop in the Nationals' previous two games, going 4-for-7 with a double, a stolen base, two runs and two RBI.

The Padres acquired Johnson and cash considerations from the Pirates on Wednesday in exchange for Brett Sullivan, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Johnson got into 47 games as a reserve outfielder for the Padres last season before signing with the Pirates over the winter on a minor-league deal. He'll presumably report to Triple-A El Paso, where he'll provide outfield depth.