MLB Player News

Hayes (back) is not expected to return before the end of the 2024 season, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Assistant general manager Kevan Graves effectively closed the door on a return for Hayes, saying Sunday that he "wouldn't anticipate seeing [Hayes] competing on the field before the end of the season here," and adding that "it's just too short of a window." Hayes has been on the shelf since mid-August, and he took a massive step backward on the field this season, slashing just .233/.283/.290 across 396 plate appearances.

Walker is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Josh Bell will start at first base against right-hander Frankie Montas as Walker sits after going 1-for-13 across the first three games of the series. Walker was hot initially after coming off the injured list in early September, and he's still batting cleanup most days for Arizona.

Carroll is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

As Jack Sommers of Sports Illustrated notes, the Diamondbacks' lineup came out late Sunday and at this point it's unclear whether Carroll's absence is due to injury. Pavin Smith will get the start in right field and lead off against right-hander Frankie Montas.

Garcia is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

The Nationals will go with Jose Tena at second base and Trey Lipscomb at third base, which shields Garcia from a lefty (Shota Imanaga) and affords him some extra rest for his banged-up right wrist. Garcia returned to the lineup Saturday after missing several games and notched a couple hits, though he was limited to designated-hitter duties. It's uncertain when he'll be back in the infield.

Gallo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Gallo will ride the pine with a lefty (Shota Imanaga) starting for the opposition, which is standard procedure whenever the Nationals face a southpaw. The 30-year-old Gallo has logged just 60 plate appearances against lefties this season, slashing .123/.167/.246.

Young (shoulder) will start in center field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Shoulder soreness forced Young from Thursday's game and kept him out of the lineup Friday and Saturday, but he's penciled in to return against lefty Shota Imanaga. Young has struggled to a .523 OPS this month and has been caught stealing on three of his four attempts in September.

Hoerner is absent from the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Nationals.

Hoerner will receive a rare day off after starting in each of the previous 12 tilts. Miles Mastrobuoni will pick up the start at second base for the Cubs.

Bellinger is not in the lineup for Sunday's contest against the Nationals.

Bellinger will get his first day off since Aug. 7. The Cubs will go with Mike Tauchman in right field Sunday as they try to secure a series win.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run and a stolen base Saturday in a loss to Colorado.

Ohtani became the majors' first 50-50 player Thursday, and he seems intent not to stop there. He has stolen at least one base in each of his past four contests and is up to 53 steals on the campaign, second-most in the majors behind Elly De La Cruz. Ohtani has racked up 30 stolen bases since he was last caught stealing July 22 against San Francisco (54 games ago), and he's added 22 homers along with 52 RBI and 48 runs during that span.

Contreras (finger/hip) is in the lineup as the designated hitter for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

The 26-year-old is said to be dealing with lingering finger and hip issues, but he will tough it out Sunday with the help of the DH tag. Milwaukee has already secured the NL Central, so Contreras could perhaps see additional down time over the final week of the season. That said, he's been a workhorse and will likely push to play as much as the team will let him in preparation for the playoffs.