MLB Player News

The Cardinals reinstated Matz (back) from the 60-day injured list Sunday.

Matz will rejoin the big club for the first time since early May after he completed a lengthy recovery from a lower-back strain and the subsequent setback he experienced in June. He restarted his rehab assignment Aug. 1 and built up to five innings and 85 pitches over the course of six outings at Triple-A Memphis, but Matz doesn't appear as though he'll be reclaiming a spot in the St. Louis rotation in September. Miles Mikolas is starting Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, while John Denton of MLB.com relays that Andre Pallante, Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde are listed as the Cardinals' three starters for the team's upcoming series in Milwaukee. While St. Louis could expand its rotation to six men, Lance Lynn (back) is poised to make a rehab start Sunday and could be activated later this week to fill a potential opening. As such, Matz could be relegated to a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.

Steer is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Steer looks to be receiving a routine off day for the series finale against Milwaukee. Will Benson will enter the lineup in left field in place of Steer, who had started in each of Cincinnati's last 23 games while producing an .881 OPS over that stretch.

Benson will start in left field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Brewers.

Benson will draw his fifth start in six games after he closed out August by going 3-for-11 with two home runs, one double and two walks over his final five contests of the month. With Jake Fraley (knee) returning from the injured list Sunday, Benson's opportunities to play against right-handed pitching will likely become more limited moving forward, but the Reds will have room for both players in the lineup in the series finale while Spencer Steer gets a day off.

Espinal (shin) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

The 29-year-old will be withheld from the lineup for a second straight game after he fouled a ball off his left shin during Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader. His playing time could take a hit even once healthy since Jake Fraley (knee) is back from the injured list, though Espinal's .386/.427/.578 slash line in 27 games since the All-Star break should help keep him in the lineup.

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.

After signing with the Reds on Aug. 22, Smith had started in each of the Reds' ensuing eight matchups against right-handed pitching, but he'll take a seat Sunday against Brewers righty Tobias Myers. Ty France will step in at first base in place of Smith, who has slashed .208/.296/.292 with a 37 percent strikeout rate thus far during his time in Cincinnati.

Conforto went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss to Miami.

Conforto went hitless in his first two at-bats before recording a single and a home run in his final two trips to the plate. The long ball was his 15th of the campaign and his fifth in August, during which he batted .259 with 15 RBI and 12 runs scored. The outfielder has now hit safely in two of his last three games, posting two extra-base hits, two RBI and two runs over that stretch.

Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Saturday's 8-6 win against Arizona.

Ohtani set off an explosive first inning for Los Angeles, leading off with a first-pitch solo shot to center field that was followed by consecutive homers by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register, it was the first time in franchise history that the team began a contest with three straight homers. For Ohtani, it was another entry into the team's record book following last week's securing of the first 40-40 season in franchise history. He's now up to 44 home runs and 43 thefts on the campaign -- no other player in major-league history has reached both those marks in the same season.

Mitchell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

Since being activated from the injured list Aug. 22, Blake Perkins has slashed .345/.447/.448 over his ensuing nine games to stake a claim to an everyday role in center field, but Mitchell hasn't faded from Milwaukee's outfield picture entirely. Though he'll be on the bench Sunday with lefty Brandon Williamson taking the hill for Cincinnati, the lefty-hitting Mitchell started each of the past four games -- all against right-handed pitching -- and went 6-for-13 with two home runs, one triple, one double, three walks, two stolen bases, five runs and three RBI.

Frelick is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

Frelick will take a seat for the second game in a row, this time against a left-handed pitcher (Brandon Williamson) after he had been excluded from the lineup Saturday versus right-handed opening pitcher Fernando Cruz. The outfielder fouled a ball off his shin Wednesday against the Giants, and though he returned to the lineup two days later and played both ends of a doubleheader with the Reds, Brewers manager Pat Murphy may just have wanted to exercise some extra caution with Frelick by giving him two straight days off. September call-up Brewer HIcklen will step in for Frelick as the Brewers' starter in right field Sunday.

Bauers is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

As usual, the lefty-hitting Bauers will take a seat while the Reds send a southpaw (Brandon Williamson) to the bump for the series finale. Bauers' grasp on a regular spot in the lineup against righties also appears to be loosening, as he was on the bench for two of the Brewers' previous four matchups with opposite-handed pitchers.