MLB Player News

Rainey (elbow) could be activated from the 60-day injured list before the end of the regular season, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander is in the final stages of his recovery from last year's Tommy John surgery, and he's expected to throw a couple bullpen sessions this week during Washington's final homestand of the season before a decision is made on whether to activate him from the 60-day IL. "I know [pitching coach Jim] Hickey wants to see him throw up here and then see where he's at, and then we'll go from there," manager Dave Martinez said Friday. "I don't want to shut him down, I want him to continue pitching. There could be a chance that he comes up here, pitches one or two games. We'll see when that day comes." Rainey recorded 12 saves in 2022 before landing on the injured list in July, and he figures to be part of the Nats' high-leverage mix in 2024.

De La Cruz batted ninth and went 0-for-4 in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Mets.

De La Cruz's slide down the batting order reached its lowest point since he was called up in June. A second-half slump finally prompted manager David Bell to drop the rookie this past week. In his last four starts, De La Cruz has batted seventh, eighth (twice) and ninth. It was encouraging to see him knock a pair of hits Saturday after getting a day off Friday, but the 21-year-old's struggles continued Sunday. De La Cruz has batted .184 since the All-Star break.

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Mets.

Encarnacion-Strand homered for a second time in as many days; however, Sunday's blast didn't carry the same impact as his game-winning hit the previous day. He's given the Reds a lift during the chase for the playoffs, registering a .341/.370/.591 slash line with three home runs and seven RBI over 13 games in September.

Senzel went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Mets.

Senzel has seen an uptick in plate appearances of late, as Reds manager David Bell gets him into contests whenever a lefty is throwing -- be that a starter or reliever. He's started four of the last six and entered as a pinch hitter in the two games he did not start. The infielder/outfielder has responded well to the increased usage, posting a .391/.391/.696 slash line with two home runs over the last eight games.

Young (illness) rejoined teammates in New York over the weekend but has not yet been activated, MLB.com reports.

Young tested positive for COVID-19 during his rehab assignment for a hamstring injury, which no longer appears to be an issue. He fired a scoreless inning for Triple-A Louisville on Friday, striking out all three batters faced.

Maile (hand) underwent X-rays Saturday which came back negative, MLB.com reports.

With the X-rays confirming Maile has nothing more serious than a bruised hand, the catcher was available Sunday but did not appear in an 8-4 loss to the Mets.

Walker went 0-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Cubs.

Walker was part of Arizona's three-run first inning, knocking in a run on a fielder's choice then scoring what turned out to be the winning run. The Diamondbacks' RBI leader delivered runs in each of the last two games, after going eight straight games without driving in a run. Walker is batting .180 (11-for-61) over 17 games in September.

Jarvis struck out one over two scoreless innings in Sunday's 6-2 win over the Cubs.

Jarvis was the last of four Arizona relievers in support of starter Ryne Nelson, who was yanked after 3.1 innings (75 pitches, 40 strikes). The bullpen combined for 6.2 shutout innings, as the Diamondbacks swept the Cubs and leapfrogged them in the wild card race. Jarvis, who was called up Sunday, can provide length should the club need a starter over the final 11 games.

Soto went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI in Sunday's 10-1 win over the Athletics.

Astonishingly enough, Soto didn't do any damage with his bat until the seventh inning. He sent a 411-foot two-run blast to right center off Ken Waldichuk and then one-upped that with a grand slam off Devin Sweet in the following inning to make it a 10-0 game. Soto is sporting a six-game hitting streak during which he's totaled 11 hits, 13 RBI, nine runs and a 3:3 K:BB. He's having another outstanding year in what's been an otherwise disappointing campaign for the Padres.

Avila improved to 2-2 on the season in Sunday's 10-1 win over the Athletics, tossing three scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and one walk and striking out five.

Avila was deployed in bulk relief, entering the game after Nick Martinez opened the contest with three shutout frames. The 26-year-old Avila has now sandwiched a pair of scoreless outings around a disastrous start against the Dodgers on Monday, when he allowed seven earned runs over 2.2 innings. Avila should retain a spot in San Diego's rotation during the upcoming week, though he could be deployed behind Martinez once again when his turn comes up next weekend versus St. Louis.