MLB Player News

Machado will be on the bench for Saturday's game against Oakland.

Machado finds himself on the bench for the third time in six games. That might be related to the elbow soreness that has limited him to designated hitter duty throughout September; with the Padres now 6.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, they aren't incentivized to push Machado at all and risk further injury. Luis Campusano will be the designated hitter Saturday, with Brett Sullivan taking Campusano's usual spot behind the plate.

Almonte (knee) tossed a bullpen session Tuesday that he said went well, and his goal is to be ready to pitch for the Dodgers in October, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Almonte has been out of action since injuring his right knee while pitching against Colorado on Aug. 11. The righty reliever said in an interview with SportsNet LA this week that he's not yet 100 percent and is taking a measured approach to rehab in order to prevent a setback. Almonte is slated to toss another bullpen session soon, which could help determine whether he's ready to face hitters. The Dodgers' last regular-season contest will take place Oct. 1, so Almonte isn't likely to provide help to the team's bullpen until the playoffs, if at all.

Kauffmann was called up by the Rockies on Saturday.

Peter Lambert (biceps) hit the injured list in a corresponding move, so it's possible Kauffmann takes Lambert's place in the rotation down the stretch. He isn't the scheduled starter for either half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, but he could potentially appear in a multi-inning relief role.

Lambert was placed on the 15-day injured list with right biceps tendinitis Saturday.

Lambert technically has time to return before the end of the season, but the timing of the injury makes it quite likely that he's done for the year. If that's the case, he'll end his age-26 season having recorded a 5.36 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across 11 starts and 14 relief appearances. Karl Kauffmann was called up to take his place on the roster.

Blackmon will be on the bench for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

The veteran outfielder will unsurprisingly not be asked to start two games on one day. Hunter Goodman will handle right field in the afternoon game, but Blackmon could return to the lineup for the nightcap.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Grove (lat) could rejoin the team on its next homestand, per the Associated Press.

Grove hasn't pitched for Los Angeles since Aug. 5, when he went 1.1 innings as an opener. The right-hander landed on the injured list the following day due to lat soreness and has made just one rehab appearance since, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three batters for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sept. 7. It's not clear what Grove has been doing to rehab since, but it appears that he could nonetheless return to the Dodgers, likely as a bullpen arm, as soon as Monday, when the team begins a seven-game homestand against Detroit and San Francisco.

Acuna (calf) won't start Saturday's game against Miami, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Acuna exited Friday's series opener with right calf tightness, and while the team called his removal precautionary, the injury will cost him at least one start. That's not necessarily a sign that the injury is worse than originally feared, however, as Atlanta's 6.5-game lead for the top seed in the National League means it can afford quite a bit of caution down the stretch. Per Paige Leckie of MLB.com, Acuna felt better Saturday morning, but the team doesn't want to take any chances and will not have him available off the bench.

Oviedo allowed one earned run on four hits and five walks while striking out seven across five innings Friday against the Yankees. He did not factor into the decision.

Oviedo issued all five of his free passes in his first three innings of work, and he has now allowed 12 walks across his last 12.1 frames -- spanning three starts. He managed to avoid significant damage Friday thanks to some timely strikeouts, and he managed his highest punchout total in an outing since July 15. Oviedo has had an inconsistent season, but he's shown flashes of being an effective starter and has maintained a 4.27 ERA and 1.36 WHIP across a career-high 166.2 frames.

Rodgers will sit for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against San Francisco, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Rodgers has hit a disappointing .209/.272/.270 in 31 games since returning from shoulder surgery. He could return to the lineup for the nightcap, but for now, it will be Harold Castro who starts at second base.

Suter will be the first pitcher on the mound for the Rockies in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

The Rockies haven't officially termed Suter an "opener," nor have they announced which reliever will handle the bulk innings behind him, but it's almost certain that's what this will be, rather than a conventional start. Suter does have starting experience from early in his career, but he hasn't thrown more than two innings in any of his 51 appearances this season.