MLB Player News

Stephenson is out of the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

Luke Maile will catch and bat ninth versus the Cardinals and lefty Drew Rom. This appears to be a routine day of rest for Stephenson, who has gone 7-for-12 with a homer, two doubles and four RBI over his last four games.

Renfroe (hamstring) is back in the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

Renfroe will serve as the Reds' designated hitter and bat third versus the Cardinals and left-hander Drew Rom after being limited to pinch-hitting duties in Cincinnati's previous series against the Mariners. The 31-year-old has gone 2-for-13 with two singles in five games since being claimed off waivers from the Angels on Aug. 31.

Betts (foot) was sent for a CT scan Friday and will likely miss the Dodgers' weekend series against the Nationals, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

Betts was seen leaving the stadium on crutches after he fouled a ball off his left foot Thursday in Miami. The hope is that he can avoid the injured list and return to action Monday versus the Padres. An initial round of X-rays showed no fractures.

The Dodgers optioned Busch to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Busch slashed .111/.167/.333 across 30 plate appearances during his latest two-week stay on the major-league roster. J.D. Martinez (groin) is returning from the injured list in a corresponding move ahead of Friday's series opener against the Nationals.

The Dodgers activated Martinez from the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday's series opener at Washington, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez got a couple weeks off to heal a left groin/hamstring issue that had been lingering since July. He has an .856 OPS with 25 home runs and 78 RBI in 92 games for Los Angeles.

Cave is not in the lineup Friday versus the Marlins.

Brandon Marsh will start in left field for the Phillies as Johan Rojas patrols center. Cave has gone 4-for-28 (.154) with 10 strikeouts over his last 12 games and carries a .235/.283/.386 slash line on the year.

Saggese has been promoted by the Cardinals from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Acquired from the Rangers in the Jordan Montgomery trade, Saggese sported a blistering .331/.403/.662 slash line with 10 home runs and three stolen bases in 33 games for Springfield to earn the promotion. All told, he boasts a .937 OPS with 25 long balls and 11 steals at the Double-A level this season. Saggese won't turn 22 until April but has set himself up for a potential debut at some point next season if he continues to impress.

Kelly (forearm/elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Kelly has been on the shelf for nearly a month with inflammation in his right forearm and elbow. The hard-throwing reliever is expected back early next week.

Herget was designated for assignment by the Reds on Friday.

Herget holds a 5.18 ERA and 13:6 K:BB over 24.1 innings during his time in the majors this season. It's the second time this season that the reliever was removed from the Reds' 40-man roster, and he seems likely to clear waivers again and head to Triple-A Louisville.

Cruz was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.

Cruz was one of a handful of Reds players to miss time with COVID-19, but he returns having been out for the minimum seven days. He's been an effective reliever for Cincinnati this season, posting a 4.12 ERA and 79:24 K:BB over 54.2 frames, but he has only one win and six holds in 49 appearances.