MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.

With the Angels sending a lefty starter (Sam Aldegheri) to the hill for the second straight day, the left-handed-hitting Smith will once again head to the bench. LuJames Groover will get the nod at first base in place of Smith.

Hernandez (hamstring) will take live batting practice Thursday and could be ready to begin a rehab assignment early next week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Hernandez is ramping up his baseball activities this week after missing the last two-plus weeks with a left hamstring strain. If Hernandez is able to begin a rehab assignment early next week, he could be ready to return from the 10-day injured list by the following weekend. Ryan Ward has been serving as the Dodgers' primary left fielder since Hernandez went down.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that it's "unlikely" Smith (neck) will be activated from the 10-day injured list Friday when first eligible, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Smith went through a full workout Tuesday, but the neck injury that sent him to the IL last week is still bothering him a bit. It's unclear what the next step is for the catcher, but more should be known about Smith's timeline in the coming days. Dalton Rushing will continue to serve as the Dodgers' primary catcher while Smith is sidelined.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Ohtani's left knee inflammation is not behind him and will need to be managed moving forward, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Ohtani initially hurt his knee last week and missed one game. He's started at designated hitter for the past four contests and is starting on the mound Wednesday but will not be used on offense. The knee issue does not appear to be a long-term concern for Ohtani, but he could receive extra days off for a bit.

Marinaccio will begin a serving a two-game suspension Wednesday following a successful appeal to reduce the ban from three games, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Major League Baseball issued Marinaccio the suspension Monday, two days after he was deemed to have intentionally thrown at the Orioles' Gunnar Henderson during a relief appearance. He was available out of the bullpen for the first two games of the Padres' series in St. Louis while he appealed the suspension, but now that a resolution has been reached, Marinaccio will sit out Wednesday's finale as well as Friday's series opener against the Rangers.

Perez is likely unavailable off the bench for Wednesday's game in Houston after being struck in the face by a plyometric band in the weight room Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Perez is still being evaluated, but he will likely be fine by Friday following the Tigers' team off day Thursday. The switch-hitting outfielder is sporting a .594 OPS with seven home runs across 53 games for Detroit this season.

Giants manager Tony Vitello said Wednesday that Gage (knee) has joined the team in Atlanta and will be activated from the 15-day injured list before the end of the series, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Giants will complete Tuesday's suspended game Wednesday afternoon before playing their regularly scheduled game in the evening, and then they'll have the series finale Thursday. Gage has been sidelined since early June with right knee inflammation but is ready to roll after making one scoreless rehab appearance.

Ward is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

The left-handed-hitting Ward will give way to platoon mate Alex Call while the Rays send southpaw Shane McClanahan to the bump for the series finale. While starting in each of the Dodgers' last four games, Ward went 3-for-9 with two doubles, two walks and one run.

Muncy is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

With the Dodgers playing an afternoon game after a night game and with a lefty (Shane McClanahan) on the bump for the Rays, the left-handed-hitting Muncy will be handed his first day off since June 5. The newly activated Tommy Edman will cover third base while Muncy heads to the bench after a stretch of 10 consecutive starts.

Double-A Montgomery placed Overn on the 7-day injured list May 27 with an undisclosed injury.

Overn, who last played May 23, has had an extreme season both good and bad, as he has a .309/.375/.533 slash line with seven homers and 28 steals in 38 games despite a 32.5 percent strikeout rate. One of the better athletes in the upper minors, Overn's hit tool won't be a strength and could be poor enough that it prevents him from playing regularly at the highest level.