MLB Player News

Hancock will start Thursday's game against the Rockies, Andrew Destin of the Associated Press reports.

He's filling in for Bryan Woo (pectoral), who is having a start skipped. Hancock hasn't thrown more than two innings in an appearance since being moved to the bullpen in late August, so it will be a relatively abbreviated outing for the righty Thursday.

Gallen's next start was pushed back a day to Friday in San Diego due to fatigue/illness, Jody Jackson of Bally Sports Arizona reports.

It was Gallen's turn Thursday versus the Dodgers, but he's dealt with an illness during his last two starts that's sapped his strength. His performance in those outings appeared unaffected, as the righty yielded four runs with a 15:3 K:BB over 13 innings, but the Diamondbacks nonetheless made the decision to give Gallen an extra day of rest. Jalen Beeks is opening and Nabil Crismatt is slated for bulk relief Thursday.

Knizner went 1-for-2 with two RBI, a triple and a walk in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Cardinals.

Knizner appeared in just his fifth game this month, during which he's batting .333 with two RBI in 13 plate appearances. The backup catcher hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and added an RBI triple in the eighth to give the Giants the lead. With that, the 30-year-old recorded the first three-bagger of his seven-year big-league career. He's slashing .227/.298/.307 with 11 runs scored, five RBI and a homer in 85 plate appearances this season.

Eldridge went 2-for-4 with a double in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Cardinals.

Eldridge hit a two-bagger in the third inning and added a single in the seventh. With that, the 20-year-old delivered his first multi-hit performance in the big leagues. Over eight appearances with the Giants, he's slashing .125/.300/.208 with three RBI, two doubles and a run scored across 30 plate appearances. He has started five consecutive games and should continue to see a significant workload with three matchups remaining, as the Giants have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Sale will be used as a bulk reliever in Sunday's game against the Pirates, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Atlanta will use Charlie Morton as an opener in his final career appearance before Sale takes over. It will be the first relief outing for Sale since he closed out the 2018 World Series as a member of the Red Sox. While it will be unconventional usage for the lefty, Sale will have a better chance to pick up a win as a bulk reliever, and he should be available for a typical starter's workload.

Schmitt went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Cardinals.

Schmitt doubled in the second inning before coming around to score San Francisco's first run. He also added two singles, marking his fifth multi-hit effort over 18 games this month. During that span, he's batting .246 with eight runs scored, six RBI, three doubles and two home runs in 71 plate appearances. Overall, the 26-year-old infielder is slashing .240/.310/.398 with 37 RBI, 33 runs scored and 11 long balls across 340 plate appearances in 92 outings this season.

Morton will serve as Atlanta's opening pitcher in Sunday's game versus the Pirates, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Morton is slated to retire after the season, but first he'll be given a send-off in the final game of the regular season with the team that drafted him and where he spent five major-league seasons. Chris Sale will follow Morton in a bulk-relief role Sunday.

Rortvedt is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Diamondbacks.

With Will Smith (hand) out and Dalton Rushing (shin) returning just last week, Rortvedt has served as the Dodgers' primary catcher this month. However, he'll get a breather in Thursday's finale while Rushing dons the catcher's gear.

Meyers isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Meyers will get a day to reset Thursday after going 0-for-13 across his last four contests. While he sits, Taylor Trammell, Zach Cole and Jesus Sanchez will start across the outfield for Houston.

Diaz isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Diaz will sit down for Thursday's series finale after going 1-for-7 with two strikeouts over the first two games. Victor Caratini will replace him behind the plate and bat fourth.