MLB Player News

Encarnacion-Strand is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Guardians.

Encarnacion-Strand started the previous five games and will get a breather Tuesday after going 5-for-19 (.263 average) with two doubles, a homer and three RBI during that span. Coby Mayo will replace him in the lineup as the designated hitter while Blaze Alexander shifts to third base.

Okamoto went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two walks in Monday's 6-5 loss to the Athletics.

Okamoto went deep in the seventh inning as the Blue Jays started their comeback push. The third baseman has gone 7-for-23 (.304) over six games in September. For the season, he's hitting .232 with a .754 OPS, 29 homers, 82 RBI, 74 runs scored, 23 doubles and one stolen base over 139 contests.

Gelof went 1-for-4 with two RBI, two stolen bases and two runs scored in Monday's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays.

Gelof has upped his speed game with four steals over his last five contests. He also has three home runs in September, producing some balance in the counting stats while maintaining a near-everyday role down the stretch. Gelof is hitting .257 with a .788 OPS, 17 homers, 14 steals, 44 RBI, 65 runs scored, 15 doubles and two triples across 94 contests this season.

Pauley went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Monday's loss to the Mets.

Pauley belted his third homer of the season Monday. Until Xavier Edwards (thumb) returns from the injured list, Pauley has a clearer pathway to action in the infield. He's batting .195 with 13 extra-base hits, 21 RBI, eight walks and 13 runs scored over 123 at-bats on the year.

Hernandez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.

Hernandez will hit the bench after he had picked up starts at either third or first base in each of the last four games while going 1-for-10 with a walk and two runs. Three of those starts came against left-handed pitching, as the Dodgers have deployed Hernandez primarily as a short-side platoon player.

The Reds activated Hayes (groin) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Hayes has been out for almost two weeks with a left groin strain, but he'll skip a rehab assignment and go right back onto the active roster. He will start at third base and will bat ninth in Monday's game against the Dodgers.

Mayo went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Monday's 6-3 win over Cleveland.

Mayo crushed a solo shot in the third inning and walloped a two-run homer in the sixth to attain his first career multi-homer game. He should continue to see regular playing time versus left-handed pitching, having posted a ridiculous 1.136 OPS in 133 at-bats against southpaws this season. On the year, Mayo is hitting .224 with 21 long balls, 14 doubles, 58 RBI and three steals over 352 at-bats.

Hamilton is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.

The Brewers will give the left-handed-hitting Hamilton a break for the series opener while southpaw Matthew Boyd takes the hill for the Cubs. Joey Ortiz will swap in at third base in place of Hamilton, who started in each of the Brewers' previous four games and went 5-for-14 with a triple, a walk, an RBI, a run and three stolen bases.

Pauley will start at third base and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Mets.

He'll claim a third straight start at the hot corner, after he went 0-for-4 with three walks and a run scored over the final two games of the Marlins' weekend series versus the Cubs. With Javier Sanoja needed at second base while Xavier Edwards (thumb) is on the shelf, Pauley looks poised to continue seeing the bulk of the reps at third base versus right-handed pitching.

Mathis (undisclosed) has gone 1-for-13 with a stolen base and a 3:5 BB:K in four games for High-A Brooklyn since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list Wednesday.

Mathis missed just under a month due to the unspecified injury and didn't require any rehab appearances in the Florida State League before making his return to Brooklyn. Acquired from the Cubs in late June in the trade that sent left-hander David Peterson to Chicago, Mathis has appeared in just 13 games across three minor-league levels with his new organization and is slashing a collective .119/.283/.143.