MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.

The left-handed-hitting Smith will retreat to the bench while the Mets send a lefty starter (Zac Thornton) to the bump Monday, but Smith will likely be headed for a reduction in playing time against right-handed pitching, too. With Atlanta welcoming Ronald Acuna (hamstring) back from the injured list Monday, Mike Yastrzemski could end up seeing most of his playing time at designated hitter, which would leave Smith as an odd man out of the lineup. Smith has been serviceable against righties with a 103 wRC+ on the season, but he's produced an underwhelming overall batting line of .220/.316/.300 over 18 games in July.

Polanco is not in the Mets' starting lineup against Atlanta on Monday.

Polanco has struggled at the plate in his six games since the All-Star break, going 1-for-21 with eight strikeouts and one RBI in that span. He'll be on the bench for the beginning of Monday's game while Francisco Alvarez serves as the designated hitter and bats fifth.

Pederson went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI during Monday's 7-3 win over Seattle.

Pederson got the Rangers on the board early with a leadoff homer off George Kirby before adding a three-run blast in the second inning to extend Texas' lead to 4-1. It was the second multi-HR game of the season for Pederson and brought him up to 19 long balls on the year, which is more than double is total from 2025 (nine). He's in the midst of a 10-game on-base streak, during which he has gone 14-for-36 (.389) with one steal, five home runs and nine RBI.

Del Castillo will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Monday's game against the Pirates.

Del Castillo will be included in the lineup for a fourth straight matchup with a right-handed starter or primary pitcher, after going 4-for-11 with a double, a stolen base, three runs and an RBI over his prior three starts. The 26-year-old will need to produce well at the plate in order to continue receiving steady at-bats versus righties, but he'll have a path to playing time while Arizona has three key hitters (Lourdes Gurriel, Jordan Lawlar and Tommy Troy) on the shelf.

The Orioles recalled Pozo from Double-A Chesapeake on Monday.

Baltimore optioned Pozo to the minors after claiming him off waivers from St. Louis last week, but after playing in just two games at Double-A, he's been summoned to the big club. The Orioles designated Sam Huff in a corresponding move, leaving Pozo and Chadwick Tromp as their two backstops while Adley Rutschman (wrist) and Samuel Basallo (shoulder) are on the shelf. While Tromp has more experience handling the Orioles' pitching staff, he's produced a weak .577 OPS over parts of seven seasons in the majors, so it wouldn't be surprising if Pozo gets a look as the team's top backstop until one of Rutschman or Basallo returns. Pozo owns a .637 OPS across 278 career big-league plate appearances and slashed .231/.255/.385 in 23 games between two minor-league stops this season.

Smith went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Sunday's extra-innings win over the Orioles.

The veteran slugger gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead with RBI singles in the second and fourth innings in an eventual 11-inning victory. It was Smith's first multi-hit performance since June 19, and over 57 plate appearances in July he's managed just a .220/.316/.300 slash line with one homer and nine RBI. Ronald Acuna's return from the IL on Monday will crowd Atlanta's playing time picture even further, and Smith seems likely to lose at-bats against right-handed pitching to Mike Yastrzemski, who is set to get more action at DH rather than in a corner outfield spot.

Soler went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Giants.

After recording an RBI groundout in the first inning, Soler opened the fourth frame with a 419-foot rocket to straightaway center field for his 12th homer of the campaign. The veteran slugger had been mired in a power drought, with his last homer before Sunday's blast coming June 24 against the Orioles. Soler has struggled with consistency at the plate this season, slashing .202/.288/.374 with 27 extra-base hits, 47 RBI and 36 runs across 82 contests.

Canzone went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer, a double and an additional RBI in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Rangers.

Canzone rattled off three hits, with his most important one being a three-run homer in the seventh inning to put the Mariners ahead 4-3. The 28-year-old has had a tame July, slashing .219/.286/.391 with three homers, 12 RBI and five runs scored across 16 contests, but he has otherwise been among the club's top offensive performers this season. Overall, Canzone is hitting .260/.332/.512 with 16 homers, 46 RBI and 35 runs scored over 91 games.

Herrera went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-3 extra-inning loss to the Reds.

Herrera logged multiple hits for the second game in a row. He also ended a 14-game power drought when he went yard in the third inning off Andrew Abbott. Herrera is batting .244 with a .748 OPS, 12 home runs, 44 RBI, 65 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple and six stolen bases over 104 contests this season. He continues to see steady time between catcher and designated hitter.

Lowe went 3-for-5 with two RBI in Sunday's 5-3 extra-inning win over the Cardinals.

Lowe has gone 8-for-25 (.320) with two home runs and seven RBI over six games since the All-Star break. While he's still in a part-time role, he's heating up with the bat, which could help him carve out more playing time in a battle with Eugenio Suarez and others. He could also benefit from Spencer Steer's wrist injury, which forced his removal from Sunday's contest. Ultimately, Lowe is expected to be moved by the trade deadline next week. Overall, Lowe is batting .256 with an .808 OPS, 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 23 runs scored, 13 doubles and no stolen bases over 249 plate appearances, mainly as a strong-side platoon option.