MLB Player News

Nootbaar went 2-for-5 with three RBI in Thursday's 10-6 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Nootbaar kept a first-inning rally going with an RBI single after each of the three hitters before him reached safely with a hit. He later added a two-RBI single in the ninth as the Cardinals attempted to chip away at Arizona's sizable advantage. Nootbaar is 5-for-22 through the first six games since the All-Star break while filling a strong-side platoon role in left field.

Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Thursday that he expects Acuna (hamstring) to be activated from the 10-day injured list before the end of this weekend, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Acuna will play his eighth and likely final rehab game Thursday with Triple-A Gwinnett. A return to the active roster Friday is possible, though the club could elect to give Acuna a day to rest before activating him later in the weekend. The star outfielder has been sidelined since early June due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain.

Edman went 3-for-4 with a triple, a run and three RBI in Wednesday's 9-5 win over Philadelphia.

Edman's biggest hit was a bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning that doubled what had been a three-run Dodgers lead. The utility man has continued to hit well since returning from the All-Star break, slashing .421/.500/.737 with one home run, six RBI and five runs over six games. Overall, Edman has an impressive .974 OPS with two long balls, five doubles, two triples, 16 runs, 17 RBI and two stolen bases through 100 plate appearances.

Lee went 1-for-4 with an RBI triple and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Royals.

Lee hit an RBI triple in the seventh inning before coming around to score, giving the Giants a 3-0 lead. The 27-year-old outfielder has recorded at least one hit in five of his last six games, batting .304 with four runs scored and an RBI in 25 plate appearances over that stretch. Overall, he's slashing .302/.335/.427 with 50 runs scored, 34 RBI, six stolen bases and five long balls across 376 plate appearances this season.

Schmitt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Royals.

The infielder took Steven Cruz deep with two outs in the ninth inning, but the Giants couldn't find an equalizer afterward. Schmitt is up to 20 homers on the season, including four in 17 contests in July, but his .229/.280/.429 slash line on the month is less appealing.

Merrill is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in Atlanta.

Southpaw ace Chris Sale is on the bump for Atlanta, so the left-handed-hitting Merrill will begin the contest on the bench. Jase Bowen will grab a start in center field in the series finale.

Suzuki went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Tigers.

Suzuki provided all of Chicago's offense in the first inning when he delivered his 17th home run of the season. The talented outfielder has hit five of those long balls in 16 games this month, and he's sporting a robust .996 OPS in July. Suzuki seems poised to once again post big numbers as a key cog of Chicago's potent offensive attack.

Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Astros.

Hernandez has three multi-hit efforts over six games since the All-Star break, going 8-for-25 (.320) despite striking out 10 times in that span. He's also logged two steals since the break and has seven thefts on nine attempts this year. The outfielder is batting .246 with a .793 OPS, 13 home runs, 37 RBI, 25 runs scored, 10 doubles and one triple over 254 plate appearances. Hernandez is seeing steady playing time as Miami's primary left fielder.

Ruiz went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Astros.

Ruiz's playing time remains fairly sparse. That hasn't stopped him from racking up six steals over 13 contests in July despite going just 5-for-25 (.200) at the plate this month. The speedy outfielder is now batting .243 with an .836 OPS, five home runs, 22 steals, 10 RBI and 25 runs scored across 128 plate appearances. He doesn't have an everyday spot in the lineup but has seen fairly steady playing time versus left-handers recently.

Pages went 1-for-5 with one run scored and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Phillies.

Pages posted his first two-steal effort of the campaign, swiping both bags in the eighth inning. The All-Star starter has hit safely in five of six games since returning from the break, though he has also struck out nine times in that span. For the year, he's slashing .268/.333/.459 with 17 homers, 68 RBI, 60 runs scored and 10 steals across 438 plate appearances.