MLB Player News

Soto (calf) took live batting practice at Citi Field on Wednesday, Chelsea Janes of SNY.tv reports.

Soto has been out for the past month due to a Grade 2 left calf strain, but he's been running and swinging the bat lately and appears to be closing in on a return to the Mets' active roster. He came back from a right calf strain earlier this season without a rehab assignment and could skip rehab games again, though he missed less than three weeks with the first injury. When healthy, Soto has slashed .283/.408/.539 with 21 home runs and seven steals in 84 contests for the Mets this season.

Kepler is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

After starting in the first two games of the series and going 1-for-7 at the plate between those contests, the left-handed-hitting Kepler will retreat to the bench for the finale while Chicago sends a lefty (Matthew Boyd) to the bump. Arizona will roll out a starting outfield of Ryan Waldschmidt, Jordan Lawlar and Corbin Carroll from left to right.

Lawlar (head) will start in center field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

Lawlar made an early exit from Tuesday's 5-4 win after being struck in the head by a pitch, but his removal from the game was merely a precaution while he was put through concussion tests. Manager Torey Lovullo indicated after the game that Lawlar passed the concussion protocol, and with no symptoms surfacing overnight, the 24-year-old will be ready to play in the series finale. Since being reinstated Aug. 17 after an extended stay on the injured list due to a left hamstring strain, Lawlar has gone 4-for-21 (.190 average) with one home run, three RBI and three runs in seven games.

Conforto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

With lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on the bump for the Diamondbacks, the left-handed-hitting Conforto will retreat to the bench in the series finale. Conforto had made starts at designated hitter in each of the last three games and went 5-for-9 with two home runs and a double, but he could be in danger of moving out of his strong-side platoon role once Matt Shaw (hand) -- who is in the midst of a rehab assignment -- makes his return from the 10-day injured list.

Happ is out of the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Arizona.

The switch-hitting Happ is sporting just a .527 OPS and 34.6 percent strikeout rate this season against left-handed pitching, so he'll get a day off as the Diamondbacks send southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez to the hill. Tyrone Taylor will cover left field for the Cubs.

Lee was scratched from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Reds due to a bruised elbow, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Lee remains sore after being hit by a pitch in the elbow during Tuesday's win over the Reds. The outfielder is considered day-to-day. Grant McCray will step into the Giants' lineup in right field in Lee's place.

McCray will start in right field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Reds, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

With southpaw Nick Lodolo toeing the rubber for the Reds, the left-handed-hitting McCray was initially excluded from the lineup, but he'll wind up starting Wednesday after Jung Hoo Lee (elbow) was a late scratch. After being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, McCray started in right field in the first two games of the series and went 2-for-7 with a double and a triple between those contests.

Gilbert is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

With southpaw Nick Lodolo toeing the rubber for the Reds, Gilbert will head to the bench along with fellow left-handed batters Nate Furman, Jung Hoo Lee (elbow) and Drew Cavanaugh. Jonah Cox will spell Gilbert in center field and will bat leadoff.

Rodriguez will start in right field and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Reds manager Terry Francona is shaking things up a bit as he aims to jumpstart a struggling offense. Rodriguez earned the bump up in the lineup after going 5-for-13 with one home run and one double over his last four contests. It's the first time in his young big-league career that Rodriguez has batted higher than sixth. Usual leadoff man Elly De La Cruz is batting second for the Reds.

Hernandez went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-3 extra-innings loss to the Red Sox.

The 26-year-old outfielder led off the sixth inning by taking Payton Tolle deep and tying the game at 2-2. It was Hernandez's fourth homer in the last 12 games and his 20th of the season, doubling his total from 2025 in only 14 more games. After a disastrous start to the campaign that saw him limp into June with a .571 OPS, Hernandez has come to life and delivered an .850 OPS over his last 66 contests with 18 of his home runs, along with 31 runs and 36 RBI.