MLB Player News

Soto (hand) is in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Soto was plunked on his right hand in the ninth inning Saturday, but X-rays were negative and he will tough it out for the Mets' season finale. Now a five-time All-Star, Soto has an OPS north of .900 for the fourth consecutive season, though a couple of IL stints ate into his counting stats in 2026.

Walker will make his first career start in the leadoff spot Sunday against the Brewers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Walker has primarily hit third or fourth for St. Louis in 2026, but the Cardinals will move him to the leadoff spot for the season finale, which should get the outfielder an extra at-bat or two as he tries to reach an even 30 homers for the year. The 24-year-old has put together a fantastic season overall, though he's regressed sharply to .238/.291/.379 since the All-Star break.

Carrigg went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored Saturday against the White Sox.

It was a big offensive day for the Rockies, and Carrigg did his part with his ninth multi-hit performance across 23 games in September. Much of that production has come at Coors Field, but Carrigg contributed an RBI single in the ninth inning while also tallying his 22nd double of the season in Saturday's win at Rate Field. Overall, Carrigg is ending his rookie season in strong form, hitting .330 with five homers, 16 RBI and 11 runs scored for the month.

Merrill went 2-for-4 with a walk, one RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored in Saturday's 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks.

Merrill ended a stretch of eight games without a multi-hit effort, a span in which he hit .200 with three extra-base hits. The outfielder hadn't stolen a base since Sept. 11 versus the Giants. Merrill has generally found success on the basepaths this season, going 27-for-31 on steal attempts. He's added 26 home runs, 87 RBI, 86 runs scored, 26 doubles and five triples while batting .254 with a .743 OPS across a career-high 158 games in his third campaign in the majors.

Harris went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and three runs scored in an 8-3 win over Miami on Saturday.

After a slow start to the month of September, Harris is heating up just in time for the postseason, The center fielder has picked up multiple hits in seven of his last 13 games, while two of his four-hit attacks on the year have come during that span. He's hitting .294 with a career-high 26 big flies, 36 doubles, 87 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 79 runs scored over 591 at-bats in a bounce-back campaign.

Benge went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Nationals.

The rookie outfielder is ending his first big-league season on a tear, recording multiple hits in six of the last 12 games while batting .375 (18-for-48) with three doubles, three homers, seven RBI and 10 runs. Benge has posted a .280/.344/.429 slash line through 590 plate appearances, and along the way became the first Mets rookie in history with a 20-20 season. The 23-year-old has cemented his place as one of the foundation pieces for the lineup.

Church (foot) will start in center field and bat ninth Saturday against Milwaukee.

Foot soreness prevented Church from starting Friday's series opener, but he seems to be feeling well enough to return to action after a day of rest. The 26-year-old will aim to finish the season strong after batting .307 over 22 games since the beginning of September.

Soto was removed from Saturday's game against the Nationals after getting hit on the hand by a pitch, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Soto was taken out of the game immediately after taking a 91.7-mph sinker off his right hand in the ninth inning. The Mets will likely send him in for imaging and should provide an update on his status in the near future, but with just one game left in the season and the Mets out of the playoff picture, he may sit out New York's season finale if he's still feeling sore Sunday.

Cruz was removed from Saturday's game against the Tigers due to an apparent injury, Dominic Campbell of SI.com reports.

Cruz's knee seemed to be bothering him after his foot got stuck in the grass while he made a sliding catch in the first inning, and he was eventually taken out of the game in the third. The Pirates should provide more information on his status in the near future, but with just one game left on the schedule after Saturday, Pittsburgh may opt to keep him on the sidelines no matter what.

Davidson went 1-for-3 in Friday's 2-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Davidson hit a single in the seventh inning, accounting for one of San Francisco's three hits Friday. He's recorded a hit in each of his first four big-league games, slashing .308/.357/.308 with two runs scored and a stolen base in 14 plate appearances. The 24-year-old figures to continue receiving regular opportunities over the Giants' final two games of the year.