MLB Player News

Walker (knee) will start in right field and bat second in Friday's game versus the Rockies.

Walker missed the last two games and got an additional day of rest Thursday when the Cardinals were idle, which was enough to get him over the hump with his right knee inflammation. The 24-year-old has tallied three straight multi-hit games, but he's still looking for his first home run of the second half.

George underwent knee surgery Friday and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

George initially injured his knee in late May when he jumped out of the way to avoid a bat dog who had run onto the field to retrieve a bat. George ended up returning sooner than expected and played well following the injury, posting an .817 OPS with 10 stolen bases (in 13 attempts) over 17 games from June 24 to July 30. However, it appears the knee issue never fully went away, and George ultimately needed to get a scope procedure to ensure proper healing. He played in 55 games for Double-A Tulsa this season, slashing .332/.418/.399 with no homers, 20 RBI, 63 runs and 33 stolen bases (in 38 tries). According to Harris, George is expected to be 100 percent by spring training next year.

Cruz (hand) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Cruz has finally been cleared to test things out in a game setting after missing two months with a fractured left hand. The center fielder would ideally be given a handful of rehab contests to knock the rust off, but the Pirates might not have the luxury of taking things slowly as they fight for a playoff spot. Cruz slashed .264/.350/.472 with 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 64 games for Pittsburgh before getting hurt.

Benge went 3-for-6 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Guardians.

The rookie outfielder looks increasingly comfortable in the majors. Benge has hit safely in nine of the last 10 games, batting .351 (13-for-37) over that stretch with two doubles, a triple, two homers, a steal, four RBI and six runs.

Robert went 3-for-6 with two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Guardians.

The veteran center fielder had managed just three total hits in his prior nine games while batting .103 (3-for-29), but he broke out Thursday with his first multi-hit effort since April 18. It's been another injury-plagued campaign for Robert, and over 149 plate appearances he's eked out a .203/.289/.316 slash line with four homers, two steals, 12 RBI and 16 runs.

Pinckney went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Phillies.

Making his first MLB start and second appearance, Pinckney cut the Nats' deficit to 6-2 in the fourth inning with his first big-league hit, a 402-foot blast off Cristopher Sanchez. The 25-year-old outfielder was recalled from Triple-A Rochester after James Wood (oblique) landed on the IL earlier in the week. Pinckney figures to see most of his playing time against left-handed pitching, though he does offer some intriguing upside after slashing .271/.345/.425 with 13 homers and 18 steals in 94 Triple-A games this season.

Harris went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, three runs scored and two RBI in Thursday's win over the Marlins.

The triple was Harris' first of the season, and the center fielder is up to 45 extra-base hits (including 24 doubles and 20 homers) through just 109 games. Over 20 contests since the All-Star break, Harris has delivered a .280/.294/.549 slash line with four long balls, 13 runs and 13 RBI.

Dubon went 4-for-4 with a double, a walk, a run, two RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 11-3 victory versus Miami.

The Marlins were unable to stop Dubon from getting on base, as the utility man recorded his first four-hit performance of the season. He's collected three mutli-hit efforts across his past five games and is batting .529 (9-for-17) while scoring five times and logging three steals over that span. Dubon is getting regular playing time with six starts over Atlanta's past eight contests, and he's already set a career high with 58 RBI through 445 plate appearances.

Acuna went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBI in an 11-3 win over the Marlins on Thursday.

Acuna's homers weren't exactly moonshots -- one was the result of two Marlins outfielders colliding and knocking the ball over the wall, and the other traveled an estimated 337 feet -- but they counted all the same. It was the second multi-homer game of the season for the star outfielder and the 16th time he's achieved the feat in his career. Acuna is slashing .244/.358/.436 with 11 home runs, 27 RBI, 39 runs and 15 stolen bases through 63 contests on the campaign.

Chourio went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Pirates.

Chourio wasted little time getting Milwaukee on the board, taking Braxton Ashcraft deep in the first inning to open the scoring. The blast was his second homer of the series and his 15th on the season. Chourio has started August on a solid note, batting 7-for-21 (.333) through six games, with his two home runs accounting for all three of his RBI during that stretch.