Jeimer Candelario's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Cincinnati Reds infielder Jeimer Candelario (hamstring) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting third for the Reds on Sunday in the series finale against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals and veteran right-hander Lance Lynn. Hamstring tendonitis caused Candelario to be held out in each of the team's last four games, but he'll return to close out the series. Fantasy managers may want to keep him on their bench, though, as he's hitting just .188 with a .725 OPS with a solo home run in 16 career at-bats against Lynn. The 30-year-old Candelario is most likely to see most of his playing time moving forward at DH or first base with rookie Noelvi Marte expected to be Cincy's regular third baseman the rest of the way. He's hitting .245 (66-for-269) and has been a solid source of power (14 homers) in his first year with the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Jeimer Candelario (hamstring) remains out of the team's starting lineup on Saturday as they take on the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals for Game 2 of the weekend series. The good news is that manager David Bell said on Friday that Candelario is expected to return to the field on Sunday. With the 30-year-old sitting out another game, rookie infielder Noelvi Marte will make a second straight start at third base and will hit fifth in the order against Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray. Marte was reinstated on Thursday after serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and made an immediate impact, going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI before going 0-for-4 on Friday with a strikeout in a 1-0 loss. Even when Candelario returns from his hamstring injury, Marte is expected to be a regular in Cincy's lineup the rest of the year.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario (knee) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The switch-hitter will miss his third game in a row due to right knee tendinitis. The organization hasn't mentioned anything about a stint on the injured list, but the Reds might be forced to make a move soon. In the meantime, Noelvi Marte will cover the hot corner while Spencer Steer takes over first base on Friday.