Asdrubal

Cabrera

He’s presumably getting a breather. Asdrubal Cabrera will cover first base duties and bat fifth against Sonny Gray.

The D-backs will get a little salary relief and the Reds will add a versatile infielder as they chase a playoff spot. Cabrera, 35, has batted .244/.324/.392 with seven home runs over 90 games for Arizona this season.

The move was first reported by Jon Heyman of MLB Network and has now been made official. Cabrera has put up a .244/.324/.392 batting line with seven home runs over 90 games in the minors this season. The 35-year-old will give the Reds some defensive versatility and a veteran presence with plenty of postseason experience.

Cabrera remains serviceable, but one wonders if the Diamondbacks are really best served by using him so frequently at the expense of younger players. He’s fourth on the team in plate appearances this month. Meanwhile, Pavin Smith and Josh Van Meter both were benched against a righty tonight.

Cabrera has been out since early July due to a right hamstring strain. He’ll take over the vacated roster spot of infielder Josh Rojas, who has been sent to the injured list due to a dislocated finger. The 35-year-old journeyman infielder is hitting .240/.332/.385 with five homers and one steal across 223 plate appearances this season.

Cabrera, 35, has been the subject of trade rumors, but a trade won’t be happening until after he comes off the injured list. He’ll be out through the break, and then should be ready to go -- if there are no setbacks -- near the end of July.

The Mets have recently sent out scouts to watch the veteran infielder, who played with the Mets from 2016 to 2018. With Jeff McNeil and Jonathan Villar back in the fold though -- and J.D. Davis on his way soon -- infield depth may not linger as the club’s biggest need heading into the trade deadline.

Cabrera picked up an RBI single off Sammy Long in the third inning to get the Diamondbacks on the scoreboard. The wizened veteran is currently slashing .251/.348/.402 with five home runs and 28 RBI over the course of 59 games played. Cabrera brings a nice, experienced presence to the locker room, but has no fit in fantasy at this juncture of his career.

Escobar hasn’t started a game since suffering a slight strain of his right quad on Sunday, though he did appear as a pinch hitter on Tuesday night. Asdrubal Cabrera is playing third base and batting fifth for Arizona in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale versus the Brewers and right-hander Brandon Woodruff.

Escobar suffered the injury on Sunday. He is not in Monday’s lineup, but the infielder is available off the bench and intends to play through the malady. Asdrubal Cabrera is at third base Monday and Josh Rojas is at second.