Slumping Richie Palacios sits against right-hander

Giménez is back at shortstop and hitting eighth following a relatively brief two-game absence with hamstring soreness.

It qualifies as a mild surprise to see Pederson out of the lineup considering his familiarity with former Angels starter José Soriano. He probably would’ve been in the lineup if he were ready from a health standpoint. He’s sitting out his sixth consecutive game after being diagnosed with a fracture in his left hand. He’s aiming to make it back in time for the postseason, which seems like a fairly strong possibility. There’s been zero indication that the Rangers are considering putting him on the injured list.

Caglianone has been limited to DH, ostensibly splitting time with Salvador Perez in the process, since suffering a flexor strain earlier this month that has caused him to miss eight of their last 11 games.

Martínez is back patrolling left field and hitting fifth after missing a pair of games earlier this week with right side inflammation. The 24-year-old corner outfielder enters the final stretch of the year hitting .248/.285/.443 with 15 homers, 53 RBI and 11 steals in just 385 plate appearances.

It’s a best-case scenario after Ashcraft hit the injured list with arm discomfort last week. The 26-year-old righty should have a normal offseason and be ready for the start of spring training.

Walcott will finish the year on the doorstop of the majors after going 4-for-11 with one homer and four steals during a three-game playoff series for Double-A Frisco, which wrapped up on Friday night. The 20-year-old phenom missed most of the year after undergoing elbow surgery back in the spring, but he’s looked like one of the top fantasy prospects in the game since returning back in mid-July. He’s hit .322/.398/.585 with nine homers and 11 steals in 171 plate appearances at the Double-A level this year. He has a chance to arrive in the majors at some point next season.

McCambley bolsters Cincinnati’s pitching depth for the remainder of their current series against the Cubs. The 27-year-old has allowed four runs over 8 2/3 innings of work at the highest level this season.

Friedl has been demoted to make room for recent waiver wire additional Oswaldo Cabrera on Cincinnati’s roster. The 31-year-old outfielder has hit just .172/.255/.255 with four homers and five steals in 272 plate appearances.

Aguiar returns to the minors after being called up for Friday’s game against the Cubs. He allowed two runs over three innings during his season debut.

Pérez returns to New York’s relief mix for the final week of the year after missing nearly three months recovering from a forearm strain. The 30-year-old southpaw has posted a respectable 4.21 ERA across 25 2/3 innings for the Mets this season.