MLB Player News

The Reds recalled Johnson from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Johnson went 0-for-5 at the dish during a previous stint in the majors. The 27-year-old utility player is grabbing the roster spot vacated by the injured Spencer Steer (wrist) and is likely to operate in a reserve role.

Merrill went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-3 win against Miami on Sunday.

Merrill came up big in the eighth inning, snapping 3-3 tie with a solo blast to right-center field. It was the outfielder's fifth long ball over his past eight games after we went deep just 10 times across his first his first 95 contests of the campaign. During the aforementioned eight-game stretch, Merrill is slashing a robust .433/.438/1.000 with seven runs, eight RBI and a stolen base.

Atlanta optioned Hicklen to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

Hicklen has gone 7-for-19 during his limited chances with the big club, but he hasn't played much lately and his reps would have dipped further with Ronald Acuna coming off the injured list. The 30-year-old will report to Gwinnett, where he will see more regular playing time.

Atlanta activated Acuna (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Acuna has been cleared to return to action after missing more than a month with a left hamstring strain. He split time between right field and designated hitter while on a rehab assignment, but Atlanta plans for Acuna to go back to being its everyday right fielder.

Nootbaar (illness) drew a walk and fouled out in two plate appearances off the bench in Sunday's 5-3 extra-inning loss to the Reds.

Nootbaar didn't start Sunday's game after exiting Saturday's 7-0 win when he experienced dehydration and lightheadedness. However, his absence from the lineup Sunday likely had more to do with the Reds starting a lefty (Andrew Abbott), as Nootbaar entered the game once Abbott exited. Nootbaar will be available to play Monday against the Cubs, though with lefty David Peterson slated to start, Nootbaar isn't guaranteed to be included in the lineup.

Atlanta will activate Acuna (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday's game against the Mets, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

Acuna has been shelved since mid-June with a left hamstring strain, his second hamstring-related absence this season. He played nine rehab contests, going 6-for-26 with one home run and a 6:6 BB:K. In 53 games with Atlanta this season, Acuna has slashed .251/.373/.421 with seven home runs and 15 stolen bases.

Taylor went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a hit-by-pitch in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Dodgers.

Taylor delivered a big swing in the sixth inning, taking Evan Phillips deep for a three-run homer that gave the Mets the lead. The blast was his eighth of the season. The veteran outfielder has heated up at the plate, going 8-for-20 (.400) with three home runs over his last 10 games. On the season, Taylor is slashing .237/.281/.481 with eight home runs, eight doubles, 23 RBI and 17 runs scored.

Stowers went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Padres.

After doubling in his first plate appearance, Stowers took Walker Buehler deep for a solo homer, giving him 13 long balls on the season. The outfielder entered Sunday in a slump, batting just .152 over his previous 12 games, making the multi-hit effort a welcome sign. Through 81 games this season, Stowers owns a .234/.315/.441 slash line with 18 doubles, three triples, 45 RBI, 37 runs scored and one stolen base.

Valdez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk, two runs scored and two RBI on Sunday against the Cubs.

Valdez continued to power the Pirates' offense, first delivering a solo home run in the second inning and then an RBI single three frames later. He continues to have an extreme boom-or-bust profile, as he's struck out at a 38.9 percent clip since the start of July. On the other hand, he has eight home runs, 24 RBI and 16 runs scored across 20 games in that span.

Wood went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and a walk in Sunday's 10-7 win over the Diamondbacks.

It was Wood's fifth career multi-homer game and his first of the season. The All-Star outfielder has been sensational in July, batting .311 with nine big flies, four doubles, one triple, 20 RBI and 18 walks over 74 at-bats on the month. He's been a five-category superstar all season, slashing .271/.396/.557 with 30 long balls, 72 RBI, 15 stolen bases and an MLB-high 96 runs scored across 498 plate appearances.