MLB Player News

Waldschmidt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

The Diamondbacks will keep Waldschmidt on the bench for the second time in four games, as the rookie has hit a bit of a rough patch. Waldschmidt has struck out at least once in each of his last 10 games and is slashing .211/.250/.316 with no home runs or stolen bases and just one run and one RBI over that stretch.

Suzuki (knee) will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Sunday's game against the Giants.

Though the Cubs will turn to Michael Conforto to cover right field, the right knee issue that forced Suzuki out of Saturday's contest in the fourth inning won't keep him out of the lineup entirely Sunday as he looks to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Given that Suzuki tweaked the same knee in the World Baseball Classic and opened the season on the injured list, it wouldn't be surprising if the Cubs limited him to DH duties for the next few games as a precaution.

The Rockies reinstated Freeman (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Sunday. He'll start in right field and bat second in the Rockies' series finale against the Athletics in Las Vegas.

Colorado optioned Chad Stevens to Triple-A Albuquerque to clear room for Freeman, who ended up missing the minimum amount of time after suffering a concussion June 6. Freeman had been handling a near-everyday role in right field prior to landing on the IL and should be in line for regular playing time now that he's been cleared of the head injury.

Steer is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Steer started the past four games and went 1-for-16 with a homer during that stretch, and his struggles extend beyond that with just one hit in his last eight contests. Noelvi Marte is picking up a start in right field for the series finale versus Arizona.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Cruz (hand) is facing an estimated recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Cruz landed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday after he was diagnosed with non-displaced fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures in his left hand, with the injury stemming from a hard slide in Atlanta last weekend. While Cruz appears likely to avoid surgery on his hand, he'll still need to wait for the fractures to heal before he resumes baseball activities. Given the timeline laid out by Cherington, it wouldn't be surprising if the Pirates opted to hold Cruz out through the All-Star break.

Callihan will start in right field and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Marlins.

The left-handed hitter will be in the lineup for the sixth time in eight games, with both of his absences coming against southpaws. While Oneil Cruz (hand) is on the shelf, the Pirates should have a strong-side platoon role available for Callihan so long as he continues to perform well. The 25-year-old has been sizzling since his May 28 call-up from Triple-A Indianapolis, going 7-for-20 (.350) with five extra-base hits, a stolen base and a 6:6 BB:K over 10 games.

Hernandez will start in left field and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

After recalling Hernandez from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 7, the Marlins had initially been using him as a short-side platoon player. The 26-year-old's hot-hitting ways have allowed him to gain traction against right-handed pitching, however. Hernandez will be included in the starting nine for a third straight matchup versus a righty, with the 26-year-old batting out of the No. 5 spot in each of those contests. He's slashing a robust .313/.338/.563 with five home runs, two steals, 16 RBI and nine runs over 22 games since his call-up.

Merrill went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk versus the Orioles in Saturday's 9-3 win.

Merrill opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the first inning. That was the initial salvo in what would become a five-homer day for San Diego's offense. The long ball was Merrill's second in what has been a rough June so far, as he's slashing just .178/.229/.378 through 11 contests this month. However, four of his eight knocks during that stretch have gone for extra bases, and his 20.8 percent strikeout rate in June is an improvement on his 24.2 percent mark overall on the campaign.

Reynolds went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Saturday against the Marlins.

Reynolds delivered an RBI double in the third inning to give the Pirates the lead and extend his hitting streak to five games. He has two doubles and a home run in that span, continuing a resurgent season. Reynolds is on pace to top both 80 RBI and 80 runs scored thanks to a .265 batting average and .386 OBP across 306 plate appearances.

Johnston went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Saturday against the Athletics.

Johnston delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning and tallied another base knock four frames later before getting pulled for a pinch runner. It was his sixth multi-hit performance in his last 12 games, and Johnston has hit .348 with seven RBI and five runs scored in that span. He has an impressive .316 batting average across 249 plate appearances for the campaign.