MLB Player News

Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, a walk and a second run scored in Saturday's 11-5 win over the Giants.

Hernandez has homered in three straight games, bringing his total for the year up to 13. His sixth-inning blast Saturday stretched the Dodgers' lead to 10-0. The outfielder's return to power and consistency at the plate has him at a .267/.300/.516 slash line with 50 RBI, 36 runs scored and five stolen bases over 56 contests after a brief slump in early June.

Gurriel went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-7 win over the Padres.

Gurriel has hit safely in 10 of his 12 games in June, going 13-for-44 (.295) with three extra-base hits and two steals. The outfielder has logged two of his five thefts this season over his last four games. He's up to a .259/.305/.438 slash line with 10 home runs, 38 RBI, 24 runs scored, 13 doubles and a triple over 65 contests while seeing a near-everyday role in left field.

Merrill exited Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks with an apparent head injury, Fox Sports reports.

Merrill attempted to steal second base in the seventh inning but was tagged in the head area. He stayed on the ground for a considerable amount of time before walking off the field with trainers. After the game, manager Mike Shildt described Merrill as "woozy" but said there had been no decision about whether he'll enter the concussion protocol, per 93.7 The Fan.

Kepler went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks and an additional run scored in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.

Kepler broke a 2-2 tie with what proved to be a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. After opening June in a 1-for-18 slump, the 32-year-old has hit safely in four straight games with four extra-base hits, four RBI and five runs scored. On the season, he's slashing .214/.303/.398 with eight home runs, 25 RBI and 29 runs scored across 234 plate appearances, and he continues to sit regularly against left-handed pitching.

Sanchez went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Nationals.

Getting the start in right field and batting leadoff, Sanchez took Brad Lord deep in the seventh inning for his sixth homer of the season. Sanchez has been very productive to kick off the month of June, driving in at least one run in eight of 11 games with 12 total RBI to go along with four doubles, two home runs, six runs scored and a .286 batting average (12-for-42).

Heyward (oblique) began a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on Friday, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Heyward's appearance Friday was his first game action since May 22. The veteran outfielder landed on the injured list two days later due to a strained left oblique, and it's unclear how many games he'll play with El Paso before he's ready to be activated. Heyward slotted in as the DH during his first rehab contest, so the Padres may want him to play the field at least once before bringing him back to the big club.

The Reds designated Hurtubise for assignment Saturday.

Since being optioned to Triple-A on May 9, Hurtubise has slashed .115/.267/.180 across 76 plate appearances. His poor performance will now cost him his spot on the 40-man roster, and he'll be replaced by Ryan Vilade, who was claimed off waivers from St. Louis on Saturday.

The Reds claimed Vilade off waivers from the Cardinals on Saturday.

The Cardinals pushed Vilade off their 40-man roster Thursday after he went just 1-for-13 during his seven-game tenure with the big-league club. The Reds, however, were evidently intrigued by his .851 OPS in the minors, so they'll bring him onto their 40-man roster and send him to Triple-A Louisville. Jacob Hurtubise was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

The Cardinals optioned Siani to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

With Jordan Walker (wrist) returning from the injured list Saturday, Siani will end up as the odd man out of a spot on the Cardinals' bench. The 25-year-old outfielder has gone 4-for-17 while appearing in 19 MLB games this season and owns a .799 OPS across 133 plate appearances in Triple-A.

The Cardinals reinstated Walker (wrist) from the injured list Saturday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Walker appeared to be trending toward returning to the active roster Tuesday, but he'll instead arrive a bit earlier than expected and start in right field Saturday against Milwaukee. The 23-year-old outfielder turned in a .215/.273/.310 slash line across 172 plate appearances before getting injured in late May, and he's likely to fill in as outfield depth now that he's healthy. Michael Siani was optioned to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move.