MLB Player News

Rivas went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Brewers.

The Cubs found just enough offense to win against Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes, and Rivas helped lead the way from the leadoff spot. The 25-year-old has been a pleasant surprise so far this season with a .429 batting average and 1.139 OPS through nine games. Rivas has started three of the team's last four contests, with the exception being a Saturday matchup against Brewers' lefty Eric Lauer. A first-base platoon seems to be forming in Chicago, with the left-handed hitting Rivas on the strong side. Frank Schwindel will likely be the preferred option against southpaws and can also serve as the DH when Rivas starts, which was the alignment Sunday.

Cron went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's win over the Reds.

Colorado put up a six spot in the first inning, and Cron did his part with a laser off Reiver Sanmartin, Cron's NL-leading eighth homer already this season. He will get to enjoy some more home cooking against the Nationals early this coming week before the Rockies head out on the road.

Walker went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two strikeouts in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Cardinals.

Walker tied the game at 2-2 with his solo shot off Cardinals starter Jordan Hicks. While Walker's slugged five homers in 22 games this season, the rest of his stat line leaves something to be desired. He's slashing only .152/.230/.380 with eight RBI and 11 runs scored through 87 plate appearances. The first baseman is just 2-for-21 in his last six contests.

Montero was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Montero earned his first big-league call-up Friday, and he made his MLB debut in Sunday's win over the Reds. He went 2-for-4 with two strikeouts but will head back to Albuquerque since the Rockies need to trim their active roster to 26 players by Monday. If Colorado deals with more injuries, it wouldn't be surprising to see Montero back in the majors at some point.

Smith will start at first base and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Smith will pick up his second start in a row after he went 0-for-3 with a walk in Saturday's 4-1 loss. Though Smith has submitted a poor .489 OPS through 44 plate appearances on the season, the Mets could be more inclined to find him at-bats at designated hitter at the expense of Robinson Cano, who owns a comparable .501 OPS but is more than a decade older. Cano is on the bench for the fourth time in five games as the Mets continue to cycle in a number of different players at DH, with Pete Alonso getting a turn there Sunday while Smith plays the field.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Saturday that Wade (knee) could be available to return from the 10-day injured list during the Giants' two-game series with the Dodgers that begins Tuesday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports. "The schedule has him playing more games in Triple-A to make sure he feels comfortable doing everything necessary to help us on the field," Kapler said of Wade. "We'll see when his earliest availability is. In theory that could be at some point in the Dodgers series."

Kapler's comments came after Wade made his fifth rehab appearance with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. For the first time during his stint in the minors, Wade played a full nine-inning game in the outfield Saturday, and he finished with a double and three walks across his six plate appearances. Wade certainly looks to have moved past the knee injury based on his performance at the dish, as he's submitted a 1.238 OPS over his 21 plate appearances at Triple-A. Whenever he's reinstated from the IL, Wade should reclaim a strong-side platoon role in the outfield.

Torkelson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.

Harold Castro will draw the start at first base while Torkelson exits the lineup for the first time since April 11. The rookie's move to the bench comes after a rough four-game stretch in which he went 1-for-14 with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Calhoun is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.

The lefty-hitting Calhoun will bow out of the lineup with southpaw Kyle Muller on the hill for Atlanta, ending a streak of five consecutive starts for the veteran outfielder. He went 2-for-18 over that stretch to sink his season-long slash line to an ugly .164/.193/.182 across 57 plate appearances.

Rizzo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

Rizzo will get a well-deserved breather after he started in each of the Yankees' last 11 games while turning in a monstrous 1.195 OPS fueled by six home runs and three doubles. DJ LeMahieu will fill in for Rizzo as the Yankees' first baseman.

Vaughn (hand) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels.

Vaughn will take a seat for the second straight game due to the right hand injury he suffered in Friday's 5-1 loss in the series opener, though he's not dealing with any structural damage after X-rays returned negative. According to James Fegan of The Athletic, manager Tony La Russa said Vaughn's hand is still sore, but the 24-year-old has been able to swing the bat and may be allowed to pinch hit Sunday. Even if Vaughn goes unused off the bench Sunday, he could still rejoin the lineup for Monday's series finale.