MLB Player News

Eldridge went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and two walks in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Nationals.

Eldridge tacked on a ninth-inning long ball to put a bow on a good individual performance, though it wasn't enough for the Giants. The 21-year-old has really come around with steady playing time lately, going 19-for-43 (.442) over his last 12 contests. He's batting .300 with an .885 OPS, three homers, eight RBI, 15 runs scored, eight doubles and no stolen bases over 104 plate appearances. As long as Casey Schmitt is filling a full-time role in left field to cover the absence of Heliot Ramos (quadriceps), there's room for Eldridge in the lineup on a near-everyday basis as well. At this point, Eldridge has hit well enough to make it tough to sit him.

Andujar (hamstring) isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds.

Andujar will miss a second consecutive start Tuesday after leaving Sunday's game early due to a hamstring injury. His absence will allow Will Wagner to bat fifth while working as San Diego's designated hitter.

The Cubs optioned Alcantara to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The 23-year-old outfielder will lose his place on the active roster to make room for Matt Shaw's return from the injured list. Alcantara owns a .906 OPS across 180 plate appearances in the minors, but he's gone just 1-for-9 with a walk and four strikeouts in 12 games at the major-league level this year.

Thompson is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.

Thompson will hit the bench for a third straight game, with two of his absences during that span coming against right-handed starting pitchers. Since being promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 22, Thompson has gotten on base at a strong .364 clip, but he's hit for little power (.297 slugging percentage) over 15 games. The Rockies seem to be prioritizing Edouard Julien ahead of Thompson for the final spot in their lineup, so it wouldn't be surprising if Thompson were sent back to Albuquerque in the near future while his playing time continues to slip.

Eldridge went 2-for-5 with an RBI double and a run scored in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals.

Eldridge singled in the sixth inning and later hit an RBI double in the eighth before coming around to score. The 21-year-old has reached base safely in each of his last 15 appearances, batting .392 with 13 runs scored, five RBI, one home run and an 8:11 BB:K in 60 plate appearances during that span. Overall, he's slashing .287/.364/.448 with 14 runs scored, seven RBI and two long balls across 99 plate appearances this season.

Andujar (hamstring) is not in the Padres' starting lineup against the Reds on Monday.

Andujar tweaked his hamstring during the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the Mets. He'll be out of the lineup for at least one game but could be available to pinch hit for Monday's game, per Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Gavin Sheets will as the Padres' designated hitter in Andujar's absence.

The Cubs are expected to option Alcantara to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Tommy Birch of tThe Des Moines Register reports.

Alcantara has hardly played during his two-plus weeks in the big leagues and made a major baserunning blunder in Sunday's loss to the Giants. The 23-year-old doesn't have anything left to prove at Iowa, where he's hit .242/.339/.567 with 15 home runs this season. That being said, his opportunities with the Cubs have been few and far between, and he might need a change of scenery at this point.

Melendez went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Padres.

Getting the start in left field while Juan Soto got a partial rest as the DH, Melendez took Yuki Matsui deep in the sixth inning -- his fourth homer of the year, and first against a left-handed pitcher. The 27-year-old also made a spectacular diving catch in the second inning to rob Miguel Andujar of extra bases. Melendez hasn't had a multi-hit performance since May 6, batting just .098 (5-for-51) over his last 25 games with a 30.6 percent strikeout rate, but he remains in a battle for playing time with Mark Vientos, who isn't doing much better at the plate over the last few weeks.

Del Castillo has gone 1-for-3 at the plate while making no starts and being used off the bench in just two of Arizona's last eight games.

After joining the Diamondbacks on April 3 following a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season, Del Castillo had seen fairly steady playing time against right-handed pitching between designated hitter and catcher over the ensuing two months. However, his opportunities to catch began to dry up once Gabriel Moreno coming off the IL on May 1, and Del Castillo's playing time at DH has now dwindled over the past week with Pavin Smith returning from the shelf. With Arizona signing Max Kepler to a one-year deal Sunday, Del Castillo will likely face an even more difficult path to receiving at-bats once Kepler is eligible to join the Diamondbacks on June 25 upon completing his 80-game suspension.

Andujar was removed from Sunday's contest versus the Mets in the seventh inning due to a hamstring injury, Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Andujar reached on an infield single in the bottom of the seventh frame and was removed for pinch runner Bryce Johnson. After the game, manager Craig Stammen said Andujar "tweaked his hammy a little bit" and characterized the slugger's removal as precautionary. Stammen said the team will evaluate Andujar moving forward, but it's not yet clear if he's slated to miss any time.