MLB Player News

Cruz (2-3) earned the win over Baltimore on Sunday, striking out all three batters he faced in a perfect inning of work.

Cruz came on in the eighth inning with the Orioles up 2-1, inheriting runners on first and second base with no outs. The right-hander put out the fire by striking out Ramon Laureano, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins on 13 total pitches. Cruz has been a punchout machine since coming off the injured list June 3, racking up 15 strikeouts over 6.2 innings covering eight appearances. He's given up four runs in that span but overall still holds a solid 3.26 ERA as one of New York's top high-leverage options this season.

The Astros optioned Whitcomb to Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday.

Whitcomb's most recent stint in the big leagues lasted less than a week, and he struck out in both of his plate appearances. He is being cleared from the active roster to make room for the return of Taylor Trammell (calf) from the 10-day injured list.

The Astros activated Trammell (calf) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Trammell has been shelved all season with a significant right calf strain but is ready to go after playing 12 rehab contests. The 27-year-old is likely to operate primarily as a reserve outfielder for the Astros.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said that Arrighetti (thumb) could throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

If Arrighetti does complete a side session Tuesday, it would be his first time stepping back on the mound since early April, when he was placed on the injured list after he fractured his right thumb when it was struck by a ball during batting practice. The right-hander will presumably need to complete multiple bullpen sessions while incorporating all his pitches before he advances to facing live hitters. After that, Arrighetti will likely require at least a couple of minor-league rehab starts to build up his pitch count, so he shouldn't be expected to make his return from the 60-day injured list until after the All-Star break.

Refsnyder went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 9-5 loss to San Francisco.

Refsnyder was at his new spot in the order -- batting leadoff against left-handers -- and belted a two-run homer off Robbie Ray in the fifth inning. Boston manager Alex Cora recently moved Refsnyder and his 1.029 OPS against lefties up to leadoff whenever the Red Sox face a southpaw. In five games hitting atop the order, Refsnyder is 6-for-14 with two extra-base hits and two RBI.

Gonzalez started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Giants.

Per usual, manager Alex Cora got Gonzalez's bat in the lineup against a lefty. Gonzalez typically plays first base, but Cora kept the productive Abraham Toro there and used Gonzalez at second base Sunday, the first game that Boston has faced a lefty since it demoted Kristian Campbell. The move worked offensively, as Gonzalez took Robbie Ray deep for his second homer of the season, but he also had a crucial error that led to three unearned runs crossing the plate. Gonzalez owns a 1.076 OPS against southpaws in 2025.

Smith started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's 8-3 loss to the Pirates.

Smith usually takes a seat on the bench when the Rangers face a left-hander, as they did Sunday against Pittsburgh's Bailey Falter. Texas manager Bruce Bochy typically runs with Kyle Higashioka or Ezequiel Duran at DH against lefties. Smith has a .565 OPS against left-handers as opposed to .843 against righties.

Langford went 0-for-3 with a walk in Sunday's 8-3 loss to Pittsburgh.

Langford returned to action after missing the previous two games due to back stiffness. He was back at his usual second spot in the batting order. Following strong production over the first month of the season (.972 OPS), Langford has a line of .209/.289/.360 over 44 games since May 1.

Festa (1-2) took the loss Sunday against the Brewers, allowing eight runs on 12 hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.

It was a rough day for Festa, who made his first appearance behind an opener this season. He gave up a solo home run to Rhys Hoskins, the first batter he faced, in the second inning before Brice Turang added on with a three-run blast in the fifth. Festa's ERA sits at 10.00 over his last four outings (18 innings). Overall, his ERA is up to 6.39 this season with a 1.61 WHIP and 32 strikeouts across 31 innings.

Jones went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Athletics.

Jones doubled in the second run of Cleveland's two-run second inning. He's stayed healthy this season following an injury-laden 2024, but health has not brought back Jones' rookie form of 2023, when he had a .931 OPS with 20 home runs and 20 steals. He's batting .216/.302/.324 with three homers, four steals and 19 RBI through 68 games. On a brighter note, Jones' OPS has improved each month with his .740 for the month June outpacing that of March/April (.570) and May (.616).