MLB Player News

Gurriel is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Gurriel looks to be on the bench in a planned off day as the Diamondbacks continue to manage his workload following his recent return from the injured list. Since coming off the IL on Monday, Gurriel has started in four games and has gone 2-for-17 with one run and two RBI.

The Diamondbacks recalled Drake from Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

After being added to the 40-man roster during the offseason, Drake is now on the cusp of making his major-league debut. The left-hander has been working as a starter at Reno but has struggled to a 7.83 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 48:26 K:BB across 54 innings this year.

Tovar is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Tovar will be handed the afternoon off, ending a streak of six starts during which he went 5-for-22 (.227) with three runs and an RBI. With Tovar on the bench, Willi Castro will shift over to shortstop, opening up the keystone for Edouard Julien.

Thompson will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

The Rockies have been making a concerted effort of late to open up playing time for Thompson, who will crack the starting nine for the fourth game in a row. Thompson has produced three extra-base hits over his previous three starts, bringing his OPS up to .708 through his first 75 big-league plate appearances.

Johnston is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Johnston appears to be fading into a part-time role; he'll head to the bench for the third time in four games, with all those absences coming against right-handed pitchers. The downturn in playing time comes despite Johnston having turned in a productive June thus far with a .308/.397/.481 slash line over 15 games.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that he expects Griffin (forearm) to play in minor-league rehab games by the end of the week, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Griffin has been rehabbing in Florida since landing on the shelf May 31 due to a right forearm strain, but he's expected to head north to Pittsburgh for an evaluation early this week before linking up with a minor-league affiliate. Throwing at full strength and velocity seems to be the biggest concern for Griffin as he works his way back from the injury, and the rookie phenom appears to be making progress on that front. Per MLB.com, Pirates manager Don Kelly said Saturday that Griffin has extended his throwing distance to 150 feet and was clocked at 89 mph while throwing from third base to first.

France will start at first base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Rangers.

France will be awarded a sixth consecutive start after going 4-for-19 with three extra-base hits (two home runs, one double) and a walk over the previous five contests, but his path to regular playing time could become muddled during the upcoming week. Though he wasn't included in the lineup, Miguel Andujar (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Sunday and should settle back into an everyday role. Andujar's return would seem to leave France and Will Wagner most at risk of losing at-bats.

De La Cruz (hamstring) is expected to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Brewers, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

After playing on three consecutive days for Triple-A Louisville during his rehab assignment over the weekend, De La Cruz will be given a chance to rest Monday as the Reds open their three-game set with the Brewers, but he looks like he'll be available for the final two contests of the series. De La Cruz's return will bump Matt McLain back over to second base, where he'll have to compete for playing time with Spencer Steer and rookie Edwin Arroyo.

The Padres designated Solak for assignment Sunday.

San Diego dropped Solak from the 40-man roster to open up a spot for Miguel Andujar (hamstring), who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Called up from Triple-A El Paso after Andujar landed on the IL on June 13, Solak appeared in four games and went 1-for-7 with a walk and an RBI during his one-week stay with San Diego.

The Diamondbacks selected Cabrera's contract from Triple-A Reno to start Sunday's game versus the Twins.

It will be the big-league debut for the 24-year-old righty, who has pitched well between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this year with a 3.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 64:16 K:BB over 61 innings. Recent injuries sustained by Michael Soroka (lower body) and Ryne Nelson (elbow) could provide an opening for Cabrera to get an extended look in the rotation, especially if he acquits himself well in his MLB debut.