MLB Player News

Spiers (shoulder) is expected to have his rehab assignment shifted from the rookie-level Arizona Complex League to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

Spiers made his lone appearance in the ACL on Wednesday, allowing two hits while striking out four and hitting a batter over 2.1 scoreless innings. He threw 49 pitches in that outing and will look to build on that workload Tuesday, when he's expected to piggyback fellow rehabbing right-hander Hunter Greene (groin). Spiers look on track to rejoin the Reds after the All-Star break and will likely fill a multi-inning role out of the bullpen after he started in two of his three appearances for Cincinnati before landing on the shelf April 20 due to a right shoulder impingement.

Ozuna is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.

Ozuna's run of 70 consecutive starts is coming to an end, but it's a good time for a break since he's batting .130 (6-for-46) with no extra-base hits in his past 13 contests. Drake Baldwin will fill in as the designated hitter for Atlanta on Sunday while Sean Murphy works behind the plate.

Doyle hit a solo home run in his only at-bat Saturday against the White Sox.

Doyle is being held out of the Rockies' lineup for their weekend series against the White Sox due to his struggles since the start of June. However, he entered the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and blasted his seventh home run of the season and second since May 27. Colorado's plans for Doyle following Sunday's games are unclear, but Saturday's showing was certainly a positive sign.

Acuna is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.

The 27-year-old will sit for just the second time since making his season debut in late May, with the first absence coming during a doubleheader. Acuna has been in a bit of a slump lately with no homers and a .488 OPS over his past 11 contests, so it's a good time for a reset after a run of 34 consecutive starts, especially with Sunday's early 11:35 a.m. ET start. Stuart Fairchild is manning right field for the series finale versus Baltimore

Alexander started at second base and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Royals.

Alexander spelled Ketel Marte, who was given the day off, and made a third consecutive start. On Thursday, Alexander played second while Marte operated as the designated hitter, and the former started at third base Friday while Eugenio Suarez was the DH. Alexander is in line to take that utility fill-in role that had belonged to Tim Tawa, who was sent down to Triple-A Reno on Saturday to clear a roster spot for Corbin Carroll's return from a wrist injury.

Marquez (3-10) was charged with the loss Saturday against the White Sox after giving up six runs on 11 hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out two.

The only real positive from Marquez's outing Saturday was the length, as he tied a season high in hits allowed and struck out two or fewer for the sixth time this year. The veteran right-hander's 10 losses are tied for second most in MLB, while his 5.84 ERA is the worst among 70 qualified starters. Marquez lines up to pitch on the road in Cincinnati next weekend, but he's pretty clearly off the fantasy radar at this point.

Grichuk went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 7-1 win over Kansas City.

Grichuk entered mid-game, pinch hitting for Pavin Smith when a lefty reliever entered the game, and he served as the designated hitter for the remainder of the game. His two-run shot in the eighth inning looked like a standup inside-the-park homer, but a replay confirmed the ball barely cleared the fence and hit a chair in the picnic area in right-center. It was Grichuk's fifth home run in 59 games.

Kelly went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Cardinals.

Kelly went deep for the second straight game to get to 11 home runs for the season. The catcher is in the midst of a hot streak at the moment, as he's batting .393 over his last 10 games with the two home runs, four doubles and six RBI. Overall, Kelly is slashing .268/.370/.508 with 31 RBI and 33 runs scored across 57 games, making him a solid option at his position.

Carroll went 0-for-5 in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Royals.

Carroll beat the timeline for a recovery from a fractured left wrist and was activated Saturday. There was no easing him back in the lineup; Carroll played right field and was back at his familiar leadoff spot in the order. To make room for Carroll's return, the Diamondbacks optioned Tim Tawa back to Triple-A Reno.

Busch went 3-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Cardinals.

A day after going deep three times for the first time in his career, Busch tacked on another long ball as he continued his strong season. The slugging infielder is now up to 18 home runs, 11 of which have come in 29 games since the beginning of June, and he's closing in on his career high of 21 long balls. Busch also has an impressive .293 batting average and .939 OPS, and he remains an offensive threat against right-handed pitching.