MLB Player News

Manager Brian Snitker said Sunday that he expects to slot Profar (suspension) in the middle of the Atlanta lineup when the 32-year-old outfielder returns from the restricted list for Wednesday's game against the Angels, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. "I think we can move [Profar] around in kind of the middle of the order," Snitker said. "The fact he's a switch hitter and all that's gonna work out good."

Before he was handed an 80-game suspension March 31 for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drugs policy, Profar had batted leadoff in each of Atlanta's first four games. Ronald Acuna has since returned from the injured list to reclaim table-setting duties, but Snitker had previously said two weeks ago that he expects to deploy Profar as the team's everyday left fielder and No. 2 hitter upon his return. However, with Atlanta receiving good results from Matt Olson out of the two hole lately, Snitker is now more inclined to have Profar slot into the middle of the batting order against both right- and left-handed pitching, which could create more RBI opportunities for the switch hitter. Since beginning his rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett on June 17, Profar has looked dialed in at the plate, slashing .326/.404/.587 with three home runs and an 8:6 BB:K.

Oviedo (lat) was sent to the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Monday to begin a rehab assignment.

Oviedo missed the entire 2024 season following Tommy John surgery and then suffered a right lat strain during spring training. Given how long it has been since he's pitched in games, Oviedo is likely to use all of the 30 allotted days during his rehab assignment before the Pirates activate him from the 60-day injured list. The 27-year-old has minor-league options remaining, so he could stick around at Triple-A Indianapolis rather than rejoining the big club if the Pirates decide he's not ready to contribute at the major-league level once his rehab window closes.

Scott went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 7-0 win over the Guardians.

Scott extended St. Louis' lead to 5-0 in the seventh inning with a 401-foot blast off Hunter Gaddis, his fourth homer of the year. Scott's gone 4-for-8 with a pair of extra-base hits over his last two games after going just 5-for-30 (.167) in his previous 10 contests. Overall, he's slashing .244/.330/.339 with 37 runs scored, 28 RBI and 22 stolen bases across 280 plate appearances this season.

Alcantara finished June with three straight multi-hit efforts, going 7-for-11 with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI.

Alcantara is heating up, and he finished June (the Iowa Cubs are off Monday) with a .306/.383/.486 slash line for the month in 21 games. The 22-year-old outfielder is one of Chicago's top prospects and is knocking on the door of the majors, though he's blocked in the outfield by the likes of Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. Alcantara did make his MLB debut toward the end of 2024, appearing in three contests, but he may need to be patient before earning a longer look with the Cubs. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the youngster due to his upside and recent performance.

Gorman went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer, a stolen base and a second run scored in Sunday's 7-0 win over the Guardians.

Gorman got the scoring started early, launching a 428-foot homer with two outs in the first inning off lefty Logan Allen. The 25-year-old Gorman has taken advantage of a regular starting role since Ivan Herrera (hamstring) landed on the IL, going 8-for-27 (.296) with three homers, seven RBI and a .951 OPS in his last seven games. Overall, Gorman's slashing .224/.314/.412 with seven homers, 25 runs scored and 25 RBI across 191 plate appearances this season.

De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Padres.

De La Cruz led off the bottom of the ninth inning with an epic 10-pitch at-bat that eventually became a single. He scored the first of two runs off San Diego closer Robert Suarez. A one-out walk followed by three consecutive singles completed the Reds' comeback and walk-off victory. De La Cruz has hit safely in eight of the last nine games, going 15-for-37 (.405) with five extra-base hits, seven RBI, one steal and eight runs scored.

Fraley (shoulder) was given a shot of cortisone Saturday in an effort to avoid undergoing surgery and keep playing, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Fraley will eventually require surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, but he's doing what he can to stay on the field and help the Reds. He discussed surgical options with Cincinnati's orthopedic surgeon and was presented with one procedure option with a shorter recovery time -- in the past, surgery for labrum tears required an eight-to-12 month recovery. In theory, Fraley could undergo the surgery with a shorter recovery timeline during the offseason and be ready for the 2026 season.

McCarthy went 1-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in Sunday's 6-4 loss to Miami.

McCarthy put the Diamondbacks on the board, delivering a run with a second-inning triple to tie the game at 1-1. It was his fifth consecutive start since being called up from Triple-A Reno and fourth straight game getting on base. McCarthy's first stint this season in the majors was marked by an inability to get on base (.170 OBP), but with Corbin Carroll (wrist) on the mend over the next couple of weeks, McCarthy should get plenty of opportunities to show that earlier performance was a fluke.

Beeks (2-1) allowed five runs on two hits and four walks while striking out two in picking up the loss to the Marlins on Sunday.

It was a rough weekend for the Diamondbacks' bullpen and Beeks in particular. The 'pen blew eighth-inning leads Saturday and Sunday, resulting in Miami's sweep of the series, with Beeks playing a starring role in both collapses. He allowed a combined eight runs on five hits and four walks over one inning. It was a startling turn for the right-hander, who entered the weekend with a 2.92 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 11 holds.

Halvorsen allowed two hits and one walk while striking out one across a scoreless ninth inning Sunday against the Brewers.

Halvorsen had converted each of Colorado's last three saves, but he entered Sunday's game in a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning. Though the box score suggests he got hit hard, both of the hits Halvorsen surrendered failed to leave the infield. He's allowed only three earned runs across his last 9.2 frames -- spanning 10 appearances -- and should continue to get the majority of save chances for the Rockies.