MLB Player News

Acuna went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and a stolen base in Friday's win over the Rockies.

The 27-year-old superstar has been on fire at the plate since coming off the IL in late May, slashing .375/.458/.667 with six homers in 19 games, but Friday's pilfer came on his first steal attempt of the season. Acuna was expected to run less after recovering from his latest ACL surgery, but the lack of activity on the basepaths is still a disappointment for fantasy investors given that he swiped a league-leading 73 bags in 2023. With one successful steal under his belt and his knee holding up just fine post-surgery, Acuna might begin to pick up the pace and return to being one of the preeminent five-category assets in the game.

The Nationals placed Chafin on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain Saturday, retroactive to Wednesday.

Chafin has turned in a 3.18 ERA and 2.03 WHIP across 11.1 innings since joining the Nationals in May, but he hasn't appeared in a game since Sunday due to his hamstring. He'll now be sidelined until at least late June, and Ryan Loutos will come up from Triple-A to fill the opening in Washington's bullpen.

The Cardinals plan to activate Walker (wrist) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, at the latest, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Walker went 3-for-4 with three RBI in his second rehab game with Triple-A Memphis on Friday. The Cardinals have an off day looming Monday before starting a series in Chicago against the White Sox on Tuesday. While Walker is most likely to return to the lineup Tuesday, it sounds like the club hasn't ruled out activating him before the end of its series in Milwaukee this weekend. Walker has been sidelined since late May with left wrist inflammation.

Frazier went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base Friday against the Cubs.

Frazier looked to be the odd man out when Nick Gonzales returned to the lineup, but Frazier has since overtaken Alexander Canario and Tommy Pham for playing time in left field. He's started four of Pittsburgh's last five games at the position and gone 6-for-20 with three RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in that span.

The Cardinals are likely to decide Sunday whether Donovan (toe) needs to go on the 10-day injured list, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Donovan has missed three straight games with a sprained left big toe and it sounds like he's a long shot to return to action Saturday. The Cardinals are willing to play a man short through the weekend if it means Donovan can avoid the IL and play Tuesday following Monday's off day, but an IL stint remains a possibility. Nolan Gorman will continue to fill in at second base while Donovan is shelved.

Encarnacion-Strand isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Tigers.

In seven games since returning from the injured list, Encarnacion-Strand has gone 9-for-19 (.310) with three home runs, seven RBI and five runs scored. The Reds will give him a chance to rest Saturday while Spencer Steer starts at first base and Gavin Lux mans third.

Gibson is slated to serve as Miami's opening pitcher for Saturday's game against Washington, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.

Gibson has maxed out at 3.1 innings over his 19 outings between Miami and Triple-A Jacksonville this season, but the Marlins will likely pull him from Saturday's contest after the opening frame or two after he tossed 1.1 innings and 20 pitches in relief during Friday's 11-9 win. Janson Junk will be available on four days' rest and could work in bulk relief Saturday, though the Marlins haven't clarified their plans for once Gibson exits the game.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Friday that Nootbaar will not be in the lineup Saturday in Milwaukee, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

For the second time in three games, Nootbaar went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts Friday. Across the last five contests, Nootbaar is 0-for-23 with 13 strikeouts, dropping his season OPS below .700 (.690) for the first time this season. Marmol indicated that he is considering moving Nootbaar out of the leadoff spot for a while, although he didn't commit to it.

Montas (lat) surrendered eight earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out one batter over 1.2 innings in his rehab start Friday with Triple-A Syracuse.

Montas made the fifth start of his rehab assignment but had his roughest showing yet. He needed 53 pitches just to record five outs and gave up five extra-base hits while also hitting a batter. After tossing 76 pitches in his previous rehab start with Syracuse last weekend, Montas is stretched out enough to be a viable rotation option for the Mets, but the ugly performance Friday means that he'll likely need at least one more outing in the minors to knock off some rust before he returns from the 60-day injured list. Paul Blackburn will get a start Wednesday in place of the injured Kodai Senga (hamstring), but a better performance from Montas his next time out could set him up to take over that rotation spot.

Frelick went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base in Friday's 3-2 win over the Cardinals.

The 25-year-old sparked the Milwaukee offense from the leadoff spot for a second straight game, with a struggling Brice Turang (.188/.290/.237 over his last 22 games) bumped down to the seventh spot in the order. Frelick, by contrast, has been locked in since mid-May, slashing .344/.384/.441 over his last 25 contests with two of his four homers and five of his 13 steals on the season. As long as he keeps delivering at the plate, Frelick figures to remain at the top of the lineup against right-handed pitching.