MLB Player News

The Mets activated Blackburn (knee) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Blackburn is set to start Monday's game against the Dodgers in what will be his season debut for the Mets after he recovered from right knee inflammation. The veteran right-hander will be part of a six-man rotation for at least this week.

Dollander (forearm) will be activated from the 15-day injured list and start Tuesday in Miami, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Dollander went on the IL less than two weeks ago with right forearm tightness but has been cleared to return after getting through a live batting practice session last week with no issues. He will be skipping a rehab assignment, so Dollander might not be ready for a full workload versus the Marlins.

Monasterio will start at third base and bat seventh in Monday's game against the Reds, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Monasterio made three starts in the Brewers' ensuing six games following his promotion from Triple-A Nashville on May 9, but playing time has been scarce ever since for the 28-year-old. He'll crack the lineup for the first time since May 26, stepping in at the hot corner for a resting Caleb Durbin.

Durbin is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Andruw Monasterio will get the nod at third base in the series opener while Durbin heads to the bench for the first time since May 13. Though the rookie had struggled mightily over his first month in the big leagues after getting called up from Triple-A Nashville in April 18, the Brewers' commitment to him as an everyday player has begun to pay dividends. Over his last 13 games, Durbin has slashed .313/.370/.458 with four stolen bases, eight RBI and seven runs.

Yelich (hand) will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Monday's game against the Reds, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Yelich was forced out of Sunday's 5-2 win over the Phillies when he was struck on the right hand by a pitch during his lone plate appearance of the day, but he was fortunate to avoid any major damage after X-rays came back negative. Following the game, Yelich said that he was still dealing with some swelling and soreness on the hand that made it difficult to grip a bat, but he appears to have made good progress overnight. He'll be back in the lineup for the series opener in Cincinnati and will look to continue what's been his most productive offensive stretch of the season. Over his last nine starts, Yelich has gotten on base at a .525 clip and has slugged five home runs to go along with two steals.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Monday that Encarnacion-Strand (back) will remain on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville to begin the week, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports. "When he went down [with lower back inflammation], he wasn't swinging great," Francona said of Encarnacion-Strand. "Then you lose some time. You try to use [the rehab assignment] to your advantage."

Francona's comments suggest that Encarnacion-Strand isn't dealing with any physical setbacks since kicking off his rehab assignment May 22. Instead, the Reds want the 25-year-old to stockpile some more at-bats in the minors to get his timing back at the plate after he had struggled to begin the season before getting hurt and then being out of action for more than a month. Between stops in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Louisville during his rehab assignment, Encarnacion-Strand has slashed .355/.412/.742 with seven extra-base hits and a 2:8 BB:K over 34 plate appearances. The Reds could revisit adding Encarnacion-Strand back to the active roster following Thursday's off day.

Espinal is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Brewers.

Espinal has been an everyday player for the Reds since late April but will get a day of rest for the series opener. Garrett Hampson will handle third base and bat ninth Monday.

McLain is not in the lineup for Monday's contest versus the Brewers.

McLain will get a routine day off after picking up just one hit over his last five games. Gavin Lux will handle second base in the series opener.

De La Cruz will be placed on the bereavement list after Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Pat Brennan of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

De La Cruz's older sister passed away Saturday, so he will be given time away from the club. It's not clear how long he might be away, but by rule, he must miss a minimum of three games while on the bereavement list. With that in mind, De La Cruz appears in line to miss the Reds' entire three-game series versus the Diamondbacks this weekend.

Moniak is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.

Since signing with the Rockies shortly before Opening Day, Moniak has been deployed primarily as a strong-side platoon outfielder, but his grasp on a regular spot in the lineup versus righties appears to be slipping. For the second day in a row, Moniak finds himself on the bench against a righty (Max Meyer), while Tyler Freeman picks up another start in right field at Moniak's expense. Moniak owns a woeful .213/.252/.394 slash line in 135 plate appearances versus righties this season, so the Rockies' decision to scale back his playing time doesn't come as a major surprise.