MLB Player News

Melendez went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Padres.

Getting the start in left field while Juan Soto got a partial rest as the DH, Melendez took Yuki Matsui deep in the sixth inning -- his fourth homer of the year, and first against a left-handed pitcher. The 27-year-old also made a spectacular diving catch in the second inning to rob Miguel Andujar of extra bases. Melendez hasn't had a multi-hit performance since May 6, batting just .098 (5-for-51) over his last 25 games with a 30.6 percent strikeout rate, but he remains in a battle for playing time with Mark Vientos, who isn't doing much better at the plate over the last few weeks.

Taylor (hip) began running this past week but has yet to resume full baseball activities, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The reserve outfielder suffered a hip injury while running out a groundball May 25. Taylor had a meager .530 OPS in 104 plate appearances when he landed on the IL, and with rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge solidifying their spots in the lineup, the 32-year-old likely won't have much of a role once he gets healthy.

Ruiz went 0-for-1 with a walk, a run scored and two stolen bases in Sunday's win over the Rays.

The 27-year-old outfielder began the game on the bench but pinch hit for Owen Caissie in the seventh inning and remained in the contest in right field. Ruiz isn't seeing consistent playing time and sports a .196/.300/.471 slash line through just 60 plate appearances since he joined the Marlins' roster in late April, but he has slugged three homers and stolen 11 bags in 12 attempts while adding six RBI and 14 runs.

Lopez (3-1) picked up the win in Sunday's victory over the Pirates, allowing a hit and a walk over 1.1 scoreless innings of relief. He struck out two.

The right-hander was in the right place at the right time as the pitcher of record when Atlanta erased a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning. Lopez remains erratic out of the bullpen, getting scored upon in four of nine appearances since the beginning of May while stumbling to a 5.14 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 12:7 K:BB over 14 innings.

Stanek boasts a 1.38 ERA and 14:6 K:BB over 13 innings since the beginning of May.

Stanek finished April with an 8.31 ERA and 18:12 K:BB across 13 frames in his first 15 outings of the season, but he's found a groove since then, having yielded an earned run in just one of his last 14 appearances. His poor control still gets him into trouble at times, but Stanek has re-established himself as one of Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol's go-to right-handed setup men. He could net the occasional save on days Riley O'Brien is unavailable.

Church (shoulder) will be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game versus the Mets, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

It's the corresponding move for Victor Scott, who is headed to Triple-A Memphis. Church has been sidelined since late May with a left shoulder strain but has been cleared to return after playing three rehab games with Memphis. With Scott in the minors, Church is likely to see the bulk of the starts in center field for St. Louis, at least against right-handed pitching.

Moll (1-5) allowed two unearned runs on two hits and one walk without retiring a batter to pick up the loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.

Moll had a rough weekend in St. Louis, losing two consecutive games by giving up eighth-inning runs. His own throwing error led to one run while shortstop Matt McLain's fielding error plated the second. The Reds bullpen has been a mess since the beginning of May and currently sits 29th with a 5.12 ERA and last with 158 walks allowed (5.74 BB/9).

Pagan (hamstring) will be re-assessed for strength deficit on Monday, MLB.com reports.

Pending the results of that testing, Pagan could begin throwing from a mound immediately after. From there, he'll move on to facing batters and then a rehab assignment. Originally given a four-to-eight week timeline for a return, Pagan just passed the four-week mark.

Forbes (elbow) struck out three and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks over 2.1 innings in his first start for High-A Hillsboro on Wednesday after being reinstated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.

A first-round selection in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Forbes didn't pitch at all last summer and then had his professional debut further delayed after emerging from spring training with a flexor tendon injury. The 21-year-old righty was finally cleared to make a two-inning rehab start in the Arizona Complex League on May 27, and that appearance was the only one Forbes needed in rookie ball before being moving up to a full-season affiliate.

Del Castillo has gone 1-for-3 at the plate while making no starts and being used off the bench in just two of Arizona's last eight games.

After joining the Diamondbacks on April 3 following a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season, Del Castillo had seen fairly steady playing time against right-handed pitching between designated hitter and catcher over the ensuing two months. However, his opportunities to catch began to dry up once Gabriel Moreno coming off the IL on May 1, and Del Castillo's playing time at DH has now dwindled over the past week with Pavin Smith returning from the shelf. With Arizona signing Max Kepler to a one-year deal Sunday, Del Castillo will likely face an even more difficult path to receiving at-bats once Kepler is eligible to join the Diamondbacks on June 25 upon completing his 80-game suspension.