MLB Player News

Tellez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Connor Joe will fill in at first base for the lefty-hitting Tellez, who takes a seat while the Cardinals send southpaw Matthew Liberatore to the mound. Tellez has gotten off to a nice start to the second half of the season, going 3-for-11 with a double, a walk and three RBI through the Pirates' first five games.

Bryant went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts Tuesday against the Red Sox.

Bryant was activated from the injured list Tuesday after being sidelined since June 2. He hit fifth and notably played in right field, pushing Charlie Blackmon to designated hitter and Jake Cave out of the lineup. Bryant has managed only 105 plate appearances for the season due to back and oblique injuries, so he's also likely to make appearances as the designated hitter.

Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a double, a steal and three RBI in Tuesday's win over the Giants.

Ohtani struck out three times on the evening but made the most of his at-bats with runners on. He doubled home two runs in the fourth and singled home another in the eighth for his first game with three-plus RBI since June 19. He continues to be one of the most feared hitters in the league, slashing .314/.400/.632 with 30 homers, 73 RBI, 78 runs, 24 steals and a 55:102 BB:K in 450 plate appearances.

Gorman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Gorman will be joined on the bench by fellow lefty-hitting regular Michael Siani as the Pirates bring southpaw Martin Perez to the hill for the series finale. Brendan Donovan will cover second base in Gorman's stead.

Siani is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Siani will join fellow left-handed hitter Nolan Gorman on the bench while the Pirates send southpaw Martin Perez to the hill. Dylan Carlson will check in for Siani in center field.

Merrifield (finger) is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Reds.

After signing a one-year deal with Atlanta on Monday, Merrifield suffered an injury to his right finger in pregame warmups later that day when he was struck by an errant groundball. Atlanta is viewing Merrifield as day-to-day, but it's unclear if he'll be available for either contest of the twin bill Wednesday.

The Reds recalled Zulueta from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 26-year-old has allowed one run over four innings covering two relief appearances for the Reds this season. Zulueta will give Cincinnati another middle-relief option.

Hicks (4-7) took the loss Tuesday against the Dodgers, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out seven over 3.2 innings.

Hicks began the game by striking out Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith but then a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a two-out double from Gavin Lux gave the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. Hicks was able to get through the next two innings scoreless despite walking three more batters. The Dodgers would then tack on two more runs in the fourth on a double from Ohtani, which would end Hicks' day at 92 pitches. Walks have been a problem for Hicks throughout his career, but his five free passes Tuesday were a season high. He hasn't pitched past the fifth since May 31 and hasn't picked up a win since May 19. Hicks now owns a 4.01 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 90:41 K:BB in 98.2 innings. Robbie Ray (elbow) is set to return to the rotation Wednesday and Alex Cobb (hip) is not far behind, leaving Hicks as the potential odd man out of the rotation. For now, the right-hander is scheduled to make his next start at home versus Colorado this weekend.

Liberatore will start Wednesday's game against the Pirates at PNC Park, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

St. Louis already boasts a healthy five-man rotation, but Liberatore will be called upon for a spot start Wednesday since a doubleheader over the weekend created a stretch of six games in five days for the Cardinals. Liberatore hadn't been used out of the bullpen in any of the Cardinals' first five games of the second half, so he should be well rested and capable of giving the club a decent amount of length for what will be his sixth start of the season. Over his previous five starts, Liberatore has turned in a 5.03 ERA and 18:5 K:BB across 19.2 innings.

The Reds recalled Richardson from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Richardson was recalled ahead of Tuesday's game against Atlanta before being optioned to Triple-A after the contest was postponed. However, he never actually left the club and now will be temporarily added back to the active roster as the 27th man for Wednesday's doubleheader in Atlanta. Richardson is a good bet to eat some innings after Nick Martinez in the second game of the twin bill before the Reds send him back to Louisville.