MLB Player News

Alvarez (thumb) has flown back to his native Venezuela to tend to a family matter, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Alvarez had been set for activation June 11 upon the Mets' return home from London, but he might now be back a day or two later. The young catcher has been sidelined since April 20 with a fractured left thumb and has played five rehab games, going 3-for-14 with one home run.

Encarnacion-Strand (wrist) had a follow-up exam with Reds doctors Wednesday, and he was cleared to take the next step in his rehab, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

While that would seem to be good news for Encarnacion-Strand, who was diagnosed with a right ulnar styloid fracture May 8, he opted to get a second opinion, putting his rehab on hold for the moment. At the time of his diagnosis, Encarnacion-Strand was given a four-to-six week recovery timeline.

Benson went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, two RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.

Benson provided insurance for the Reds with a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was the fourth consecutive game with a hit for Benson, who is 6-for-14 with a double, a triple, five RBI and three runs scored during that stretch. The steal was his ninth of the season, but his first in 22 games. The hit streak has raised Benson's batting average to .214, the highest it's been since April 30.

Friedl went 1-for-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 8-4 win over the Cubs.

In a back-and-forth affair, Friedl produced the go-ahead run in the sixth inning with a two-out double off lefty reliever Luke Little. The double extended Friedl's hit streak to five games, during which he's 6-for-19 with three extra-base hits, seven RBI and six runs scored.

Marte went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in Thursday's 4-3 win over San Diego.

Marte delivered the go-ahead run in the seventh inning when his two-out single plated Corbin Carroll. Marte has rebounded nicely from an 0-for-22 skid in late May, going 11-for-28 (.393) with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI and five runs scored over the last eight contests. The Diamondbacks' offense could get a boost if the struggling Carroll can build off his three-hit performance Thursday, which would give Marte more run-producing opportunities.

Perdomo started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with an RBI for Triple-A Reno on Thursday.

Perdomo, who played seven innings at shortstop Wednesday, was in the lineup for a second straight day but got replaced by a pinch hitter after eight innings. Perdomo will continue his rehab assignment through the weekend for Reno and could rejoin the Diamondbacks next week. Arizona begins a homestand Tuesday against the Angels.

Beeks picked up five outs for the Rockies in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Cardinals, striking out two while allowing no hits or walks between the eighth and ninth innings.

This was a major improvement on Beeks' outing Wednesday, in which he allowed five earned runs and blew the save in a loss to the Reds. The negative news for Beeks managers, however, is that the Rockies brought in Tyler Kinley to get the final out and record the save Thursday. Beeks does lead the Rockies with six saves, but the team's closing situation is as muddled as it has been at any point this season. Five different players have saves for a team that's won only 22 games all year.

De La Cruz went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run Thursday in an 8-4 victory against the Cubs.

De La Cruz, on the one-year anniversary of his MLB debut, turned a two-run Reds deficit into a one-run lead with a three-run blast in the third frame. The long ball was his second in three contests following a season-long 21-game homer drought. After tallying 13 homers and 35 steals over 98 games as a rookie last season, De La Cruz is nearing those marks with 11 long balls and 32 thefts through 63 contests in 2024.

Greene (4-2) earned the win over the Cubs on Thursday, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters over 6.2 innings.

Greene gave up a pair of two-run homers but otherwise kept the Cubs off the scoreboard. The right-hander racked up 17 whiffs among his 111 pitches and gave Cincinnati 6.2 frames, marking the fifth straight start during which he's completed at least six innings. Greene ranks 11th in the majors with 77.1 frames on the season while recording a 3.61 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 84:32 K:BB.

Thomas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to Atlanta on Thursday.

The Nationals' only two runs in the contest came on back-to-back homers by CJ Abrams and Thomas in the sixth inning. The long ball was Thomas' first extra-base hit of any kind since May 29, and he batted just .185 (5-for-27) over that seven-game stretch. Since returning May 27 from a lengthy stay on the injured list, Thomas is batting .250 with two homers, six RBI, six runs and four stolen bases over 11 contests.