MLB Player News

Littell will work in bulk relief during Saturday's game against the Pirates, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Carson Palmquist will open the game for the Nationals but is likely to cover an inning or two before Littell takes over. Littell has notched a 3.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 23.2 innings following an opener this season and a 6.07 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 56.1 innings as a traditional starter.

De La Cruz went 1-for-3 with two walks and two stolen bases in Friday's 3-0 loss to Baltimore.

De La Cruz continued to put a three-week absence due to a hamstring injury behind him, hitting safely in a sixth consecutive game (8-for-25). More promising are the two steals, his first since being activated off the injured list June 23. He's up to 12 stolen bases through 68 games this season.

Hayes (back) will stick with High-A Dayton this weekend and then have his rehab moved to Triple-A Louisville next week, MLB.com reports.

Hayes opened a rehab assignment with the Dragons on Friday, going 1-for-3 with a run scored while playing five innings at third base. He'll play an unspecified number of games for Louisville before rejoining the Reds. Given how close it is to the All-Star break, the organization may wait until after the Midsummer Classic to activate Hayes.

McCann (quadriceps) will play Saturday and Sunday for Triple-A Reno and could then rejoin the Diamondbacks, MLB.com reports.

McCann began a rehab assignment Thursday for Aces, going 0-for-4 while catching seven innings. The back-to-back games this weekend set McCann up to rejoin Arizona for Monday's game in San Diego.

Grisham went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 5-2 win over the Twins.

Activated from the injured list earlier in the day, Grisham got the start in center field and hit leadoff, and he punctuated a seven-pitch at-bat in his first plate appearance by lofting a Mike Paredes changeup into the right-field short porch at Yankee Stadium. Grisham missed just under three weeks with a hamstring strain, but he's hit safely in eight straight games sandwiched around his IL stint, batting .424 (14-for-33) during that hot streak with five extra-base hits (two doubles, a triple and two homers), two steals, six RBI and nine runs.

Moreno went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 7-4 extra-innings loss to the Brewers.

Moreno plated Arizona's first run as part of a three-run third inning that erased Milwaukee's early 3-0 lead. He's been one of the Diamondbacks' hottest hitters of late, batting .357 (25-for-70) over the last 20 contests.

Bednar struck out the side in a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his 17th save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Twins.

The veteran closer fired 11 of 17 pitches for strikes as he converted his seventh straight save chance, with his last blown save coming May 17. Over 16 innings since then, Bednar has delivered a 0.56 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 20:5 K:BB, and he's reeled off 13 straight scoreless appearances.

Cole (3-3) picked up the win in Friday's 5-2 victory over the Twins, giving up two runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

The veteran right-hander had to cool his heels during a 53-minute rain delay in the middle of the third inning, but Cole returned to the mound and stayed in for two more frames to make sure he qualified for the win, finally getting lifted after 88 pitches (63 strikes). Cole did serve up another homer, a solo shot to Kody Clemens in the first inning, but Cole's seven strikeouts represent his highest total since he fanned 10 back on May 27, his second outing of the season. Through eight starts since his belated 2026 debut, Cole has a 4.01 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 41:10 K:BB over 42.2 innings. He's set to make his next start on the road next week in Tampa Bay.

Paredes (0-2) took the loss Friday, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks over four innings as the Twins fell 5-2 to the Yankees. He struck out two.

The right-hander's outing was split into two two-inning chunks thanks to a 53-minute rain delay, and Paredes was lifted after 81 pitches (49 strikes) having served up homers to Trent Grisham in the first inning and Ben Rice in the third to account for all the damage against him. Paredes has been taken deep five times in five starts and 22 innings since moving into the rotation while posting a 4.50 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, but he could be bumped to the bullpen or back to Triple-A St. Paul before getting another turn with Bailey Ober (elbow) currently finishing up a rehab assignment.

Lile went 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs and four RBI in Friday's 9-5 win over the Pirates.

The Nationals launched five homers in total on the night, with Lile and Luis Garcia both going yard twice. Lile's blasts came off Mitch Keller in the second inning and Isaac Mattson in the eighth. The long balls snapped a 23-game power drought for the 23-year-old outfielder, but Lile's bat had been showing signs of life before Friday -- he has four multi-hit performances in his last eight games, batting .333 (10-for-30) over that stretch with four doubles, six runs and six RBI.