MLB Player News

Manager Matt Quatraro said Saturday that Avila will start Monday's game against the Reds, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

With Cole Ragans (elbow) set to spend more time on the 15-day injured list than the Royals originally expected following a setback, Kansas City will turn to Avila to temporarily fill the fifth spot in the rotation. The 24-year-old righty struggled to find his footing in the majors early in the season but has settled in as of late, posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across 14.1 frames since the beginning of May. He likely won't be able to handle a full starter's workload Monday after throwing just 67 pitches over three frames during his last appearance Tuesday against the Yankees, and he'll also be tasked with taking on a Reds lineup that's posted a .742 OPS across its last 10 games.

The Marlins recalled Kempner from Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday.

Since his demotion to Triple-A on May 6, Kempner has allowed just two earned runs over 10.1 innings while posting a 12:5 K:BB for Jacksonville. His strong performance will now be rewarded through another trial in the majors as the roster replacement for Andrew Nardi (ribs), who was placed on the injured list.

Adam allowed two hits and no runs over one-third of an inning against the Nationals on Friday.

Adam entered with one out and the Padres up 7-5 in the eighth inning and got into some trouble, giving up back-to-back singles. However, Adam got Jorbit Vivas to fly out for the first out in the frame, then Mason Miller finished off the inning without allowing any Nationals to cross the plate. While Adam's outing Friday was far from his best, the right-hander posted his 12th straight scoreless appearance. He's once again been very effective out of San Diego's bullpen, recording a 0.95 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10:5 K:BB while picking up one save and a team-leading 12 holds through 19 innings spanning 21 appearances.

The Marlins placed Nardi on the 15-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to Thursday, with a left ribcage stress reaction.

Nardi gave up one run in 1.1 innings and took the loss during his last appearance Wednesday, and he appears to have picked up a rib injury in the process. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough relayed to reporters that Nardi has been battling through the injury for a while, and the IL stint is expected to last "much longer" than the 15-day minimum, per Ely Sussman of Fish on First. The Marlins will bring William Kempner up from Triple-A Jacksonville to round out the bullpen.

France went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in a 7-5 win against Washington on Friday.

France's long ball was a big one, as he tied the game 5-5 with a solo shot in the sixth inning. The veteran infielder is holding down the strong side of a first-base platoon and has given San Diego an offensive boost with a .286/.314/.541 slash line, six homers, 17 RBI and one stolen base through 36 contests. France is again starting at first base while batting seventh Saturday in the second game of the series.

Cease (hamstring) is throwing a bullpen session of 25-to-30 pitches Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Cease landed on the 15-day IL on Monday, so it's promising that he's already throwing a bullpen five days later. The hurler has been optimistic that he'll be able to return to the Blue Jays' rotation when first eligible, and a successful BP on Saturday would be a big step toward making that a reality. Depending on how the bullpen goes, Cease's next step could be either another BP or facing hitters, per Zwelling.

Kirk (thumb) has been taking on-field batting practice and is expected to begin hitting off a high-velocity pitching machine in the coming days, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk has been sidelined since April 4 and is currently on the 60-day IL. He's probably still at least a week away from beginning a minor-league rehab assignment, so the backstop doesn't seem likely to be activated until mid-June, at the earliest. Brandon Valenzuela and Tyler Heineman have been handling catching duties for the Blue Jays while Kirk has been out of action.

Barger (elbow) has been hitting in the batting cage at Toronto's complex in Dunedin, Florida, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Zwelling describes Barger's hitting sessions as "flips, tee work, etc." The slugger has missed most of the season to this point, first due to an IL stay following an ankle injury and then due to his current elbow issue. While Barger seems to be making progress in his recovery from the latter injury, he may require a minor-league rehab assignment before he's ready to be activated.

Frelick isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Astros.

Frelick has gone 7-for-33 (.212) with six RBI, three runs and three steals across his last 10 games and will now receive a day off. Jake Bauers will replace him as Milwaukee's right fielder, giving Andrew Vaughn a start at first base.

Rengifo isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Houston.

Rengifo will retreat to the bench Saturday after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout during Friday's contest. David Hamilton will man the hot corner while Joey Ortiz starts at shortstop.