MLB Player News

Brown (shoulder) will make his next rehab start this weekend at Triple-A Sugar Land, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Brown opened his rehab assignment Sunday with Double-A Corpus Christie, when he struck out five batters while allowing one hit across two scoreless innings. He'll make his next rehab start in Triple-A and is aiming to be activated from the 60-day injured list in mid-June, per McTaggart. Brown is in the final stages of his recovery from a Grade 2 right shoulder strain that landed him on the IL in early April.

Smith (illness) is expected to return to Globe Life Field this week, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to ramp up his baseball activities, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Smith was first sidelined with a right glute strain and then a wrist problem, but more recently he was diagnosed with viral meningitis. He was in the hospital for several days with the illness but is now on the mend. However, it could be several weeks before Smith is ready to return to the Rangers' active roster.

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Monday that Loperfido (quadriceps) will pause his rehab assignment until Wednesday after fouling a ball off his foot during Sunday's game with Double-A Corpus Christie, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Loperfido started his rehab assignment in Double-A on Sunday, when he went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and a hit-by-pitch. He sustained a foot injury during that contest, but it doesn't appear to be a serious issue as he's expected to be back in action Wednesday. Loperfido continues to recover from a right quadriceps strain that landed him on the 10-day injured list in mid-April.

Muncy (wrist) remains out of the lineup for Monday's contest versus the Rockies.

Muncy will miss a third straight start as he recovers from a right wrist contusion. He played catch pregame Monday while wearing a wrap on his wrist and could be back in the lineup as soon as Wednesday, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Enrique Hernandez is drawing the start at third base Monday for the Dodgers.

Castro (back) is starting at second base and batting sixth against the Dodgers on Monday.

Castro was out of the lineup for the last two games of the Rockies' weekend series against the Diamondbacks due to lower-back tightness. He did pinch hit in Sunday's game and has recovered enough to be back in the lineup for Monday's series opener. Castro is slashing .248/.314/.348 with three steals, two home runs and 16 RBI in 156 plate appearances this season.

Glasnow (back) played catch Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Glasnow had to be shut down for a bit after his back flared up on him when he was playing catch, but he's progressed enough to start tossing the ball around again. He will likely need to throw on flat ground at least a couple more times before progressing to mound work. A timetable for Glasnow's return to the Dodgers' rotation won't become clearer until he's throwing off the bump without issue.

The Dodgers designated Espinal for assignment Monday.

With Enrique Hernandez (elbow) coming off the 60-day injured list, the Dodgers needed to clear space on their 26-man and 40-man rosters. Espinal is the casualty after hitting only .220/.238/.366 over 44 plate appearances. He is likely to clear waivers and become a free agent.

The Dodgers activated Hernandez (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Monday.

Hernandez has been sidelined all season after undergoing surgery in November to repair a torn tendon in his left elbow. He appeared in 12 rehab games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, slashing .214/.298/.310 with a 5:10 BB:K. The 34-year-old utility player should see regular playing time versus left-handed pitching.

Alvarez (back) will start at designated hitter and bat third in Monday's game versus the Rangers.

Alvarez was pulled from Saturday's contest against the Cubs due to back spasms and then didn't play in Sunday's series finale, though the slugger contended it was unrelated to the back issue and it was merely a scheduled day off. Either way, he's back in there for Monday's tilt.

The Blue Jays placed Cease on the 15-day injured list Monday with a mild left hamstring strain, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Cease had to be pulled from Sunday's outing versus the Pirates after tweaking his hamstring. The strain being deemed minor should give him a chance to return around the time he's eligible, but the Blue Jays will need someone to fill Cease's spot in the rotation for at least one turn.