MLB Player News

The Diamondbacks selected Valdez's contract from Double-A Amarillo and appointed him the 27th man for Sunday's game against the Padres.

The two clubs get a 27th man for the Mexico City Series this weekend, which will allow Valdez to get his first taste of the big leagues. The 28-year-old had an .853 OPS in 23 games with Amarillo last year but struggled to a .634 OPS when up with Triple-A Reno.

Smith is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

It's the second straight contest on the bench for Smith, who saw a nine-game hit streak end Saturday when he struck out as a pinch hitter. The 30-year-old batted .364 (12-for-33) with two doubles, two homers and nine RBI during that stretch. Each of his past two absences have come versus right-handed starting pitchers as Atlanta prioritizes keeping Michael Harris' bat in the lineup at DH while he deals with a minor quad strain. The pending return of Sean Murphy (hip) from the IL presents a bigger obstacle to Smith's playing time in the long run.

The Reds optioned Higgins to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

The 32-year-old has been up in the big leagues the past few weeks, but he'll return to Triple-A with Jose Trevino (back) coming off the IL on Sunday. Higgins played six games and went 2-for-10 with one walk and one RBI.

Lowe served as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 9-2 win over the Tigers.

Lowe followed Sal Stewart's three-run homer in the first inning with a solo shot. It was the second consecutive game in which Lowe had gone deep. He should see the bulk of his at-bats at DH against right-handers while Eugenio Suarez (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list.

Stewart went 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk and five total RBI in a 9-2 victory versus the Tigers on Saturday.

Stewart didn't wait long to make a big impact, mashing a three-run homer off Jack Flaherty in the first inning. The budding star added a two-run single in the sixth to give him five total RBI -- his second-highest mark of the season. Stewart has been one of MLB's (and fantasy's) brightest stars so far this season, slashing .303/.398/.626 through 118 plate appearances. He leads the majors with 29 RBI, is tied for fourth with nine long balls and is tied for ninth with seven stolen bases (on as many attempts) while exhibiting excellent plate discipline with a 17:21 BB:K.

France went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

France got the Padres on the board with a solo shot in the fifth inning before adding another in the ninth. It marked his second multi-hit effort of the season and his first two-homer game since 2023. On the year, the 31-year-old is slashing .265/.306/.559 with four extra-base hits, three RBI and six runs scored across just 36 plate appearances.

The Nationals optioned Chaparro to Triple-A Rochester following Saturday's 6-3 extra-inning win over the White Sox.

Chaparro was recalled to the big club and started at first base in Saturday's game, when he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, two walks and a run scored. The 26-year-old first baseman will now head back to Triple-A, where he's slashing .227/.301/.394 with one steal, three home runs and 11 RBI across 73 plate appearances.

The Nationals recalled Chaparro from Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.

Chaparro was optioned to Triple-A after Washington's season-opening series and has since slashed .227/.301/.394 with three homers, 11 RBI and nine runs scored through 73 plate appearances at Rochester. Despite his uninspiring results, he'll return to the majors Saturday to provide depth at the corner infield positions.

Lowe started at designated hitter and went 2-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI and an additional run scored in Friday's 9-8 win over Detroit.

Balls were flying out Great American Ball Park on Friday as Lowe's pair were two of the eight homers hit by the two teams. His second one was a walk-off job that completed the second of two comebacks by the Reds, who had trailed 5-0 early and were down 8-7 entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Lowe was a late addition to the lineup, replacing Eugenio Suarez, who is bound for the injured list with an oblique injury. That will lead to Lowe getting more run at DH against righties.

O'Hearn went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored Friday against the Brewers.

O'Hearn tallied hits in the sixth and eighth innings -- the first of which was a double down the right-field line -- and came around to score on each occasion. The effort extended his hitting streak to five games, during which he's gone 7-for-17 with three RBI and four runs scored. O'Hearn has been an excellent contributor overall to begin his first season in Pittsburgh, maintaining a .413 wOBA and .190 ISO across 100 plate appearances.