MLB Player News

Thompson is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.

Thompson will hit the bench for a third straight game, with two of his absences during that span coming against right-handed starting pitchers. Since being promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 22, Thompson has gotten on base at a strong .364 clip, but he's hit for little power (.297 slugging percentage) over 15 games. The Rockies seem to be prioritizing Edouard Julien ahead of Thompson for the final spot in their lineup, so it wouldn't be surprising if Thompson were sent back to Albuquerque in the near future while his playing time continues to slip.

Springer is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies.

Springer went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Monday's series opener and is hitless over his last three contests, so he'll get a day to regroup. Vladimir Guerrero will get a day at designated hitter, and Charles McAdoo will play first base.

Eldridge went 2-for-5 with an RBI double and a run scored in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals.

Eldridge singled in the sixth inning and later hit an RBI double in the eighth before coming around to score. The 21-year-old has reached base safely in each of his last 15 appearances, batting .392 with 13 runs scored, five RBI, one home run and an 8:11 BB:K in 60 plate appearances during that span. Overall, he's slashing .287/.364/.448 with 14 runs scored, seven RBI and two long balls across 99 plate appearances this season.

Andujar (hamstring) is not in the Padres' starting lineup against the Reds on Monday.

Andujar tweaked his hamstring during the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the Mets. He'll be out of the lineup for at least one game but could be available to pinch hit for Monday's game, per Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Gavin Sheets will as the Padres' designated hitter in Andujar's absence.

Yoshida is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.

The Rays are having left-hander Ian Seymour open the game, so the left-handed-hitting Yoshida will begin Monday's contest on the bench. In Yoshida's stead, the Red Sox will go with Mickey Gasper at designated hitter.

The Mariners recalled Bliss from Triple-A Tacoma on Monday.

Bliss secured a spot on the Mariners' Opening Day roster coming out of spring training, but he appeared in just one game before Seattle optioned him to Triple-A on April 2. Since that time, Bliss has slashed just .204/.263/.280 with one home run and nine stolen bases across 235 plate appearances with Tacoma. Despite the poor production at the dish, Bliss will make his return to the majors while the Mariners are in need of infield depth after shortstop J.P. Crawford (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move.

The Cubs are expected to option Alcantara to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Tommy Birch of tThe Des Moines Register reports.

Alcantara has hardly played during his two-plus weeks in the big leagues and made a major baserunning blunder in Sunday's loss to the Giants. The 23-year-old doesn't have anything left to prove at Iowa, where he's hit .242/.339/.567 with 15 home runs this season. That being said, his opportunities with the Cubs have been few and far between, and he might need a change of scenery at this point.

Rooker went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, two total RBI and a walk in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Astros.

Rooker picked up a pair of impactful extra-base hits, lining an RBI double in the third inning before launching a solo homer in the fifth frame. June has gotten off to a solid start for the 31-year-old, who has gone 6-for-20 (.300) with two homers across six appearances. Overall, Rooker is hitting .206 with a .684 OPS, 10 homers, 29 RBI, 19 runs and two stolen bases through 47 games.

Melendez went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Padres.

Getting the start in left field while Juan Soto got a partial rest as the DH, Melendez took Yuki Matsui deep in the sixth inning -- his fourth homer of the year, and first against a left-handed pitcher. The 27-year-old also made a spectacular diving catch in the second inning to rob Miguel Andujar of extra bases. Melendez hasn't had a multi-hit performance since May 6, batting just .098 (5-for-51) over his last 25 games with a 30.6 percent strikeout rate, but he remains in a battle for playing time with Mark Vientos, who isn't doing much better at the plate over the last few weeks.

Del Castillo has gone 1-for-3 at the plate while making no starts and being used off the bench in just two of Arizona's last eight games.

After joining the Diamondbacks on April 3 following a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season, Del Castillo had seen fairly steady playing time against right-handed pitching between designated hitter and catcher over the ensuing two months. However, his opportunities to catch began to dry up once Gabriel Moreno coming off the IL on May 1, and Del Castillo's playing time at DH has now dwindled over the past week with Pavin Smith returning from the shelf. With Arizona signing Max Kepler to a one-year deal Sunday, Del Castillo will likely face an even more difficult path to receiving at-bats once Kepler is eligible to join the Diamondbacks on June 25 upon completing his 80-game suspension.