MLB Player News

Reds manager David Bell said Monday that Hoffman (shoulder) will make a third rehab start for Triple-A Louisville later this week, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hoffman's second rehab outing came Sunday, when he struck out six over four scoreless frames. He was capped at 49 pitches in that outing, so the Reds may want to see him increase his count to the 60-to-75 range before activating him from the 10-day injured list prior to the All-Star break. The Reds have yet to determine Hoffman's role upon returning from the IL, but he would have to settle for bullpen duties if the club opts to keep Vladimir Gutierrez in the rotation.

The Twins promoted Winder from Double-A Wichita to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.

Winder, a 2018 seventh-round pick, earned the call to the minors' highest level after compiling a 1.98 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 65:10 K:BB in 54.2 innings. The right-hander is an older prospect -- he'll turn 25 in October -- so service-time considerations may not come into play if the Twins feel he's ready to contribute to the big-league rotation later in 2021. Before a promotion to Minnesota is entertained, Winder will first need to continue to perform at a high level in his initial outings with St. Paul.

Gallegos has put together seven straight scoreless appearances during which he's allowed just two hits and forged an 8:0 K:BB across eight innings.

The hard-throwing right-hander also picked up his 12th hold in his most recent appearance Saturday, adding to his status as a key fantasy asset in formats that factor in that metric. Gallegos' 1.98 ERA and 0.66 WHIP are also elite, as is his 5.8 K/BB % across 41 innings.

Melancon earned the save against Arizona on Sunday with a perfect inning during which he struck out one batter.

The right-hander came on in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. He struggled with his control a bit, working a three-ball count to each of the first two batters he faced, but he was able to get through the frame without allowing any baserunners. Melancon has successfully converted each of his past five save opportunities and leads MLB with 24 saves on the season.

Bickford struck out two in a perfect inning against the Cubs on Sunday and has held opponents without an earned run in 14 of his 15 appearances since joining Los Angeles.

The right-hander's 2.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP on the season look solid enough, but those numbers improve to 1.72 and 1.02, respectively, since Bickford debuted with the Dodgers on May 23. Aside from a rough outing against Texas on June 13 during which he was charged with three earned runs without getting an out, he has appeared nearly impossible to score upon. Since the blowup against the Rangers, Bickford has hurled 8.2 scoreless innings, registering a 12:3 K:BB and giving up only four hits.

The Rockies placed Stephenson on the 10-day injured list Monday with upper-back tightness.

Lefty Ben Bowden was summoned from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill Stephenson's spot in the Colorado bullpen. Over 27 relief appearances in his first season with the Rockies, Stephenson has posted a 4.56 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 23.2 innings.

Nelson has a 9.31 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP through his first 10 appearances this season.

While those are daunting numbers, the southpaw has actually kept runs off the board in eight of his outings. Nelson's ratios have been warped by the two times he's allowed five runs. A 7.4 BB/9 is still too high to be considered effective, but considering he's pitched to a 4.58 FIP, the reliever should be in line for a statistical correction over time. He allowed just one walk and struck out one over 1.1 innings in Sunday's 8-2 loss to Minnesota.

Payamps (back) struck out one over a perfect ninth inning in Saturday's 12-4 win over the Orioles.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Friday that Payamps had been managing a back injury of late, but the reliever's availability for Saturday's contest implies the issue isn't a major concern. Since being called up from Triple-A Buffalo on April 15, Payamps has compiled a 3.12 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 18:10 K:BB in 26 innings over 20 appearances.

The Twins sent Smeltzer (elbow) to their rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate Monday to begin a rehab assignment.

Smeltzer has been on the injured list since May 12 with left elbow inflammation. Due to his long-term absence, Smeltzer will likely be in store for an extended rehab assignment across multiple minor-league affiliates before the Twins activated him from the IL.

Kranick is slated to remain part of the Pittsburgh rotation after general manager Ben Cherington revealed Sunday that the Pirates would proceed with a six-man starting staff through at least the All-Star break, Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic reports.

Only a mid-game rain delay could stop Kranick in his MLB debut in Sunday's 7-2 win over the Cardinals. The 23-year-old became the first pitcher since 1893 to toss at least five perfect innings in a debut outing, with the right-hander needing just 50 pitches (36 strikes) to record his 15 outs. He'll now get the chance to build on that excellent start, with his next turn most likely coming Saturday in Pittsburgh versus the Brewers.