MLB Player News

Fermin (head) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.

Fermin was removed from Saturday's 9-3 win when he was hit in the mask by a Yuki Matsui warmup pitch in the sixth inning. The backstop was also previously removed from an April 15 game against Seattle after being hit in the mask. Fermin was evaluated for a concussion following his early exit Saturday, but the Padres haven't confirmed that he's experiencing any symptoms. Rodolfo Duran will get the start at catcher Sunday, and Blake Hunt has joined the Padres' taxi squad from Triple-A El Paso in case Fermin needs to go on the injured list.

Bogaerts (head) is starting at shortstop and batting cleanup Sunday against the Orioles.

The veteran shortstop was hit in the head by a pitch during Saturday's contest and exited the game a short while later, but his presence in the lineup Sunday indicates he has no lingering issues. Bogaerts has struggled at the plate in June with a .148/.303/.185 slash line and 27.3 percent strikeout rate through nine games this month.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Cruz (hand) is facing an estimated recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Cruz landed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday after he was diagnosed with non-displaced fourth and fifth metacarpal fractures in his left hand, with the injury stemming from a hard slide in Atlanta last weekend. While Cruz appears likely to avoid surgery on his hand, he'll still need to wait for the fractures to heal before he resumes baseball activities. Given the timeline laid out by Cherington, it wouldn't be surprising if the Pirates opted to hold Cruz out through the All-Star break.

Callihan will start in right field and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Marlins.

The left-handed hitter will be in the lineup for the sixth time in eight games, with both of his absences coming against southpaws. While Oneil Cruz (hand) is on the shelf, the Pirates should have a strong-side platoon role available for Callihan so long as he continues to perform well. The 25-year-old has been sizzling since his May 28 call-up from Triple-A Indianapolis, going 7-for-20 (.350) with five extra-base hits, a stolen base and a 6:6 BB:K over 10 games.

Rodriguez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Rodriguez will take a seat for Sunday's matinee game after he started behind the plate in three of the Bucs' previous four contests. Henry Davis will handle catching duties in the series finale.

Pagan (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a live bullpen session Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Per MLB.com, Pagan had already tossed a pair of bullpen sessions, so this is the next step in his recovery, with a rehab assignment potentially on the horizon. Pagan has been on the shelf since May 6 due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and the Reds' closer situation has been mostly a mess in his absence.

Greene (elbow) is slated to begin a rehab assignment Thursday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

On the shelf all season while recovering from March 11 surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow, Greene has now been cleared for a rehab stint after completing a series of bullpen sessions and live throwing sessions over the past few weeks. Due to the length of his absence, Greene could need most of his 30-day rehab window to get fully stretched out, though manager Terry Francona said earlier this month that the right-hander is expected to return from the 60-day injured list at some point prior to the All-Star break.

Mikolas is expected to pitch in bulk relief behind opener PJ Poulin in Sunday's game against the Mariners, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

Mikolas will be making his sixth straight appearance as a bulk reliever, this time working behind Poulin after lefty Richard Lovelady served as the Nationals' opener in Mikolas' previous turn through the rotation. The veteran right-hander has gone 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB in 25 innings over his last five outings.

Poulin will serve as the Nationals' opener for Sunday's game against the Mariners, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

Poulin will draw his eighth start of the season, and just like on the previous seven occasions, he's expected to cover no more than two innings. Miles Mikolas is slated to work in bulk relief behind Poulin.

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

With backup catcher Jose Trevino (hamstring) returning from the injured list, Higgins was no longer needed as a depth option behind top backstop Tyler Stephenson. Following his May 17 promotion from Louisville, Higgins saw action in just eight games for the Reds and slashed .250/.294/.313 with three RBI and one run across 20 plate appearances.