MLB Player News

Junk (2-5) took the loss Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing eight runs on eight hits and no walks in five innings. He struck out three.

Junk poured in 62 of his 88 pitches for strikes Wednesday, but he might have been too aggressive in pounding the zone. The 30-year-old right-hander was tagged for a season-worst eight runs, and he's now served up six home runs over four starts in the month of May after giving up only a pair of homers in his first six outings of the season. Junk will be trying to keep the ball in the park during his next scheduled appearance in Toronto, where he'll bring a 5.07 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 40:13 K:BB over 55 innings.

McCarthy went 2-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base, and two runs scored Wednesday against the Rangers.

McCarthy led off the bottom of the first inning with a single followed by his ninth stolen base of the season, tying Brenton Doyle (oblique) for the team lead. The 28-year-old McCarthy is carrying a hot bat in May, going 15-for-46 (.326) with two doubles, two triples, two homers, three steals, 11 RBI and seven runs in 15 games.

Mejia was charged with a blown save Wednesday in the 5-4 loss to the Rangers, giving up one hit with one strikeout over two-thirds of an inning.

With the Rockies holding a one-run lead, Mejia was called upon to put out a ninth-inning fire with the bases loaded and one out, but a passed ball and a single resulted in two inherited runners coming across to score, tagging him with his first blown save. The right-hander has recorded three saves this year and should remain in the mix at closer for Colorado given that he has not been charged with a run in his past seven appearances and holds a 3.80 ERA over 19 outings overall.

White (undisclosed) was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.

White was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday with the Jumbo Shrimp, and although it initially seemed like an indication that he was on his way to the big leagues, he'll instead spend at least a week on the IL due to an unspecified injury. The 21-year-old top prospect has a 4.34 ERA and 1.48 WHIP through five starts at Jacksonville this season, and although he isn't ready for his MLB debut just yet, there's still a chance he gets called up later in the year.

Dunn went 2-for-5 with a double, a triple and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Philadelphia.

Dunn typically starts against left-handers, but he got an opportunity against Phillies' right-hander Aaron Nola. He tripled and scored in the fourth inning and then scored a second run after a sixth-inning double. He's hit safely in four consecutive games, going 7-for-14 with five runs scored during the streak. A couple of Cincinnati outfielders -- TJ Friedl and Will Benson -- are slumping through the first two months, which could lead to regular opportunities for Dunn, who is batting .357 (10-for-28) over 11 games since being recalled from Triple-A Louisville.

Merrill was removed from Wednesday's game against the Dodgers with an apparent back injury, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

The young outfielder appeared to tweak something while trying to rob Shohei Ohtani's home run in the first inning, and Merrill was later taken out of the game at the start of the fifth. The Padres will likely send him for imaging to determine the specifics of his injury. If he has to miss any time, Bryce Johnson would be in line to pick up starts in center field.

Freeland tossed 4.2 innings in Wednesday's 5-4 loss against the Rangers, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks while taking a no-decision. He struck out five.

Freeland could not make it through five innings Wednesday and has not made it past the fifth frame in any of his past five starts. All of the damage from Texas came during the fourth inning, when Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger launched back-to-back long balls. Since coming off the injured list in late April, Freeland has lost four of his five appearances with a 10.32 ERA over 22.2 innings. The lefty is scheduled to make his next start against the Dodgers next week.

Lowder (shoulder) threw a side session Tuesday and will throw again in the bullpen Friday, MLB.com reports.

If all goes well Friday, Lowder could begin facing hitters a few days after. The right-hander landed on the injured list after leaving his May 7 start with shoulder discomfort, which necessitated an injection in the AC joint.

Perdomo went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Giants.

Perdomo drove in the Diamondbacks' first run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning and then finished the scoring with a two-run double in the fifth. He's struggled over the last couple of weeks and entered Wednesday's game batting .170 with one RBI over the previous 13 games.

Schmitt went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-3 loss against the Diamondbacks.

Schmitt scored the first run of the game with a solo shot off Merrill Kelly in the first inning for his ninth home run of the season. The 27-year-old utility man remains a lineup regular and has hits in each of his past five games, boosting his batting average to .293 and his OPS to .866. The promotion of Bryce Eldridge in early May seemed likely to threaten Schmitt's playing time, but his continued strong performance at the plate has resulted in him starting 15 of 18 games thus far in May.