MLB Player News

Hernandez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Pirates.

Getting the start in left field and batting fifth, Hernandez took Paul Skenes deep in the second inning to open the scoring in a 4-2 victory. The 26-year-old outfielder has been locked in this month, slashing .333/.368/.694 through 10 games in June with four of his six homers on the season, along with eight runs and eight RBI. The surge has moved Hernandez to the top of the depth chart in left field, allowing Kyle Stowers to see more time at first base.

Eldridge went 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a walk in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Cubs.

Eldridge drew a walk in the fifth inning and hit an RBI single in the seventh. The 21-year-old has logged at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 games, batting .439 with 16 runs scored, 12 RBI and four home runs in 68 plate appearances during that span. Overall, he's slashing .317/.405/.548 with 18 runs scored, 14 RBI and five long balls across 121 plate appearances this season.

Lee went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Cubs.

After going hitless in his previous two outings following an 18-game hitting streak, Lee bounced back Sunday with a pair of singles. The 27-year-old outfielder singled in the third inning and added another base hit in the fifth before coming around to score. He's recorded seven multi-hit performances through 13 appearances in June, slashing .431/.453/.490 with 11 runs scored, five RBI and three stolen bases across 53 plate appearances on the month.

Ritchie is slated to start Wednesday's game against the Giants in Atlanta, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

After being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, Ritchie joined the Atlanta bullpen and made just his second relief appearance since entering the professional ranks in 2022. He ended up piggybacking injured starter Spencer Strider (elbow) in Friday's loss to the Mets, striking out five batters and scattering two hits and two walks over five innings. With Strider landing on the injured list a day later, Ritchie will now be called upon to fill the open spot in the rotation. Strider lacks a clear timeline for a return, so Ritchie should be in line for multiple starts with the big club.

Johnson (elbow) is scheduled to face live hitters in a simulated game or batting practice Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Johnson has spent just over the minimum amount of time on the 15-day injured list after being deactivated May 30 due to right elbow inflammation, so if he fares well in Monday's live session, he could bypass a rehab assignment and rejoin the Cincinnati bullpen later this week. The right-hander has been a key high-leverage arm for the Reds this season, notching two wins, four holds and one save while pitching to a 3.27 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 22 innings.

Morejon notched a hold against the Orioles on Sunday, allowing one hit with no walks or strikeouts over 1.1 scoreless innings.

Morejon entered in the seventh inning with the Padres up 4-2 and a runner on first base. He needed just three pitches to get out of the frame, as he induced a double-play grounder off the bat of Adley Rutschman. Morejon then retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth before giving up an infield single, and he was subsequently replaced by closer Mason Miller. The southpaw Morejon recorded his 12th hold of the campaign, which is second-most on San Diego behind Jason Adam. Morejon's 4.00 ERA isn't exceptional, but he has a more appealing 1.06 WHIP and 41:7 K:BB over 36 innings spanning 33 relief appearances.

Duran went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, three total RBI and two total runs in a 5-2 win against Baltimore on Sunday.

With Freddy Fermin placed on the 7-day injured list early Sunday due to a concussion, Duran got the start behind the plate. He ended up being the star of San Diego's offense, producing both of the team's extra-base hits (an RBI double and a two-run homer) from the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Duran also went deep Saturday after entering for Fermin late in the contest, and he now has four extra-base hits (two doubles, two homers) and four RBI over his past nine plate appearances. Duran should serve as the Padres' primary catcher until Fermin or Luis Campusano (toe) returns to action. He's still batting a meager .176 on the campaign, but half of his six hits have left he park, and he went deep 15 times over 85 contests with Triple-A El Paso last season, so he could provide some temporary pop for fantasy managers in need of a backstop, particularly in two-catcher leagues.

The Mets are expected to place Scott on the 15-day injured list Monday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports. Scott is reportedly tending to a hip issue, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Though it's unclear when Scott sustained the injury, the Mets believe that the 27-year-old righty is dealing with a minor concern. In any case, the loss of Scott further depletes the Mets' rotation depth and will require the team to add another pitcher to the mix Tuesday, when Scott had been scheduled to start against the Reds. If he isn't needed in relief of starter Tobias Myers in Monday's series opener, David Peterson could be a leading candidate to take Scott's spot in the rotation. The Mets could also look to call up Jack Wenninger or Zach Thornton from Triple-A Syracuse to fill a spot until Kodai Senga (arm) is cleared to return from the IL.

An MRI on Strider's right elbow revealed no ligament damage, and he'll meet with Dr. Keith Meister later Monday before a timeline for his return from the 15-day injured list is established, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The MRI result comes as welcome news, as Strider looks set to avoid another operation on his elbow after requiring Tommy John surgery while in college in 2019 and an internal brace surgery in April 2024. Dr. Meister -- who performed the latter procedure -- will review the MRI results before providing Strider with a road map for his next steps in his recovery from elbow inflammation. Atlanta is expected to have another update on the right-hander's status Tuesday, and a potential timetable for his return from the 15-day injured list could also be provided at that point.

The Cubs designated Nikhazy for assignment Monday.

Nikhazy was a casualty of the Cubs needing to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of right-hander Yosver Zulueta, who was acquired via trade. A waiver claim by the Cubs in late April, Nikhazy has turned in an 8.44 ERA and 30:21 K:BB over 26.2 innings covering six starts and two relief outings with Triple-A Iowa.