MLB Player News

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.

The Reds reinstated Trevino (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Sunday.

Following just under a month-long stay on the shelf due to a left hamstring strain, Trevino will rejoin the Reds ahead of their series finale versus Arizona and will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday. Trevino, who played in three minor-league rehab games prior to being activated, will reprise his usual duties as the No. 2 backstop behind Tyler Stephenson. The Reds optioned fellow catcher P.J. Higgins to Triple-A Louisville to make room on the active roster for Trevino.

Norby will start at third base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Norby's playing time has been trending down lately while the Marlins have been keeping the hot-hitting Heriberto Hernandez's bat in the lineup. Miami will include Norby in the lineup Sunday for just the fifth time in the last 11 games, with the 26-year-old covering the hot corner this time after his previous four starts had come at first base. With Hernandez gaining a foothold in left field, the Marlins could continue to lean primarily on Liam Hicks and Kyle Stowers at first base rather than Norby, who is slashing a measly .193/.317/.307 since the beginning of May.

Hernandez will start in left field and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

After recalling Hernandez from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 7, the Marlins had initially been using him as a short-side platoon player. The 26-year-old's hot-hitting ways have allowed him to gain traction against right-handed pitching, however. Hernandez will be included in the starting nine for a third straight matchup versus a righty, with the 26-year-old batting out of the No. 5 spot in each of those contests. He's slashing a robust .313/.338/.563 with five home runs, two steals, 16 RBI and nine runs over 22 games since his call-up.

Sanoja is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Sanoja will get a breather after he started the last four games -- three at third base, one at shortstop -- and went 2-for-14 with one double, one walk and three runs. Otto Lopez will be back at shortstop after serving as the Marlins' designated hitter Saturday, while Connor Norby receives the nod at the hot corner.

Griffin will report to the Pirates' facility in Bradenton on Sunday to continue rehabbing his right forearm strain, Aidan Stepansky of MLB.com reports.

Griffin began playing catch out to 90 feet Wednesday and is expected to gradually increase the distance and intensity of his throwing while he's in Florida. The standout rookie has been on the shelf since May 31 but could return to action before the end of June, depending on how quickly he's able to resume full baseball activities.

Merrill went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk versus the Orioles in Saturday's 9-3 win.

Merrill opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the first inning. That was the initial salvo in what would become a five-homer day for San Diego's offense. The long ball was Merrill's second in what has been a rough June so far, as he's slashing just .178/.229/.378 through 11 contests this month. However, four of his eight knocks during that stretch have gone for extra bases, and his 20.8 percent strikeout rate in June is an improvement on his 24.2 percent mark overall on the campaign.

Sheets went 1-for-5 with a solo home run against Baltimore in a 9-3 victory Saturday.

Sheets was one of five Padres to go deep in the win, and his seventh-inning solo shot off Albert Suarez gave the team a 7-2 lead. The veteran slugger has played a key role in the offense this season, ranking second in homers (11) and RBI (30). Sheets' defensive versatility has also been useful, as he's jumped around between first base and right field while also logging starts at DH.