MLB Player News

Gilbert is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

With southpaw Cristopher Sanchez on the hill for Philadelphia, the left-handed-hitting Gilbert will hit the bench while the Giants add an extra right-handed bat (Jerar Encarnacion) to their outfield. Gilbert had started in each of the Giants' previous 12 games, going 9-for-37 (.243 average) with two home runs, zero stolen bases, five RBI and four runs.

Palencia (lat) could be activated from the 15-day injured list before Friday's game against the Diamondbacks, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Palencia is working his way back from a strain in his left (non-throwing) lat and has experienced enough improvement that he could skip a rehab assignment and return to action this weekend. The hard-throwing closer notched one save and tossed five scoreless innings before getting injured. Palencia's return would be a big boost to a bullpen that's also without Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) and Hunter Harvey (triceps).

Campusano will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

Campusano will stick behind the plate for the third time in four games while Freddy Fermin sits. Though Fermin has operated as the Padres' No. 1 catcher for much of the season, Campusano may be starting to turn the position into more of a timeshare arrangement due to his hot hitting. Since the calendar flipped to April, Campusano has hit .385 with three home runs, seven doubles, 10 RBI and eight runs over 13 games.

The Pirates designated Harbin (lat) for assignment Wednesday.

The transaction frees a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Chris Devenski, who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis. Harbin was placed on Indianapolis' 60-day injured list earlier this month due to a right lat strain and it's unclear when he might be ready to pitch again. The injury could affect his appeal on waivers.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Wednesday that Suarez's left oblique remains tender, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

The hope is that Suarez will improve enough in the coming days before getting re-imaged during the Reds' May 1-7 road trip. He would then be able to ramp up baseball activities if the scans yield favorable results. Suarez is eligible for activation from the 10-day injured list Saturday, but it's looking like he won't return until at least mid-May. Nathaniel Lowe will continue to serve as the Reds' primary designated hitter while Suarez is sidelined.

Duran (oblique) could be ready to return within a couple days according to Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Dombrowski did merely refer to the Phillies as "hopeful" that their closer could return soon and didn't provide a precise timeline, and there's been no word of a rehab assignment. Duran is eligible to return from the injured list Thursday, and while that would be a quicker-than-normal return from an oblique injury, Duran's particular injury seems to be a mild one. The Phillies haven't generated a save chance in Duran's absence, but Brad Keller looks like the most likely candidate to pick up a save or two should any opportunities arise before Duran's return.

Kelly is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

He'll sit for the second time in the series while Miguel Amaya receives another start behind the plate in the finale in San Diego. Unless he ends up being used off the bench Wednesday, Kelly will finish April with a robust .317/.419/.476 slash line to go with two home runs, seven RBI and 12 runs over 18 games.

The Pirates optioned Barco to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Barco threw 84 pitches while allowing five runs over 4.2 innings in an extended relief outing in Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals. The left-hander will likely rejoin the rotation at Indianapolis.

Suzuki is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

With the Cubs wrapping up their series in San Diego with an afternoon game after a night game, Suzuki will receive what appears to be a routine day off. He had started in each of Chicago's last eight games, going 14-for-32 (.438 average) with five home runs, seven RBI and eight runs over that stretch.

Swanson (glute) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Swanson was lifted prior to the bottom of the second inning in Tuesday's 8-3 win after experiencing a left glute cramp. The Cubs haven't indicated that Swanson is dealing with anything more significant than the cramp, so he's presumably just getting some extra rest Wednesday as a matter of precaution. Chicago is off Thursday, so Swanson will get two full days to recover before likely returning to the lineup Friday versus the Diamondbacks.