MLB Player News

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Horwitz (hamstring) is progressing well and will hopefully return from the 10-day injured list at some point shortly after the All-Star break, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Horwitz landed on the IL on June 25 after suffering a left hamstring strain but already seems to be making positive strides in his recovery process, as he recently reported to the Pirates' facility in Florida to begin his rehab program. Cherington suggested that Horwitz is unlikely to be activated when the Pirates open their second-half schedule July 17 in Cleveland, but the 28-year-old first baseman may be ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment around that time. If that's the case, Horwitz could be on track to return from the IL before the end of July.

Lowder will pitch out of the bullpen until the All-Star break, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox19 Now reports. "When we get to next Sunday, we'll see where we're at and map it out from there," Reds manager Terry Francona said over the weekend. "We're not trying to make Lowder a bullpen guy. We're trying to figure out ways to protect our staff, win games and get through this next week."

Lowder's transition to the bullpen was triggered by the return of Hunter Greene to the rotation. Lowder is expected to provide length as a reliever but could also get use in high-leverage spots when a right-hander is needed.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Cruz (hand) is progressing well and will hopefully return from the 10-day injured list at some point shortly after the All-Star break, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

After shedding the cast on his fractured left hand, Cruz reported to the Pirates' facility in Florida last week to resume baseball activities. He looks poised to remain in Florida through at least the upcoming week to continue the ramp-up process, and if all goes well, Cruz could be ready for a rehab assignment once minor-league games resume following the All-Star break. The Pirates remain optimistic that Cruz will be ready to come off the IL before the end of July.

Carroll went 1-for-4 with a walk, a double and an RBI in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Brewers.

Carroll doubled in Arizona's first run in the opening inning, and his seventh-inning walk contributed to the team's second run. It was a perfectly fine day for the outfielder, but Carroll has been mired in a slump. Entering Sunday's game, he had just one hit over the previous 24 at-bats. The left-handed hitter told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that right-handed pitchers have been problematic. Carroll, who owns a career OPS of .857 against righties, has fallen to .768 in 2026.

Tawa started at third base and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 3-2 loss to Milwaukee.

Tawa, who was called up Sunday and gave Nolan Arenado a breather at the hot corner, stole his first base in three attempts in the majors this season. He's also had a couple of steals (caught once) in the minors. Tawa is not a volume base stealer but has swiped between 10 and 14 bags in each of five previous seasons of professional ball. He gives the Diamondbacks more flexibility off the bench than the player he replaced, LuJames Groover, who was buried at first base behind Pavin Smith and Ildemaro Vargas.

Soto (5-2) allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out two across two innings to earn the win Sunday against the Nationals.

Soto entered the game in the seventh inning to face lefties Luis Garcia and CJ Abrams, and he managed to retire both hitters. Soto then returned for the eighth inning and served up a solo home run to Dylan Crews, marking the sixth time in his last 10 outings that he's given up an earned run. Soto has now made three consecutive appearances before the ninth inning and hasn't collected a save since June 16. However, Carmen Mlodzinski is the only Pirates pitcher to record a save in that span, and that save came in a non-traditional spot.

Nola (3-6) took the loss Sunday against the Royals, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out seven over seven innings.

Nola was tagged for two runs in the first inning after Kansas City recorded three hits through five batters, but he settled in nicely from there. The veteran allowed just one more run over his final six innings and finished strong by striking out the side in the seventh. It marked his longest outing of the season, and he generated an impressive 19 whiffs. The performance was a much-needed rebound after he was tagged for a season-high eight runs in his previous start against the Pirates. Nola remains hard to trust in fantasy, owning a 5.87 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 94:29 K:BB across 92 innings. He is scheduled to face the Tigers on the road next.

Song went 1-for-3 with a run scored, two steals and a walk in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Dodgers.

Song drew the start at second base and made the most of his two times reaching base, stealing second in both the seventh and eighth innings. The 29-year-old has looked much improved at the plate of late, going 9-for-31 (.290) over his past 15 games. The former KBO standout is slashing .239/.338/.328 with one homer, nine RBI, 10 runs and nine stolen bases across 77 big-league plate appearances this season, seeing most of his action at the keystone but struggling to earn consistent playing time.

Tatis went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and a steal in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Dodgers.

Tatis collected a trio of hits, marking his eighth game this season with at least three hits as the Padres snapped an eight-game losing streak. After a brutally challenging start to the season, the 27-year-old has found his rhythm, slashing .299/.343/.480 with four homers, 16 RBI, 19 runs and seven stolen bases over his past 30 games. While the lack of power has been disappointing this season, Tatis continues trending in the right direction, raising his season line to .284/.345/.386 with five homers, 34 RBI, 41 runs and 21 stolen bases across 88 games.

Machado went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run, an additional run scored, a steal and three walks in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Dodgers.

Machado reached base four times, highlighted by a three-run shot to straightaway center field that extended the Padres' lead in the seventh inning. The third baseman has opened July going just 3-for-16 (.188), though each of those three hits has gone for extra bases, including two homers. The 34-year-old has shown off his power with 18 homers this season but has otherwise struggled, slashing .189/.282/.410 with 51 RBI, 44 runs and two stolen bases across 87 games.