MLB Player News

Alvarez isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals.

The Mets will give Alvarez a day off after he went 3-for-5 with three RBI during Friday's win. While he rests, Luis Torrens will start behind the dish and bat eighth.

The Cardinals optioned Munoz to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Munoz allowed one run in two innings after being recalled from the minors Friday, and he'll now head back to Memphis after a day with the Cards. Michael McGreevy was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The Cardinals recalled McGreevy from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Although his stays in the majors were brief, McGreevy performed well for the Cardinals last season, turning in a 1.96 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with an 18:2 K:BB across 23 innings. He hasn't had quite the same success in Memphis this season (4.08 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), but he'll rejoin the big club anyway and presumably work as a long reliever. Roddery Munoz was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Hassell went 4-for-5 with a walk, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI for Triple-A Rochester on Friday.

The 23-year-old outfielder limped into May with a .240/.296/.280 slash line, but Hassell has erupted for eight hits in the first two games of the month to add over 150 points to his OPS. Power might never be a consistent part of his game -- Friday's long balls were his first of 2025 -- but he's 7-for-8 on steal attempts through 29 games this season. If an injury opens up a spot in the Nationals' outfield, Hassell is positioning himself to get the first chance at filling it.

Arraez went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and three RBI in Friday's 9-4 win over the Pirates.

Arraez gave the Padres a 3-2 lead with his run-scoring single in the fifth and added a two-run single in the eighth. Since returning from a stint on the 7-day concussion IL on April 29, the veteran infielder has collected at least one hit and at least one RBI in each of his three games. Arraez started slowly this season but is now batting a robust .313 -- ninth best in the National League -- as he pursues a fourth consecutive batting title.

Sheets went 3-for-5 with a home run and an additional RBI in Friday's 9-4 victory versus Pittsburgh.

Sheets put the Padres on the board in the fourth inning with a solo shot to right-center field and added a run-scoring single in the fifth. The three-hit effort came on the heels of a seven-game slump during which the veteran infielder/outfielder went 1-for-23 with three strikeouts. Sheets has collected hits in bunches this season -- he has more multi-hit performances (nine) than contests with one hit (five). Overall, he's slashing .281/.343/.461 with four home runs, 14 RBI, 11 runs and one stolen base over 99 plate appearances this season.

Soroka (biceps) struck out 11 and allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks over five innings in his rehab start Friday with Triple-A Rochester.

Soroka built up to 4.1 innings and 78 pitches in his second rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg last Sunday, but rather than bringing him back from the 15-day injured list for this weekend's series in Cincinnati, the Nationals instead opted to have the right-hander move up a level for a third rehab outing. The 27-year-old seemed to have answered any lingering questions about his readiness to join the big club with his dominant showing for Rochester, as his 11 punchouts on the night were backed by 17 swinging strikes over his 94 pitches. Assuming he remains on the standard four-day rest schedule he's been following during his rehab assignment, Soroka will likely come off the IL to make his next start for Washington in Wednesday's series finale versus the Guardians at Nationals Park.

Merrill (hamstring) appears on track to return from the 10-day injured list Monday in the Padres' series opener versus the Yankees in New York, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Merrill hasn't played since April 6 while recovering from a right hamstring strain, but he recently resumed taking live at-bats at the Padres' spring facility in Arizona and has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio on Saturday, per MLB.com. It's unclear if Merrill is scheduled to play for San Antonio both Saturday and Sunday or just Saturday, but assuming he makes it through the weekend without any setbacks, he'll join the Padres as their three-city road trip moves to New York. Merrill will supplant Tyler Wade as the Friars' primary center fielder once he's officially activated.

The Padres appear to be eyeing next Friday's series opener in Colorado for Cronenworth's (rib) potential return from the 10-day injured list, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Cronenworth has been on the shelf since April 11 due to a non-displaced right rib fracture, but he recently received clearance for full baseball activity and took live batting practice at extended spring training Thursday. He'll likely remain in Arizona for at least a few more days to continue ramping up and could head out on a brief rehab assignment early during the upcoming week, but if all goes smoothly in his recovery, Cronenworth may be ready to return to the San Diego lineup by next weekend. Once activated, Cronenworth should supplant Jose Iglesias as the Padres' primary second baseman.

Ray (4-0) picked up the win Friday, scattering two hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Rockies. He struck out eight.

The veteran southpaw may be regaining the form that led him to an AL Cy Young Award in 2021 with the Blue Jays. Ray has lasted seven innings in back-to-back starts, allowing only two runs on seven hits with a 16:3 K:BB as he takes advantage of pitching at Oracle Park. Thanks to that surge, he sports a 3.05 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 41:21 K:BB through 38.1 innings on the season. Ray will head out on the road for his next outing, however, which is scheduled to come next week against the Cubs.