MLB Player News

The Rockies optioned Gordon to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Gordon was demoted after surrendering four homers while giving up six runs over three-plus innings against the Mets on Friday. The right-hander has yielded a total of 11 earned runs over 9.1 frames across his first two major-league starts and will get a chance to reset at Triple-A. Colorado also placed Nolan Jones (back) on the IL on Saturday while recalling outfielder Sean Bouchard and reliever Angel Chivilli from the minors. Gordon's short-lived spot in the big-league rotation will be assumed by German Marquez (elbow), who is set to return from the injured list to make his season debut Sunday.

Sanchez is not in the starting lineup Saturday against Cincinnati.

Sanchez will sit against lefty Andrew Abbott. That's not unexpected, as Sanchez is hitting a meager .091 (4-for-44) against southpaws this season. With Sanchez out of the lineup, Dane Myers is playing right field and batting fifth Saturday.

Yelich is not in the Brewers' starting lineup Saturday versus Washington.

Yelich will sit for the first time since May 15 as Milwaukee goes up against rookie lefty Mitchell Parker. In Yelich's stead, William Contreras is taking on DH duties while Eric Haase starts behind the plate.

The Reds transferred Martini (thumb) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Saturday.

Martini underwent thumb surgery earlier in the week, and Reds manager David Bell said at the time that the 34-year-old would be out until at least September. His move to the 60-day IL confirms as much, as Martini isn't eligible to be activated until Sept. 6. The move also frees up a spot on Cincinnati's 40-man roster for right-hander Tony Santillan, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville.

Alvarez is out of the starting lineup Saturday versus the Rockies.

Alvarez will be out of the lineup for the second time in three days -- he also rested Thursday versus Washington -- with Luis Torrens getting the start behind the plate Saturday. The day off isn't due to performance, as Alvarez has been hitting well of late, going 6-for-17 with a pair of doubles and three walks during his current five-game hitting streak.

De La Cruz is starting at shortstop and batting second Saturday against the Marlins.

De La Cruz got just his second day off this season Thursday against Colorado, though the rest day reportedly wasn't related to the hand injury he's been managing. That appears to be confirmed with his inclusion in the lineup Friday and Saturday. De La Cruz will look to extend a four-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 7-for-17 with three doubles and three stolen bases.

Cincinnati selected Santillan's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

The Reds placed starter Carson Spiers (shoulder) on the injured list Saturday and called up Santillan to take Spiers' roster spot, opting to add a reliever with the All-Star break looming. Santillan has logged a 3.38 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 53:24 K:BB over 40.0 innings in the minors this season. He got into three games with the Reds last year, allowing one run on four hits while posting a 5:1 K:BB over 3.1 frames. He'll like serve in a low-leverage role while with the big-league club.

The Reds placed Spiers on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement Saturday.

Spiers notched a career-high nine punchouts over five innings in a win over Miami on Friday, but he apparently hurt his shoulder in the process. The right-hander's move to the IL means he won't be eligible to return until July 28. Cincinnati called up reliever Tony Santillan from Triple-A in a corresponding move, but it's not clear who will take Spiers' spot in the rotation following the All-Star break.

Smith underwent Tommy John ligament construction surgery Friday, which included an internal brace procedure, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Per DiComo, the procedure was a "full-blown Tommy John ligament reconstruction," which means Smith will likely be sidelined for 12-to-18 months. With that in mind, the reliever -- who previously underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2019 -- will likely miss at least half of next season and may not pitch again until 2026. He's slated to be a free agent in November.

The Cubs reinstated Assad (forearm) from the 15-day injured list Saturday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

A forearm strain has kept Assad on the IL since June 27, but he'll now return to start the second game of Chicago's doubleheader versus the Cardinals. The 26-year-old righty owns a 3.04 ERA and 1.28 WHIP through 16 starts on the year, though his numbers jump up to a 5.04 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across his five most recent outings. He'll officially serve as the Cubs' 27th man for Saturday's twin bill, though he'll presumably remain with the team following his start.