MLB Player News

The Reds activated Hayes (back) from the 10-day injured list Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Hayes looked sharp at the plate on his rehab assignment, going 7-for-12 with one home run in three games with Triple-A Louisville. He slashed an ugly .142/.195/.225 in 44 contests with the Reds before going down in late May with a bulging disc in his back. Hayes will get some starts at third base on days Sal Stewart plays another position, but it's uncertain how often the veteran infielder will ultimately get into the lineup.

The Reds placed McLain on the 10-day injured list with a strained calf, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

McLain was unavailable Thursday because of the injury and ultimately wasn't able to avoid a trip to the injured list. The 26-year-old has seen his role reduced, as McLain had started only five of the Reds' last 12 games before his placement on the IL. Calf strains typically result in longer than 10-day absences, but it's unclear how severe McLain's strain is.

Ritchie will start Sunday's game in St. Louis, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

He's taking over the rotation spot vacated by Hurston Waldrep, who was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Ritchie has made seven starts and three relief outings with the big club this season, turning in a 4.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 42:28 K:BB over 45 innings. Ritchie hasn't handled a normal starter's workload for nearly two weeks and threw 35 pitches in relief Thursday, so he'll likely be on a limited pitch count Sunday.

Atlanta activated Kinley from the paternity leave list Friday.

After being away for a few days while welcoming a new addition to the family, Kinley is back in the bullpen for the team's weekend series in St. Louis. Kinley holds a 3.62 ERA and 33:12 K:BB over 32.1 frames this season.

Atlanta optioned Waldrep to Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Waldrep looked rusty in two starts and one relief appearance during his first stint with the big club this season, posting an 8.44 ERA, 2.16 WHIP and 9:10 K:BB over 10.2 innings. The young right-hander could eventually get another chance in the Atlanta rotation after the All-Star break, but he'll try to sharpen up at Gwinnett first. JR Ritchie is entering the rotation in Waldrep's place.

Mathews continued a terrific stretch at Triple-A Memphis with seven strikeouts over seven shutout innings in Thursday's start versus Gwinnett.

Mathews had an up-and-down first two months of the season but has been on a roll since the start of June, posting a 1.83 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB over 39.1 frames covering seven starts. His 10.3 percent walk rate during that span remains a tad high, but it's greatly improved from the 18.2 percent mark he had in his first 10 outings. Mathews is not on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, but he looks ready for a chance at the big-league level sooner rather than later.

Benge went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's win over the Royals.

The rookie right fielder has reeled off four straight multi-hit performances as he surges toward the All-Star break. Benge has hit safely in 13 of the last 14 contests, delivering a .328/.391/.466 slash line over that stretch with two doubles, two homers, two steals, seven RBI and nine runs.

Susac (back) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

Susac has been shelved for the past two weeks with a lower-back strain. He was used at designated hitter in his first rehab contest, and the Giants will surely want him to play at least a game or two at catcher before returning the rookie to the active roster, which could happen immediately after the All-Star break.

Yastrzemski went 1-for-3 with two walks, a grand slam and a second run scored in Thursday's win over the Pirates.

The veteran outfielder put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth inning when he turned on a Dennis Santana fastball and deposited it in the right-field seats. The homer was only Yastrzemski's sixth of the season in 84 contests, and his .681 OPS would be a career low, but he's showing signs of a breakout in July. Through the first nine games this month he's batting .280 (7-for-25) with a double, two long balls, six runs, nine RBI and more walks (six) than strikeouts (five).

Olson went 1-for-3 with two walks, a solo home run and a second run scored in Thursday's win over the Pirates.

The All-Star first baseman took Mitch Keller deep in the first inning, and Pittsburgh did its best to pitch around him the rest of the night. Olson is up to 25 homers on the season, tied for third in the National League, and five of them have come in the last seven games -- a stretch in which he's batting .276 (8-for-29) with two doubles, six RBI and nine runs.