MLB Player News

Yelich (back) is batting cleanup as the designated hitter Sunday against the Twins.

The veteran slugger made his return from a groin strain Tuesday versus San Diego but then missed four games due to back soreness. He's ready to rejoin the lineup after fully participating in pregame activities Saturday. Yelich is hardly in the clear given his long history of back problems, but his return is an encouraging sign for his season-long outlook.

The Brewers recalled Gasser from Triple-A Nashville to start Sunday's game against the Twins.

The 26-year-old lefty will make his 2026 big-league debut on the road in Minnesota. Gasser has pitched well across seven MLB starts dating back to 2024 with a 2.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB across 33.2 innings.

Mikolas is expected to be deployed in bulk relief behind opener Richard Lovelady in Sunday's game against the Orioles, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Mikolas started his prior three appearances, but the Nationals are opting to bring him out of the bullpen for the fourth time this season Sunday. Mikolas accrued a 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 5:3 K:BB in 11 innings over his prior three bulk relief outings.

The Reds recalled Franco from Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

The 25-year-old was optioned to Louisville on May 8 but will return to the majors and provide Cincinnati with some bullpen depth. Franco has a 4.30 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 12:11 K:BB across 14.2 frames in the big leagues this year.

Lovelady will serve as the Nationals' opening pitcher in Sunday's game against the Orioles, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Lovelady hasn't recorded more than six outs in any of his 17 appearances this season, so he'll handle a limited workload ahead of expected bulk reliever Miles Mikolas. Since the Nationals acquired him from the Mets on April 16, Lovelady has emerged as one of the club's more trusted bullpen arms. He's gathered two saves and three holds with an 0.82 ERA over 11 appearances with Washington, but a bloated 19.2 percent walk rate and 95.2 percent strand rate suggest that he's benefited from plenty of good fortune.

The Reds optioned Mey to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

Mey was called up by Cincinnati in late April and made six appearances in the big leagues, giving up five earned runs with a 14:7 K:BB across 8.1 innings. He'll return to Triple-A for now but could return to the big leagues when the Reds need bullpen depth.

The Reds designated Hinds for assignment Sunday.

Hinds was optioned to Triple-A Louisville in early May after going 4-for-33 with 18 strikeouts in 12 games with the Reds, and he's now lost his place on the 40-man roster. The 25-year-old showcased his power potential in 2024 with five homers in his first 24 big-league games, but he was never able to develop much consistency with a 42 percent strikeout rate across 131 plate appearances.

The Reds selected Higgins' contract from Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

The 33-year-old was designated for assignment by Cincinnati last Wednesday, but he'll get another look in the majors with Jose Trevino (hamstring) landing on the injured list. Higgins went 2-for-10 with a walk and an RBI over six games during his previous stint in the majors this season. He'll serve as the backup catcher to Tyler Stephenson while Trevino is sidelined.

The Reds placed Trevino (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Sunday.

Trevino picked up a hamstring injury during Saturday's game against the Guardians and will be out until at least the middle of next week. P.J. Higgins was called up in a corresponding move Sunday to serve as the backup catcher to Tyler Stephenson.

The Pirates reinstated Mangum (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Sunday.

The 30-year-old landed on the shelf in early May due to a strained left hamstring, but he's rejoining the Pirates on Sunday after a brief stint on the shelf. Mangum has a .260/.333/.288 slash line with no homers, five steals, three RBI and 13 runs in his first 30 games of the season, and he could take over as Pittsburgh's primary right fielder with Ryan O'Hearn (quadriceps) going to the IL.