MLB Player News

Cruz isn't in Pittsburgh's starting lineup for Sunday's matchup against Atlanta.

Cruz has started June in fine form, posting a .591 OBP with a homer, two stolen bases and seven walks through five games, but he'll get a breather Sunday. Jake Mangum is starting in center field for the Pirates.

Lowe (knee) isn't starting for the Pirates against Atlanta on Sunday.

Lowe fouled a ball off his right knee in the ninth inning Saturday and had to exit the game. He expressed worry about the incident after the game because he fractured his kneecap on a similar at-bat in September of 2023, per Jason Mackey of MLB.com, but a CT scan Saturday revealed that Lowe avoided a serious injury. Still, Lowe is set to miss at least one contest, and he'll have Monday's team off day to get more rest. Nick Gonzales is starting at second base for the Pirates on Sunday, and Marcell Ozuna is the team's DH.

Pittsburgh selected Wendzel's contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Wendzel is a 29-year-old infielder whose lone big-league experience was a 27-game stint with Texas in 2024. He earned his chance with Pittsburgh with a good showing at Indianapolis, slashing .246/.360/.491 with nine homers, 34 RBI and two stolen bases over 211 plate appearances. Wendzel can play all over the infield and will likely fill a utility role while with the major-league team.

The Pirates optioned Garcia to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Garcia struggled after getting called up May 19, posting a paltry .472 OPS with no homers or stolen bases and just two RBI while striking out at a 27.0 percent rate over 37 plate appearances. He started just twice over the past seven games and will now head back to the minors to get more regular work. Infielder Davis Wendzel was selected from Indianapolis to take Garcia's spot on the 26-man roster.

Johnson (elbow) is expected to toss a bullpen session Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Johnson last pitched May 26 before landing on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation, retroactive to May 27. He's set to test out the elbow with mound work Tuesday, and a minimum-length stay on the injured list remains a possibility. Johnson could bypass a minor-league rehab assignment if Tuesday's throwing session goes well.

Winn isn't starting for St. Louis on Sunday against Cincinnati.

Winn will get a breather after starting 14 straight games. He batted just .196 over that stretch, striking out 17 times over 60 plate appearances. Jose Fermin is drawing a start at shortstop in Winn's stead Sunday.

Lee went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Cubs.

Lee collected two of San Francisco's five hits in this one, hitting singles in the seventh and ninth innings while scoring in the latter frame. The 27-year-old outfielder also logged his first stolen base of the season after his seventh-inning base hit. He's recorded at least one hit in 14 straight games dating back to May 14 and is slashing .324/.359/.449 with 30 runs scored, 21 RBI, three homers and a 10.4 percent strikeout rate across 231 plate appearances this season.

Wetherholt (groin) is starting at second base and batting leadoff for St. Louis versus Cincinnati on Sunday.

Wetherholt missed three games due to a groin issue, but he's feeling well enough to return to action Sunday. Bryan Torres covered second base both Friday and Saturday, but he'll move to left field upon Wetherholt's return.

Devers went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Cubs.

The veteran slugger drew a walk in the third inning and took Caleb Thielbar deep to right-center field in the sixth. Devers has recorded at least one hit in three straight games and is batting .227 with eight runs scored, four RBI and a homer across 49 plate appearances in the last 10 contests. On the season, he's slashing .243/.293/.424 with 32 RBI, 29 runs scored, eight long balls and a 30.4 percent strikeout rate in 276 plate appearances.

Suarez is out of the Reds' starting lineup for Sunday's matchup versus St. Louis.

Suarez is batting .094 (3-for-32) with 14 strikeouts over his past nine games, so he'll get a chance to reset Sunday. Spencer Steer is sliding over to first base after starting each of the past three games at the keystone, while Sal Stewart is playing third base following a run of starts at first.