MLB Player News

Mikolas is expected to pitch in bulk relief behind opener PJ Poulin in Sunday's game against the Mariners, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

Mikolas will be making his sixth straight appearance as a bulk reliever, this time working behind Poulin after lefty Richard Lovelady served as the Nationals' opener in Mikolas' previous turn through the rotation. The veteran right-hander has gone 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB in 25 innings over his last five outings.

Duran went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Rangers.

The Rangers made it a one-run game in the top of the eighth inning before Duran put it out of reach with a two-run blast in the bottom of the frame. The homer was 11th of the season for Duran, who clubbed nine during the month of May but entered Saturday batting .158 (6-for-38) with one RBI over his first nine games in June.

Poulin will serve as the Nationals' opener for Sunday's game against the Mariners, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

Poulin will draw his eighth start of the season, and just like on the previous seven occasions, he's expected to cover no more than two innings. Miles Mikolas is slated to work in bulk relief behind Poulin.

Rafaela went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Saturday's 6-3 win over Texas.

Rafaela delivered a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning which turned out to be the game-winning hit. He continued a productive stretch and is 15-for-41 (.366) with two home runs and nine RBI over 10 games since the calendar flipped to June.

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

With backup catcher Jose Trevino (hamstring) returning from the injured list, Higgins was no longer needed as a depth option behind top backstop Tyler Stephenson. Following his May 17 promotion from Louisville, Higgins saw action in just eight games for the Reds and slashed .250/.294/.313 with three RBI and one run across 20 plate appearances.

The Reds reinstated Trevino (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Sunday.

Following just under a month-long stay on the shelf due to a left hamstring strain, Trevino will rejoin the Reds ahead of their series finale versus Arizona and will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday. Trevino, who played in three minor-league rehab games prior to being activated, will reprise his usual duties as the No. 2 backstop behind Tyler Stephenson. The Reds optioned fellow catcher P.J. Higgins to Triple-A Louisville to make room on the active roster for Trevino.

Norby will start at third base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Norby's playing time has been trending down lately while the Marlins have been keeping the hot-hitting Heriberto Hernandez's bat in the lineup. Miami will include Norby in the lineup Sunday for just the fifth time in the last 11 games, with the 26-year-old covering the hot corner this time after his previous four starts had come at first base. With Hernandez gaining a foothold in left field, the Marlins could continue to lean primarily on Liam Hicks and Kyle Stowers at first base rather than Norby, who is slashing a measly .193/.317/.307 since the beginning of May.

Langford went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 6-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Langford recorded multiple hits for the second straight game, going 5-for-9 with a double and two RBI in the first two games of the series in Boston. It appears the outfielder needed some time to regain his form following a six-week layoff due to a forearm strain. Langford went 3-for-23 (.130) over his first six games off the IL prior to his two-game rebound this weekend.

Hernandez will start in left field and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

After recalling Hernandez from Triple-A Jacksonville on May 7, the Marlins had initially been using him as a short-side platoon player. The 26-year-old's hot-hitting ways have allowed him to gain traction against right-handed pitching, however. Hernandez will be included in the starting nine for a third straight matchup versus a righty, with the 26-year-old batting out of the No. 5 spot in each of those contests. He's slashing a robust .313/.338/.563 with five home runs, two steals, 16 RBI and nine runs over 22 games since his call-up.

Burger went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 6-3 loss to Boston.

Burger swatted his 12th homer of the season. He's in a groove right now, having gone 9-for-18 with two home runs and five RBI over the last six contests to boost his slash line on the season to .248/.307/.440 over 274 plate appearances.