MLB Player News

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Monday that Ekness is expected to miss approximately six weeks due to a right calf strain, Kyle Sielaff of Marlins.tv reports.

After Ekness was spotted moving around in the Miami clubhouse with the aid of crutches following Sunday's loss to the Mets, the Marlins placed him on the 15-day injured list a day later. Ekness was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday but didn't make any relief appearances during his second stint of the season with the big club. Given the estimated six-week recovery timeline, Ekness will remain on the shelf through the All-Star break.

Brown (shoulder) will make his next rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown made the second start of his rehab assignment with Sugar Land this past Friday, allowing one run on one hit and no walks while striking out five over three innings. The right-hander continues working his way back from a shoulder strain and will likely require at least one more minor-league start after Thursday before being ready to rejoin the big-league rotation.

Javier (shoulder) will report to Double-A Corpus Christi on Wednesday to begin a rehab assignment, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The right-hander landed on the injured list in mid-April due to a Grade 2 shoulder strain, but he's ramped up his throwing program over the past few weeks and is now ready for game action. Javier will likely require a few starts in the minors before being cleared to rejoin the Astros.

Chapman went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a walk in Monday's 16-2 loss to the Brewers.

Chapman launched a home run to center field in the second inning, marking his first homer since March 31 and his second on the campaign. The veteran third baseman has reached base safely in 10 of the last 12 games, batting .302 with 10 runs scored, seven walks and five RBI in 50 plate appearances during that span. He's now slashing .234/.315/.338 with 27 runs scored, 21 RBI and a 22.2 percent strikeout rate across 248 plate appearances this season.

The Rangers sent Seager (back) to Double-A Frisco on Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment.

Seager's recovery from lower-back inflammation has come along more slowly than anticipated, but he's finally been cleared to test himself in a game setting. As long as he's able to avoid setbacks, Seager should be ready to rejoin the Rangers' active roster later this week. He's been on the shelf since mid-May due to the injury.

The Nationals list Alvarez as their starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Marlins in Washington.

Alvarez will be making his second straight turn through the Washington rotation, this time in a traditional starter role after the Nationals deployed him as a bulk reliever Friday. Stepping into the rotation spot that had previously belonged to the injured Jake Irvin (shoulder), Alvarez entered the game after opener Paxton Schultz pitched the first inning. The 26-year-old lefty proceeded to work three innings, taking a no-decision while allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks.

Jax (1-4) took the loss Monday against the Tigers, allowing six runs on seven hits and one walk in four innings. He struck out five.

Jax was trending up since joining Tampa Bay's starting rotation, but Monday's performance was a big step backward. After giving up two runs or fewer in each of his last six starts, the 31-year-old right-hander surrendered a season-worst seven hits (three home runs) and six runs. Jax will take a shaky 4.76 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 32:16 K:BB over 34 innings into his next scheduled outing over the weekend on the road against the Marlins.

Adams has enrolled at Southern Methodist University and intends to suit up for the football team, Billy Embody of On3.com reports.

Adams is a former blue-chip football recruit who signed to play at North Carolina before opting for professional baseball instead. The 26-year-old had split time between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville in the Brewers organization before being released last week. Adams has slashed .165/.193/.203 in 38 games covering parts of three major-league seasons. His pursuit of a football career presumably means Adams is done playing baseball, though he has not confirmed as much.

Massey went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in Monday's 9-2 win over the Reds.

Massey added on to the Royals' sizable lead, launching a solo homer in the seventh inning as part of a three-hit effort. It marked the second baseman's first three-hit game of the season and second homer in as many days, the first time he has gone deep in consecutive games this year. On the year, Massey is now hitting .250 with a .731 OPS, five homers, 16 RBI, 14 runs and a stolen base across 125 plate appearances.

Caglianone went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Monday's 9-2 victory over the Reds.

Caglianone reached base three times, highlighted by a two-run homer that left the bat at 108.1 mph in the fifth inning. Monday marked a strong start to June for the 23-year-old after he hit .222 with a .638 OPS, three homers, four doubles, seven RBI, seven runs and a stolen base across 27 contests in May. Overall, he's hitting .242 with a .711 OPS, 16 extra-base hits (six homers), 13 RBI, 20 runs and a stolen base through 55 games this season.