MLB Player News

Young went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Monday's loss to the Marlins.

The center fielder took Sandy Alcantara deep in the second inning to give the Nationals an early 2-1 lead, but the bullpen wasn't able to make it stick in an eventual 7-3 loss. Known for his speed and defensive prowess as opposed to his slugging coming into 2026, Young is up to eight homers on the season, and five of them have come in his last 16 games -- a stretch in which he's slashing a stunning .308/.386/.718 with two steals, seven runs and 10 RBI over 44 plate appearances.

Lovelady (2-3) was charged with a loss and a blown save Monday against the Marlins. He allowed two runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning and didn't record a strikeout.

Lovelady has been used in several roles throughout the season, as he has two wins, four saves and four holds, but he's also pitched as an opener three times. Monday, he entered the game in the sixth inning after Cade Cavalli allowed a single to Leo Jimenez to lead off the frame, but Lovelady served up a two-run homer to Heriberto Hernandez before hitting Jakob Marsee with a pitch and giving up an RBI double to Connor Norby, saddling him with his first blown save of 2026. Lovelady has made 18 appearances for the Nats since joining the team in mid-April, posting a 3.24 ERA and 1.80 WHIP across 16.2 innings.

Polanco (Achilles/wrist) went 1-for-3 with two walks, two strikeouts, a home run and three RBI while playing in rehab games for Double-A Binghamton on Friday and Saturday.

Perhaps more importantly, Polanco started Saturday's game at first base, indicating that the Mets haven't given up on the idea of him being an important contributor at the position. He has yet to play a full nine innings in any of his three rehab games, however, so activation from the 10-day injured list may not be imminent. Per Max Ralph of MLB.com, manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged over the weekend that Polanco likely won't be 100 percent healthy once he's eventually reinstated. However, the skipper suggested that as long as the pain in Polanco's left Achilles doesn't worsen, the 32-year-old will be able to play through the issue. Whenever he rejoins the big-league roster, Polanco will compete with Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Jared Young for playing time at first base and designated hitter.

Leibrandt didn't factor into the decision in Monday's loss to the Royals, pitching six relief innings and allowing five runs on 10 hits and three walks. He struck out three.

Leibrandt was added to the Reds' bullpen just before Monday's game, and he ended up pitching six innings and tossing 99 pitches (60 strikes). The results weren't encouraging, but Cincinnati was trailing by multiple runs for Leibrandt's entire six-inning outing. This was his first big-league appearance since 2024. He posted a 5.23 ERA and 38:14 K:BB over 51.2 innings covering 11 starts with Triple-A Louisville before getting promoted.

Patrick (3-2) was credited with the win in Monday's 16-2 victory over the Giants after striking out one batter in a perfect inning of relief.

Because starter Shane Drohan worked only four innings rather than five, Patrick ended up picking up the win for the Brewers, despite having already been staked to an 8-2 lead when he entered the game in the top of the fifth. Patrick had made a four-inning start for the Brewers in his previous appearance last Wednesday against the Cardinals, but the right-hander looks like he'll end up remaining part of the bullpen mix for now. Patrick tossed just 15 pitches Monday, so he should still be available to cover multiple innings (if needed) in either of the final two contests of the Brewers' series with the Giants on Wednesday and Thursday. Coleman Crow and Brandon Sproat are tentatively lined up to start those games, but neither pitcher has reached six innings in an appearance since mid-April.

Richardson (0-1) was tagged with the loss Monday against the Royals after allowing four runs on one hit and two walks in one inning. He also struck out two.

Richardson was facing a two-out, bases-loaded situation when Lane Thomas smashed a 106.3 mph missile into left-center field to give the Royals an advantage they'd never relinquish. Richardson was removed after that first inning, and his ERA now sits at 27.00 after just two big-league appearances this year. In 1.2 innings, he's given up five earned runs and two homers with a 3:2 K:BB.

Urias (elbow) has resumed taking batting practice and is going through a throwing program, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Urias has been shelved for nearly a month with tennis elbow, but he's making some strides in his recovery. There's no word yet on when he might be ready for a rehab assignment, but it shouldn't be far off.

Lopez went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Monday's win over the Nationals.

After a brief 0-for-11 skid over the prior three games, Lopez put together another multi-hit performance to boost his batting average on the season back up to a league-leading .333. Since the beginning of May, the 27-year-old shortstop is slashing .345/.368/.440 with eight doubles, one homer, five steals, 12 RBI and 13 runs in 30 contests.

Thomas went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, a double and an additional run scored in Monday's win over the Reds.

Thomas launched a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the first inning, giving the Royals a nice cushion they'd never relinquish. This was Thomas' second homer of the season, and it's worth noting that he also ended just a triple away from the cycle. The 30-year-old has hit .320 with a .930 OPS, a homer, three doubles, six RBI, two runs scored and a 5:2 K:BB over his last nine games.

Church (shoulder) has begun a throwing program and has been taking batting practice, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Church has been sidelined for nearly two weeks while dealing with a left shoulder strain. He will likely need a rehab assignment before activation from the 10-day injured list and appears close to being game-ready. With Lars Nootbaar (heels) expected to return before him, Church's best chance at playing time once he makes it back could be unseating Victor Scott in center field.