MLB Player News

The Marlins placed Ekness on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a right calf strain.

With the Marlins opting for an impromptu bullpen game during Sunday's eventual 10-1 loss to the Mets after Janson Junk (shin) was scratched ahead of his scheduled start, Ekness looked like a prime candidate to cover multiple innings in relief. The right-hander ended up going unused, however, with Christina De Nicola of MLB.com relaying after the game that Ekness was spotted using crutches to move around the clubhouse. It's unclear when exactly Ekness tweaked his calf, but he'll end up landing on the shelf without having made an appearance for Miami following his promotion from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday.

The Rangers selected Ahlstrom's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Ahlstrom earned the promotion by putting up a 2.76 ERA and 33:8 K:BB over 29.1 innings with Round Rock. The left-hander will turn 27 later this month and will be making his major-league debut when/if he gets into a game.

Waldrep (elbow) allowed no hits and walked two batters over two scoreless innings during a rehab start Monday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Waldrep tossed 26 pitches (14 strikes) in his first official game action since September, after he ended up missing all of spring training and the first two-plus months of the season while recovering from a Feb. 23 arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. The 24-year-old is expected to need close to the entire 30-day rehab window to build up his pitch count and iron out his control and command, so he's unlikely to re-emerge as an option for the Atlanta rotation until late June.

Hays has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte due to a recurrence of left calf soreness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Hays had played seven rehab contests with Charlotte, but the left calf strain that sent him to the 10-day injured list in early May is still giving him trouble. He'll meet with the White Sox's training staff and develop a plan of attack for his rehab moving forward. Hays has been limited to only 12 games for Chicago this season because of hamstring and calf issues.

The Padres are expected to call up Bowen from Triple-A El Paso prior to Tuesday's game in Philadelphia, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

The 25-year-old Bowen will receive his first promotion to the majors after a strong start to the season at El Paso, with whom he's produced a .292/.362/.600 slash line to go with 13 home runs and seven steals across 222 plate appearances. Even when factoring in the hitter-friendly conditions of the Pacific Coast League, Bowen was still an above-average performer at the Triple-A level with a 121 wRC+. While the right-handed-hitting Bowen may see most of his opportunities against left-handed pitching initially, the Padres rank 29th in the majors with a .294 wOBA as a team, so he could eventually get a look as a full-time player if he gets off to a hot start in the big leagues.

The Rangers signed Kelenic to a minor-league contract Monday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Kelenic elected free agency this past weekend after being booted off the White Sox's 40-man roster, and he's managed to quickly latch on with a new organization. The outfielder slashed .226/.305/.321 with a 6:20 BB:K over 59 plate appearances during his time with the Pale Hose. Kelenic will report to Triple-A Round Rock.

The Reds recalled Arroyo from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

With Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) landing on the 10-day injured list, the Reds will bring the 22-year-old Arroyo aboard for his first taste of the big leagues. The switch-hitting infielder had received reps at three different positions during his time at Triple-A, but he'll likely settle in as the Reds' everyday shortstop for the duration of De La Cruz's stint on the shelf. Even before De La Cruz injured his hamstring in Sunday's 6-4 win over Atlanta, Arroyo had already been building a strong case for a promotion by slashing .323/.383/.562 with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases across 248 plate appearances for Louisville. Arroyo is worthy of at least a cursory pickup in most fantasy leagues while a full-time role likely awaits him.

The Reds selected Leibrandt's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Leibrandt holds a 5.23 ERA and 38:14 K:BB over 51.2 innings covering 11 starts with Louisville this season. The 33-year-old southpaw will give the Reds a fresh arm and some length for the bullpen.

The Reds designated Marte for assignment Monday.

Marte was knocked around in his lone outing with the big club, allowing four runs while recording just one out. His spot on the 26-man and 40-man rosters will be overtaken by Brandon Leibrandt.

The Reds placed De La Cruz on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right hamstring strain.

De La Cruz sustained the injury during Sunday's win over Atlanta, and a subsequent MRI revealed a strain. While it's unclear what the grade of the strain is, even a mild hamstring strain can result in a longer than minimum absence. It's the first time in his major-league career that De La Cruz has landed on the IL. The Reds are calling up Edwin Arroyo to take De La Cruz's spot on the roster.