Francisco Alvarez getting a breather on Sunday

Simpson missed each of the team’s previous two games due to a sore finger that he suffered when jamming his hand into second base on a stolen base attempt. The 25-year-old speedster is starting in left field and batting fifth for the Rays on Sunday afternoon in Houston against Astros’ right-hander Peter Lambert.

The 24-year-old infielder has struggled in a part-time role for the Diamondbacks, slashing just .167/.259/.271 with one homer, four RBI and an 11/5 K/BB ratio in his first 54 plate appearances at the big league level. He’ll return to an everyday role at Triple-A Reno until he’s needed once more.

Tawa returns after spending the requisite 10 days at Triple-A Reno after being optioned out last Thursday. He has struggled at the plate during his time with the Diamondbacks this season, slashing a paltry .172/.270/.266 with just one home run, eight RBI and an 18/9 K/BB ratio over 76 plate appearances. LuJames Groover was optioned to Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move.

Wendzel loses his spot on the club’s 40-man roster to make room for the addition of Noah Murdock on Sunday. The 29-year-old infielder has hit .230/.349/.461 with 10 homers and 38 RBI in 261 plate appearances at Triple-A Indianapolis this season. There’s at least a small chance that he could pique another team’s interest on waivers.

Murdock had an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the Pirates, so they opted to put him on their 40-man roster to keep him within the organization. The 27-year-old hurler has posted a 4.11 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 39/9 K/BB ratio over 30 2/3 innings in 24 appearances across three minor league levels this season.

It’s the fourth time now in the past seven games that Castro has found himself stationed on the Rockies’ bench. It looks like the Rockies’ crowded outfield mix has forced Castro, Tyler Freeman and Edouard Julien into a three-way timeshare for two spots in the lineup, sapping fantasy value from all of them in the process.

Young was scratched from Saturday’s lineup against the Pirates due to soreness in his left hand and it’s still bothering him a bit heading into Sunday, so he’ll get another day of rest. Dylan Crews will patrol center field while Jose Tena serves as the team’s designated hitter and will bat seventh against Pirates’ right-hander Bubba Chandler on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.

The 26-year-old southpaw has made four appearances out of the Brewers’ bullpen this season, registering a 3.38 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and a 10/4 K/BB ratio across 5 1/3 innings. He’ll add a fresh arm to the club’s bullpen for at least a few days while they decide how to replace Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) in their rotation.

As expected, Woodruff lands on the injured list after re-injuring his right labrum during Saturday’s start against the Diamondbacks. While the Brewers haven’t given a timeline for his return, if it’s similar to the last time he dealt with this same issue, he wouldn’t return until mid-August. Drew Rom was recalled from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move on Sunday to add a fresh arm to the Brewers’ bullpen.

The 24-year-old outfielder has spent the entire season at Triple-A Rochester where he has slashed just .215/.304/.289 with two homers, 21 RBI, eight stolen bases and a 67/28 K/BB ratio across 258 plate appearances. Even with his constant struggles at the plate, you’d have to think that there are going to be teams willing to take a chance on the former top prospect on waivers.