MLB Player News

Sugano gave up four runs in the first inning. The right-hander was shaky — at best — for the rest of the game, but he exited with an 18-8 lead. Sugano allowed nine hits, walked two and struck out two and has one of the least deserving wins of the 2026 season. He’ll need to pitch better than this against the Pirates next weekend if he wants to replicate the result. He does not want to replicate any of the other results.

Vodnik rejoins Colorado’s bullpen following a three-week absence due to nerve inflammation in his right elbow. The 26-year-old has allowed 16 earned runs over 18 innings of work this season. He’ll operate in low-leverage spots for the Rockies initially until he earns his way back in manager Warren Schaeffer’s metaphorical trust tree.

Castellano earns a ticket back to the minors after picking up a three-inning save during Colorado’s 23-9 bludgeoning of the Athletics on Sunday afternoon. The 25-year-old looked sharp in his big-league debut and should get a more extended look with the Rockies in a couple weeks.

McCarthy returns to Colorado’s lineup following a five-game absence due to an undisclosed illness. The 28-year-old outfielder made an appearance as a pinch-runner over the weekend against the Athletics in Las Vegas. He’s back in center field and hitting seventh on Monday night at Wrigley Field.

Tovar was held out of Colorado’s lineup for a pair of games against the Athletics in Las Vegas due to left calf soreness. He went 3-for-6 with an RBI during Sunday’s offensive explosion. The 24-year-old is back at shortstop and hitting fifth on Monday night at Wrigley Field.

Lowe takes a seat with Spencer Steer at the cold corner and rookie Sal Stewart at DH to face Mets starter Tobias Myers. The 30-year-old first baseman has cooled off recently, hitting .222 (6-for-27) with zero extra-base hits in 12 games since the start of June.

Gurriel returns to Arizona’s corner outfield rotation prior to Monday’s series opener against the Angels after missing three weeks with a hamstring strain. The 32-year-old veteran has hit .228/.284/.304 with one homer, 11 RBI and one steal in 25 games this season in his return from last year’s ACL surgery.

Waldschmidt returns to the minors with veteran Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from the injured list for Monday’s showdown against the Angels. The 23-year-old top prospect arrived in the big leagues as an intriguing power/speed combo threat last month, but wound up hitting a pedestrian .259/.314/.357 with 11 runs scored, zero homers, eight RBI and five steals in 122 plate appearances over 33 games. He’ll need to show some growth from a plate skills perspective to reach his lofty fantasy ceiling, but the talent is there for Waldschmidt to provide sustained fantasy relevance at some point in the future.

Hart returns to San Diego’s bullpen mix with All-Star closer Mason Miller away from the club on bereavement leave. The 33-year-old lefty has posted a lackluster 5.40 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 10/6 K/BB ratio across 16 2/3 innings over 12 appearances for the Padres this season.

Miller, who picked up an impressive four-out save against the Orioles on Sunday, will be away from the club on bereavement leave for the next few days. He’s converted 19 saves with a microscopic 0.90 ERA and 59/12 K/BB ratio across 30 innings this season. His absence will result in either Jason Adam or Adrian Morejon handling any save chances for the Padres. The other dark horse name to watch is hard-throwing rookie Bradgley Rodriguez, who has been an unexpected revelation this season. Fantasy managers should anticipate Miller returning later this week.

Johnson unsurprisingly passed through waivers unclaimed after being jettisoned from San Diego’s active roster last Friday. He’ll likely elect free agency. The 30-year-old speedster makes sense in a reserve role, but he’s more of a defensive specialist and pinch-running threat on a contender. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him wind up with a playoff team as a bench option.