MLB Player News

Bauers was in the lineup for just one game of the series against his previous team, but he made the most of it, delivering a three-run blast off Marcus Stroman. He’s at .214/.267/.411 in 60 plate appearances. A reduced role is probably coming once Christian Yelich (back) returns, particularly since Yelich will probably spend more time DHing than usual.

Bickford was designated for assignment last weekend and passed through waivers unclaimed, but he elected free agency rather than accepting his outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. After exploring the market over the holiday though, he decided that his best opportunity was to return to the Yankees. He’ll continue to function as extra bullpen depth at Triple-A.

The Reds needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster on Friday and unfortunately it looks like Jordan was the odd-man out this time around. The 28-year-old has spent most of the year at Triple-A Louisville where he has slashed an impressive .302/.384/.443 with five homers, 24 RBI and six stolen bases. He could garner some interest on waivers.

With Luke Maile (back) heading to the injured list, Wynns gets another opportunity to serve as the Reds’ primary backup behind the dish. He has only appeared in one game at the big-league level this season, going 3-for-5 (.600) with three doubles and an RBI. If he continues to hit like that, it’s going to be hard to send him back down when Maile heals up.

It’s unclear at the moment just how long the Reds expect that the 33-year-old backstop will be shelved for. Austin Wynns was recalled from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move to share the load behind the plate with Tyler Stephenson in the meantime.

With Jake Fraley heading to the family emergency medical list, Rios will get his first chance to show the Reds what he can do at the big-league level. The 30-year-old slugger has hit .243/.340/.486 with 11 homers and 27 RBI in 50 games at Triple-A Louisville this season.

That explains Fraley’s absence against a right-hander on Friday night. Nothing but well wishes to Fraley and his family during this difficult time. The family medical emergency list allows him to step away from the team for anywhere between three and seven days, so he’ll miss the weekend series against the Tigers at a minimum. Edwin Rios was recalled from Triple-A Louisville to take his place on the active roster.

It’s the first trip to the show for the 26-year-old southpaw. Pennington has been outstanding at Triple-A Omaha this season, compiling a 2.35 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and a 76/19 K/BB ratio across 53 2/3 innings in 32 appearances. He’ll give manager Matt Quatraro another option to deploy in the middle innings.

The 27-year-old hurler has shown flashes of brilliance in his career but has struggled to find consistency on the mound. He has made 12 appearances out of the Royals’ bullpen this season, registering a 3.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and an 8/8 K/BB ratio over 11 2/3 innings. Walter Pennington had his contract selected from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move on Friday.

Nothing has changed in the prognosis for Altavilla, who is still attempting to work his way back from a moderate right oblique strain, this was done as a procedural move to free up a spot on the club’s 40-man roster. There’s still no timeline for Altavilla’s return, but he won’t be eligible to be activated until late August.

The 27-year-old never really got a chance to shine in his limited action with the Royals, going just 1-for-8 (.125) with three strikeouts while riding the pine on most nights. He’ll return to Triple-A as Adam Frazier (thumb) returns from the injured list on Friday.