MLB Player News

Gallo (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Fredericksburg on Saturday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

It's a relatively quick turnaround for Gallo, who went on the injured list less than a week ago with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. Because he's missed so little time, Gallo shouldn't need too many rehab games before being activated.

Encarnacion-Strand (hand) will start at first base and bat fifth in Friday's game versus the Orioles.

Encarnacion-Strand missed four starts due to lingering left hand soreness following a hit-by-pitch over the weekend, but he's ready to go now. The 24-year-old has slashed a disappointing .196/.222/.314 with a 28.7 percent strikeout rate in 25 contests with the Reds this season.

Bell went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Rockies.

The first baseman lofted a Peter Lambert curveball over the right-field fence in the third inning, tying the game at 3-3. Bell has struggled out of the gate this season, slashing .185/.273/.306 through 33 contests with four homers, 11 RBI and 16 runs, but the streaky slugger may be heating up -- he went 4-for-12 in the three-game sweep of Colorado.

Cooper started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 in Thursday's 3-1 loss to San Francisco.

Cooper was back in action after missing one game due to a right wrist injury. He was plunked by a pitch during Tuesday's game -- his Red Sox debut -- and sat out Wednesday. Bobby Dalbec started at first base Thursday, but he's expected to be optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Friday, which will leave Cooper as the top option at first base. The lefty-hitting Dominic Smith is around to back up Cooper.

Singleton went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 8-2 win against the Guardians.

Singleton gave Houston its first lead with a two-run blast in the sixth inning and plated the team's final run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The first baseman has gone deep in two of his past three games, driving in six runs over that span. Though Joey Loperfido was called up Tuesday in correspondence with Jose Abreu being demoted to the minors Wednesday, the rookie has made both of his starts thus far in left field. As such, Singleton could have a path to near-everyday playing time at first base moving forward.

Encarnacion-Strand (hand) and teammate Tyler Stephenson are expected to return Friday when the Reds host the Orioles, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds' bats went quiet on their 2-4 road trip against the Rangers and Padres, hitting .201 as a team while averaging 10 strikeouts per game on the trip. Of course, Encarnacion-Strand has been struggling this year in both aspects, hitting .196 with a troubling 3:31 BB:K ratio in 108 plate appearances. Perhaps with better health and better weather he will come close to displaying the form he showed in 2023, when he hit .270/.328/.477 in 241 plate appearances at the big-league level.

Mountcastle went 2-for-4 with a home run, two total RBI and an additional run scored in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Yankees.

Mountcastle got the Orioles on the board in the third inning with a solo shot off Carlos Rodon, tying the game 1-1. He'd add a second RBI with a base hit in the fifth, extending the lead to 4-1, before scoring on a Jordan Westburg triple. It was a nice finish to the series for the 27-year-old Mountcastle, who'd gone 0-for-12 in the first three games against New York. The first baseman boosted his slash line to .290/.345/.495 with five homers, 16 RBI and 18 runs scored through 28 games this season.

The Red Sox will option Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester on Friday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

The 28-year-old no longer had a path to clear playing time after the Red Sox signed Dominic Smith to split time at first base with Garrett Cooper, so Dalbec will head to the minors to serve as an organizational depth piece. He slashed just .137/.200/.176 across 56 plate appearances with Boston this season.

Wade is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Wade went 0-for-6 with three walks and an RBI while starting at first base in each of the last three games, but he'll get a day off as the Giants and Red Sox wrap up their series with an afternoon contest. Wilmer Flores will join the San Francisco infield as a replacement for Wade.

Smith is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Giants, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

After he was granted his release from his minor-league deal with the Rays earlier Wednesday, Smith quickly landed with the Red Sox on a one-year contract and was included in the lineup upon joining the team. He started at first base in Wednesday's 6-2 win, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. While Masataka Yoshida (thumb) is on the shelf along with Triston Casas (ribs), the Red Sox could have room in the lineup at designated hitter and first base for both Smith and Garrett Cooper (wrist), though the lefty-hitting Smith will still likely sit against most left-handed pitchers. Smith finds himself on the bench Thursday with the Giants bringing southpaw Kyle Harrison to the hill.