Cincinnati Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (lat), who was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 9 with a right-lat strain, is scheduled to undergo a new can on Monday to check his healing process. If everything goes well, Pagan could be cleared to begin a throwing program this week. However, the veteran reliever isn't expected to be back in the Reds' major-league bullpen until the second half of the season. When the Reds feel good enough about Pagan to bring him back from the injured list, he'll be serving in a late-inning setup role ahead of closer Alexi Diaz, giving him slight appeal in deep holds leagues. Before his injury, Pagan wasn't all that effective, posting a 4.43 ERA (4.18 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 20 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

X-rays came back negative on Cincinnati Reds outfielder Will Benson (elbow) after he was hit by a pitch in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox, according to manager David Bell. Benson went 0-for-3 and set a career-high hitless streak with an 0-for-21 slump before getting hit on the inside of his left elbow by a pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning. He stayed in the game to take first base but was eventually replaced on defense in right field by Nick Martini in the top of the ninth inning. The 26-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder appears to have escaped a serious injury but he's unlikely to play on Monday for the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially with the team facing a left-handed pitcher. Benson's cold stretch has dropped his season slash line to .192/.287/.379 with eight homers, 22 RBI and nine steals in 214 at-bats.

Cincinnati Reds right-hander Ian Gibaut (forearm) has been working on his grip strength with his right hand. Once he reaches a certain level of progress, he will be cleared to begin a throwing program. Gibaut had surgery on May 9 to relieve a compression in a forearm nerve called the anterior interosseous nerve or AIN. Manager David Bell said that the 30-year-old could be cleared to return from the 60-day injured list in as soon as six weeks. He's been shut down all year to this point and will not be able to rejoin Cincy's bullpen until the second half of the season. The former 11th-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 out of Tulane went 8-4 with a 3.33 ERA (4.07 FIP), a 1.28 WHIP, a career-high three saves, a career-high 69 strikeouts and 28 walks in 74 relief appearances in his first full season with the Reds in 2023.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain's (shoulder) most recent visit with his surgeon went well and he was "exactly where he wants to be," manager David Bell said on Sunday. However, no timelines were revealed for a target return date for McLain's progressions. He was cleared to resume throwing and running six weeks after his late-March shoulder surgery, but McLain hasn't been cleared yet to swing a bat. The Reds are taking it slow with the 24-year-old second-year player, although he's close to swinging a bat. Once he starts swinging, McLain will still have plenty of boxes to check before eventually going on what will be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. The first-rounder in 2021 out of UCLA could be ready to rejoin the big-league roster at some point in August, barring any setbacks along the way.

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that right-hander Dean Kremer (triceps) not making it past the first inning in his minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday was "not ideal." The low pitch count may require Kremer to make another rehab start before he's activated from the injured list and returns to Baltimore's starting rotation. The 28-year-old went 3 2/3 innings in his first rehab start but didn't get out of the first frame on Saturday while throwing 39 pitches. His short outing over the weekend means he probably is going to need another rehab assignment and won't make his return to the O's rotation until early July. When healthy, Kremer can be an effective deep-league streamer. He's currently 3-4 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 49:18 K:BB in 50 innings and nine starts. Kremer's 23.7% strikeout rate is his highest since his rookie year in 2020.