Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. committed to compete in the Home Run Derby on Wednesday, and a few hours later, he was unveiled as the No. 1 seed.

Robert, who has a career-best 25 homers, will be the surprise favorite on July 10 when the popular derby is held in Seattle, one day prior to the All-Star Game. Two-time champion Pete Alonso (25 HRs) of the New York Mets is the No. 2 seed.

Texas outfielder Adolis Garcia also committed on Wednesday. He has 21 homers and earned the No. 4 seed.

The other competitors are Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays, Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners and Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles.

Robert will face the eighth-seeded Rutschman (11 homers) in the first round. Robert never hit more than 13 homers over his first three seasons before breaking out this season.

The winner between Robert and Rutschman faces either Garcia or No. 5 seed Arozarena (16 HRs) in the second round.

Alonso is on the other side of the bracket and will face No. 7 seed Rodriguez (13 HRs) in the latter’s home ballpark. The two battled in the semifinals of the 2022 derby at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and Rodriguez prevailed 31-23.

Juan Soto, then of the Washington Nationals, defeated Rodriguez 19-18 in the championship round.

Either Alonso or Rodriguez will face the winner between the third-seeded Betts and No. 6 Guerrero.

Betts has gone deep 23 times this season, while Guerrero has 13 home runs.

In 2019, Guerrero lost in the finals to Alonso, 23-22, in Cleveland.

American League homers leader Shohei Ohtani (31) of the Los Angeles Angels and National League leader Matt Olson (28) of the Atlanta Braves are not part of the competition.

–Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled Yohan Ramirez from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday night, optioning fellow right-hander Luis L. Ortiz to the minor league club in a corresponding move.

After allowing three unearned runs across 1 1/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs on June 19, Ramirez was sent to Indianapolis, where he has since made four appearances (one start) for the Indians.

In 19 relief appearances with the Pirates this season, the 28-year-old Ramirez is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

Ortiz, 24, was 2-3 with a 4.86 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) with Pittsburgh prior to Wednesday’s move. He was roughed up in his most recent start, taking a no-decision after allowing six runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

The Kansas City Royals placed veteran right-hander Zack Greinke on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to shoulder tendinitis.

Greinke felt pain in his pitching shoulder during the sixth inning of Tuesday’s 9-3 loss against the Minnesota Twins and was pulled from the game.

The Royals recalled right-hander Dylan Coleman from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move.

Greinke (1-9, 5.44 ERA) said the shoulder was not bothering him when he took the mound to start the sixth inning. He said he experienced discomfort during a six-pitch at-bat to Minnesota’s Jose Miranda.

After Greinke retired Miranda on a pop-up, he motioned to the dugout. He soon exited with a team trainer.

“It just wasn’t coming out the same,” Greinke told reporters afterward. “So, figured it was better to come out then try to keep doing that and make things worse all the way around. Probably wasn’t going to get many guys out and probably would have made my shoulder worse.”

Greinke, 39, gave up six runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He served up three homers, struck out three and walked none.

Greinke is winless in his last 11 starts in the second season of his second tour of duty with Kansas City. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 2009 during his first and has an overall record of 224-150 and 3.48 ERA with six teams.

Coleman, 26, had an 18.00 ERA during five appearances for the Royals earlier this season.

–Field Level Media

The Milwaukee Brewers placed struggling first baseman Rowdy Tellez on the 10-day injured list with right forearm inflammation as one of several roster moves on Wednesday.

Tellez is batting .213 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in 258 at-bats over 79 games. He hasn’t homered since May 22 over 130 plate appearances, with four extra-base hits over that stretch.

Tellez, 28, had three singles in 20 at-bats over his last six games through Tuesday.

For his six-year career with the Toronto Blue Jays (2018-21) and Brewers (2021-23), he has batted .233 with 91 homers and 252 RBIs in 1,637 at-bats over 507 games.

In other moves, Milwaukee designated infielder Mike Brosseau (.205 batting average in 73 at-bats in 29 games) for assignment and reinstated infielder Brian Anderson (.227, nine HRs in 80 games) from the paternity list.

Left-hander Thomas Pannone (0-0, 6.75 ERA in 2 2/3 innings) was released, while right-hander J.B. Bukauskas (0-0, 0.00 in 2.0 innings) and southpaw Clayton Andrews (0-1, 27.00 in 1 2/3 innings) were optioned to Triple-A Nashville.

In an effort to keep fresh arms with the big-league club, right-handers Tyson Miller (0-0, 5.19 in 8 2/3 innings) and J.C. Mejia (no appearances this season) were called up from Nashville.

Mejia was suspended for 80 games last season for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, Stanazolol.

–Field Level Media

Yainer Diaz homered twice and drove in three runs, and the Houston Astros beat the visiting Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Wednesday afternoon to win their fourth consecutive game while completing a two-game series sweep.

Diaz set the tone in the second inning with a solo shot to left field off Rockies starter Chase Anderson.

Diaz homered again in the fourth in his next at-bat, the first of two two-run homers in the inning. He scored Jose Abreu, while Jeremy Pena went yard to send home Corey Julks.

Diaz’s two home runs were his ninth and 10th on the season. Pena’s blast was his 10th.

Houston’s four-run deluge in the fourth proved vital, as Colorado battled back with runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.

The Rockies broke up Houston starter J.P. France’s shutout bid in the fifth when Harold Castro scored Nolan Jones on a single, then Jurickson Profar’s infield single plated Ezequiel Tovar.

C.J. Cron hit a solo home run off France in the sixth inning, then Randal Grichuk hit a homer off Hector Neris in the seventh to pull Colorado within a run.

Houston threatened to blow the game open in its half of the seventh when Julks and Pena led off with consecutive singles. After Jake Meyers struck out, Mauricio Dubon singled to score Julks and make it 6-4.

Alex Bregman drew a walk to load the bases with one out, but Pierce Johnson struck out Kyle Tucker and Daniel Bard forced an Abreu popout for the Rockies to escape the inning without any more damage.

However, the two-run lead proved to be enough for Houston. Astros reliever Bryan Abreu worked around a single in the eighth, and Ryan Pressly struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to record his 19th save of the season.

France (4-3) earned the win for Houston. He allowed three runs on six hits, striking out four in six innings.

Anderson (0-4) took the loss for Colorado, giving up five runs on seven hits and a walk in four innings.

–Field Level Media