MLB Player News

Morel (knee) will start at third base and bat cleanup Sunday against the Pirates.

Morel exited in the fifth inning of Saturday's 10-9 loss to Pittsburgh with right knee soreness after he appeared to get hurt on a stolen base attempt in the top of the third. The injury looks to be a minor one, however, given that the 24-year-old is back in the lineup a day later. Morel has gone 8-for-34 with four home runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases in May.

Miranda is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

Willi Castro will get the nod at third base Sunday, but Miranda had manned the hot corner each of the past five games while going 5-for-18 with two doubles and a walk. Until Byron Buxton (knee) returns from the injured list, Castro should see most of his starts in the outfield, creating an opening for Miranda to carve out at least semi-regular playing time at third base.

Bregman went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored Saturday against the Tigers.

Bregman delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to three games. While that's not particularly notable, he's collected a hit in three straight starts only two other times this season, with the most recent stretch ending April 15. The end result is that Bregman has just a .201 batting average across 154 plate appearances on the campaign, though he has improved his production of late by tallying six RBI across his last 13 contests.

Westburg went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks.

His last hit was the biggest, as Westburg's single in the 11th inning brought home Colton Cowser as the phantom runner for the winning run. Westburg has hit safely in five straight games and 10 of the last 12, and on the season he's slashing .301/.345/.522 with six homers, five steals, 20 runs and 26 RBI in 36 contests.

McMahon went 4-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Rangers.

McMahon entered Saturday just 2-for-21 (.095) over his last six contests. The only downside to his performance in this contest was that all four hits were singles. The third baseman is up to a .303/.391/.462 slash line with five home runs, 21 RBI, 16 runs scored and no stolen bases over 39 contests this season. He's never hit higher than .254 or slugged better than .450 in a full season, so the first quarter of the 2024 campaign has essentially been McMahon at his absolute best, which consequently raises a red flag for regression later in the year.

Chapman went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Reds.

Chapman has multiple hits in two of his last three games, and Saturday also saw him go deep for the first time since April 16. The third baseman's first-inning blast was all the Giants needed in the win. Chapman is up to five homers, 18 RBI, 20 runs scored, seven doubles and three stolen bases with a .213/.261/.355 slash line over 40 contests. He's yet to really find a rhythm at the plate, and he's also not showing as much power or plate discipline to make up for his shaky contact.

Morel was removed from Saturday's game versus the Pirates in the fifth inning with right knee soreness, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Morel looked to hurt the knee on a stolen base attempt in the top of the third inning. He remained in the game initially but was removed for a pinch hitter following a rain delay. The Cubs could have more on Morel's condition after the game.

Urshela (hamstring) took part in fielding work Saturday and could soon return from the 10-day injured list, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Urshela has played two games with Triple-A Toledo on his rehab assignment. He started at third base in his most recent appearance Friday and went 1-for-3. Urshela is scheduled to play for Toledo on Sunday as he continues to work his way back from a strained right hamstring he sustained April 19 against the Twins.

LeMahieu (foot) participated in live batting practice Saturday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

LeMahieu traveled with the team to Tampa Bay and hit off rehabbing right-hander JT Brubaker (elbow). The veteran third baseman continues to ramp up his activities as he works his way back from the non-displaced right foot fracture he sustained in spring training. LeMahieu made a rehab appearance April 23 with Double-A Somerset, but he was pulled from the game after the first inning due to swelling in his right foot. He could be ready to resume the rehab assignment soon.

Hayes was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a back issue, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Hayes hasn't played since Tuesday amid a 3-for-30 slump, and perhaps the back issue is part of the reason he's only hit one home run in 35 games. Alika Williams is getting the call from Triple-A in a corresponding move.