MLB Player News

The Cubs officially recalled Kimbrel from Triple-A Iowa prior to Thursday's game against the Braves.

Kimbrel's long-awaited 2019 debut is finally on tap after the star closer completed a four-appearance conditioning stint in Iowa shortly after signing with the Cubs earlier this month. Given his track record in the ninth inning in addition to his three-year, $43 million contract, Kimbrel is expected to immediately settle in as Chicago's closer. The 31-year-old saw his performance take a dip during his final season in Boston in 2018, but still turned in a stellar 2.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 96 strikeouts over 62.1 innings while converting 42 of 47 save chances.

The Braves recalled Wilson from Triple-A Gwinnett ahead of his scheduled start Thursday against the Cubs.

Wilson will draw his third career big-league start and second of 2019 after posting a 3.79 ERA, 12.4 WHIP and 79:16 K:BB across 78.1 innings at Gwinnett. The 21-year-old will be assuming the rotation spot of the struggling Mike Foltynewicz, who was dispatched to Triple-A over the weekend. With several promising young arms lingering in either the big-league bullpen or Triple-A pitching staff, Wilson may need to deliver an impressive outing versus Chicago to earn another turn in the rotation.

Helsley (shoulder) took the loss for Triple-A Memphis against Nashville on Wednesday, failing to record an out in the eighth inning while allowing four earned runs on a hit and three walks.

Helsley's first rehab assignment didn't exactly go as planned, to say the least. The 24-year-old right-hander immediately ran into trouble and ultimately got just five of 19 pitches into the strike zone. Helsley will look to put some distance between himself and Wednesday's meltdown and likely retake the mound for the Redbirds by this weekend.

Mayers (lat) fired a scoreless seventh inning in Triple-A Memphis' loss to Nashville on Wednesday.

The good news is that Mayers got through his one frame without a hitch. However, he may have been just a tad too efficient, considering he needed just six pitches to notch three outs. Overall, it was an encouraging first appearance for Mayers after he last saw game action April 15, and he'll work on building his pitch count back up in subsequent rehab outings.

Minter struck out two through 1.1 hitless innings to record his fourth save in a win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Minter struck out a batter to get the Braves out of a jam in the eighth inning and cruised through a hitless ninth inning to nail down the save. Minter has a 2-0 record with a 2.54 ERA through eight appearances since returning from the minors.

Iglesias gave up four earned runs on three hits and a walk over one inning Wednesday night against the Angels, picking up the loss. He also recorded a strikeout

Iglesias came into a 1-1 game and allowed the first two batters (Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani) to reach before getting two out. However, he subsequently gave up an infield single to surrender the lead, and followed that by allowing a three-run homer to Justin Bour. Manager David Bell will have to field questions about Iglesias's usage, but the fact he was charged with facing the heart of the Angels' order didn't help his cause.

Pivetta allowed four earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out three across 5.2 innings Wednesday against the Mets. He did not factor into the decision.

Pivetta consistently worked around danger, allowing at least one baserunner in each of his six innings. However, through five frames, he'd limited the damage to two solo home runs. The real issues came in the sixth inning, when he walked the first two batters he faced prior to allowing an RBI single and double. Pivetta has been uninspiring in his last two starts, allowing 10 earned runs across 11 innings while recording five strikeouts and walks apiece. The team likely needs him to stick in the rotation due to their lack of depth, but his struggles are still noteworthy. He'll look to improve in his next start, a tough road matchup against the Braves.

Peralta (hip) had a good bullpen session Tuesday and is slated to pitch another Friday, Sarah Wexler of MLB.com reports. "It went well," manager David Bell said prior to Wednesday's game. "Another one tentatively scheduled for Friday, but everything went well."

Peralta is already eligible to return from the IL, but his timetable won't be determined until after Friday's session.

Clarke (2-3) picked up the win in Wednesday's 8-2 victory over the Dodgers, giving up two runs on three hits and three walks over five innings while striking out three.

While Arizona was never in any danger of losing this one -- the team jumped on Dodgers rookie starter Tony Gonsolin for four runs before he could record his first big-league out -- Clarke was certainly at risk of missing out on an easy win due to a high pitch count, exiting the game after tossing 93 pitches (57 strikes). He'll take a 6.10 ERA and 31:14 K:BB through 38.1 innings into his next start Tuesday, a rematch with the Dodgers back in Los Angeles.

Strahm (3-6) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing four runs on five hits over six innings while striking out nine in a 10-5 victory over the Orioles.

The southpaw did serve up two homers -- the sixth straight start in which he's done so -- but the Padres supported him with five of their own. Strahm will carry a 4.94 ERA -- backed by an ugly 1.93 HR/9 and 71:16 K:BB through 74.2 innings --into his next outing Tuesday, at home against the Giants.