MLB Player News

Manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that Little (lat) is likely out for the rest of the season, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Little landed on the injured list last Saturday due to what was labeled a left shoulder strain, though the results of his MRI on Friday confirmed the strain is in his left lat. It doesn't seem that he'll require surgery, but the Cubs will still keep the southpaw shut down for now. Should he miss the rest of the season, he'll finish with a 3.46 ERA and 1.27 WHIP alongside a 28:18 K:BB across 26 innings.

The Cubs recalled Bigge from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Bigge was optioned to Triple-A on Sunday, but he'll now head back to Chicago in order to replace the injured Hayden Wesneski (forearm) in the Cubs' bullpen. Bigge owns a minuscule 0.77 ERA through 11.2 innings with Iowa, and he allowed one earned run in 2.1 frames over three appearances during his previous stint in the majors.

The Cubs placed Wesneski on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Wesneski pitched 1.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen during Friday's loss to Arizona, though he appears to have come away from his latest appearance with an injury. He'll be held out of action until at least Aug. 4, and the Cubs will recall Hunter Bigge from Triple-A Iowa to fill the opening in their bullpen.

Peralta was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Peralta will return to the big leagues after being sent down to Charlotte on June 11, replacing Jordan Leasure (shoulder) in Chicago's bullpen after Leasure was placed on the 15-day injured list. Peralta has produced an impressive 1.08 ERA and 0.74 WHIP with 17 strikeouts over 16.2 innings in 14 appearances with Charlotte and he'll look to keep it up in the majors.

Leasure was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement Saturday, retroactive to July 17, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Leasure last appeared in a game Sunday when he gave up four runs on four hits and a walk over one inning against the Pirates. He'll now be forced to miss at least 15 days. In a corresponding move, left-hander Sammy Peralta was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.

Phillips wasn't used in the ninth inning with the Dodgers holding a 4-1 lead over Boston on Friday, and Daniel Hudson instead closed out the contest to earn a save.

Phillips entered Friday having squandered his last two save opportunities and holding a 7.50 ERA over his past six appearances dating back to June 30. He's been seeing more work outside the ninth inning over the past month, though those instances have largely been in high-leverage situations in which Phillips faced the opponent's top hitters. It's important to note, however, that the right-hander has struggled against lefties this season -- they've posted a .961 OPS against him, and all four of the homers Phillips has given up have come against left-handed hitters. That likely explains Phillips' absence in the ninth Friday, as all three of Boston's batters in the frame were lefties. Phillips should still be considered the top closing option for Los Angeles, but it's becoming increasingly clear that other relievers will also get save chances for the team depending on the situation.

The Phillies recalled Marte from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Although Marte owns a 6.92 ERA and 2.23 WHIP in Triple-A, he's been much more effective in the majors with a 3.31 ERA and 1.35 WHIP through 16.1 frames. He'll now rejoin the Phillies to give their bullpen a fresh arm, taking the place of Michael Mercado.

The Reds recalled Legumina from Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Legumina allowed two earned runs in two innings during his lone MLB appearance April 22, though he has fared much better in Triple-A since then, posting a 2.78 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 32.1 innings. He'll now return to the big leagues as bullpen depth to make up for the loss of Brent Suter (shoulder).

The Reds placed Suter on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a partial tear of his left teres major muscle.

Suter's shoulder forced him to make an early exit from Friday's contest after just seven pitches, and he'll now be held out through the beginning of August at least. Casey Legumina was recalled from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move.

Bender (4-2) was credited with the win Friday after giving up one run on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

The right-hander took over for Edward Cabrera in the top of the fifth with the Marlins ahead 4-2 and wound up being the pitcher of record, despite serving up a double to Jose Iglesias in the sixth ahead of Jeff McNeil's second homer of the night. Bender has been one of the Marlins' most effective relievers over the last couple months, and since the beginning of June he's posted a 1.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB through 14.2 innings while collecting three wins and three holds in 19 appearances. Should Tanner Scott get dealt ahead of the trade deadline, Bender could find himself in the ninth-inning mix for Miami.