MLB Player News

The Rockies reinstated Freeland (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Friday.

Freeland was placed on the injured list retroactive to July 13 and will now return after a minimum stay. The 30-year-old southpaw holds a 4.72 ERA through 103 innings on the season and will get to face an Oakland offense Friday that ranks last in team OPS (.655).

The Cubs recalled Wesneski from Triple-A Iowa ahead of his start Friday against St. Louis, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Wesneski has been so-so in the majors this season, posting a 4.75 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 60.2 frames. If he's able to impress against the Cardinals on Friday, there's a solid chance Wesneski remains in the Cubs' rotation long term, especially if the Cubs deal one of their top five starters ahead of the deadline. Michael Rucker was optioned to Iowa to clear a space for Wesneski.

The Cardinals recalled Liberatore from Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Liberatore holds a 6.75 ERA and 1.84 WHIP through 32 innings in the majors this season, and his stats for Memphis since being optioned July 6 haven't been much better. It's unclear whether Liberatore will work out of the bullpen or join the Cardinals' rotation, but the team seems poised to move veterans like Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty by the trade deadline, so there could be a starting role available for the 23-year-old lefty. Andrew Suarez was optioned to Memphis in a corresponding move.

Wright (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It's his first time throwing off a mound since he suffered a right shoulder strain back in early May. Wright remains optimistic an early September return to Atlanta's rotation is possible, but a firm date for his activation won't become clear until he's ready for a rehab assignment.

Fried (forearm/illness) will make his next rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, Grant McAuley of 929 The Game reports.

Fried had been slated to start for Gwinnett on Wednesday but had to be scratched due to a stomach bug. Saturday's rehab outing is expected to be his last before rejoining Atlanta's rotation. That would appear to set him up to start Aug. 4 against the Cubs, although the team has not confirmed that date yet.

The White Sox traded Lynn to the Dodgers alongside Joe Kelly on Friday in exchange for Trayce Thompson (oblique), Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Lynn hasn't exactly been at his best this season, holding a 6.47 ERA and 1.46 WHIP through 119.2 frames. However, the Dodgers have developed a reputation for rejuvenating pitchers' careers, so it's not out of the question to think Lynn could return to his old form with his new team. On a positive note, Lynn has been generating strikeouts at a prolific clip -- his 26.9 K% is the third-best rate of his career -- and his ability to eat innings should prove valuable for a Dodgers squad relying on rookie pitchers such as Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan, both of whom could have their workloads monitored more carefully down the stretch. Lynn made his final start with the White Sox on Wednesday, so he'll likely be ready to make his Los Angeles debut at some point during the Dodgers' three-game series with the Athletics that begins next week.

Pfaadt is scheduled to start Saturday's game against the Mariners in Arizona.

Pfaadt will remain in the rotation after he delivered his first career quality start last weekend, when he was called up from Triple-A Reno to take the mound in Cincinnati. Though keeping the ball in the yard was once again an issue -- he allowed three home runs -- Pfaadt was otherwise stingy, as he gave up just one more hit and issued no walks while striking out six over six innings. His start against the Reds aside, Pfaadt's body of work in the majors has been unimpressive thus far, as he'll enter Saturday's contest with an 8.81 ERA and 1.64 WHIP over 31.2 innings.

Chirinos is scheduled to start Friday's game against the Brewers in Atlanta.

Chirinos will be making his Atlanta debut after the club claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay last weekend. The 29-year-old had often worked as a primary pitcher out of the Rays bullpen this season, but he's expected to fill a traditional starting role for an Atlanta squad that has had its rotation depth tested. He'll carry a 4.02 ERA and 1.24 WHIP into Friday's contest.

Gutierrez (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with the Reds' Arizona Complex League affiliate Friday.

Gutierrez is in the final stages of his recovery from Tommy John surgery and is finally ready to test things out in game action. While he could return to starting in 2024, Gutierrez will be prepped as a reliever for the rest of 2023.

Kershaw (shoulder) will throw a multi-inning simulated game over the weekend, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Manager Dave Roberts indicated that the 35-year-old lefty will be added back into the rotation if his shoulder doesn't give him any issues after the sim game. No specific return date has been mentioned, but it's possible Kershaw is activated from the 15-day injured list during the Dodgers' upcoming series against San Diego next weekend. Kershaw holds a 2.55 ERA and 1.05 WHIP through 16 starts and has been on the IL since July 3.