MLB Player News

Steele (elbow) resumed a throwing program Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Steele underwent UCL revision surgery last May and then had a setback in late April when he was diagnosed with a flexor strain. The left-hander will be ramped back up slowly, and while the Cubs hope Steele can contribute at some point after the All-Star break, there is no target date for his return.

Lauer is expected to work in bulk relief behind opening pitcher Will Klein in Monday's game against the Twins, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

As a starter this season between stops with Toronto and Los Angeles, Lauer has turned in a 5.14 ERA and 13:7 K:BB in 21 innings while facing hitters the first time through the order, so the Dodgers will look to generate better results from the lefty by sparing him from a matchup with the top of the Minnesota lineup to begin the game. Klein is expected to cover an inning or two before giving way to Lauer, who should have a better chance at coming away with a win while working in bulk relief.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Monday that Boyd (shoulder/knee) will return from the 15-day injured list to make his next start in the majors, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

As long as inclement weather doesn't force the Cubs to alter their rotation, Boyd appears poised to start Thursday's road game versus the Mets. The veteran left-hander has been shelved since early May, first due to meniscus surgery and later because of shoulder soreness. He's collected a 6.00 ERA and 31:6 K:BB over 24 innings covering five starts for the Cubs this season.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said that Perez (gracilis) "felt great" during his pitch-design session Monday and could return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday versus the Rangers, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

As long as Perez recovers well from the session, he should be cleared to pitch Wednesday following a four-week absence due to a right gracilis muscle strain. Perez threw only 51 pitches in what is poised to be his lone rehab start last week with Triple-A Jacksonville, so he won't be prepared for a full workload against the Rangers.

Irvin (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

The righty hurler will get back on a mound for the first time since he was shelved by a right shoulder strain in late May. Irvin has found more swings and misses this season with 58 strikeouts over 51.2 innings, but he's posted a 5.23 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. He will likely need at least one rehab start before rejoining the Nationals' active roster.

Milwaukee reinstated Woodruff (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Monday in Cincinnati.

Woodruff will be making his first start for Milwaukee since April 30, after a bout with right shoulder inflammation kept him on the shelf for nearly two months. The 33-year-old righty made two rehab appearances in the minors prior to being activated, building up to 5.1 innings and 82 pitches in his most recent outing with High-A Wisconsin on Tuesday. While Woodruff shouldn't be operating with a major workload restriction in his return from the IL, he'll carry some performance risk following a lengthy layoff from major-league action. Woodruff tentatively lines up for a two-start week, with a second appearance likely to come Sunday at home versus the Cubs if he bounces back well from Monday's start.

The Reds designated Paddack for assignment Monday.

The 30-year-old righty has now been booted off a 40-man roster for the second time this season, after the Marlins previously released him May 11. Paddack didn't perform any better during his five-week stint in Cincinnati and now owns a 0-7 record, 6.96 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 39:19 K:BB in 53 innings over 13 appearances (nine starts) between his two stops. Given the poor form he's displayed thus far, Paddack is unlikely to get claimed off waivers and could be headed for another release in the coming days.

The Marlins placed Meyer on the bereavement list Monday.

Miami recalled reliever Zach Brzykcy to serve as a temporary replacement on the active roster for Meyer, who will remain away from the team from 3-to-7 days while he tends to a personal matter. Since Meyer last pitched Saturday and wasn't scheduled to pitch during the Marlins' three-game series versus Texas to begin the week, he could be ready to rejoin the club when his next turn through the rotation comes up Friday in St. Louis.

Ritchie is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Padres at Petco Park, Lindsay Crosby of BravesToday.com reports.

Ritchie will receive another turn through the rotation, despite a lackluster showing in his return to a starting role his last time out Wednesday, when he took a loss against the Giants after yielding five earned runs on five hits and three walks across five innings. Though the rookie right-hander has turned in underwhelming ratios (4.54 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 30:21 K:BB) over his first 35.2 innings in the big leagues, he'll have a pathway to making multiple starts while none of Spencer Strider (elbow), Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) are particularly close to returning from the 60-day injured list.

Sproat (hamstring) is listed as the Brewers' probable starter for Tuesday's game against the Reds in Cincinnati.

As expected, the right hamstring cramping that Sproat experienced during his most recent outing Wednesday against the Guardians didn't affect the right-hander's between-starts program, and he'll be ready to go for his next turn through the rotation. Sproat has done well to limit free passes over his last four starts, but he's still submitted a 6.16 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 19 innings during that stretch and continues to be an unreliable fantasy option in the majority of leagues.