MLB Player News

Nola (personal) was placed on the restricted list ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Blue Jays.

Nola is unvaccinated and unable to travel with the team to Toronto for the two-game series this week. The transaction won't affect the right-hander's spot in the rotation since he pitched Monday against the Cardinals, taking the loss after giving up five earned runs over seven innings. He still lines up to start Saturday or Sunday in Miami.

Liberatore is slated to work as the Cardinals' bulk reliever behind opener Jordan Hicks in Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Liberatore has turned in a mixed bag of results while working as a traditional starter in his first six big-league starts. In three of those outings, he's kept the opposition off the board over 14 innings, and in the other three, he's surrendered 13 earned runs in 10.2 innings. A matchup with a Dodgers lineup that features Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman as the top three batters in the order likely wouldn't have set Liberatore up for much success, so Hicks will likely cover an inning or two before giving way to the rookie. The arrangement should allow Liberatore to work deeper into the contest and improve his chances of factoring into any decision.

The Cubs reinstated Steele from the paternity list Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. The left-hander said he'll start Wednesday's series finale with the Orioles at Wrigley Field, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago.

Reliever Anderson Espinoza was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to clear a spot on the 26-man active roster for Steele, who was away from the Cubs for the maximum three days to observe the birth of his child. The timing of his paternity leave caused him to miss out on a two-start week, but he'll get one more outing under his belt before the All-Star break.

Feltner (back) was activated from the 15-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday.

Feltner will return to Triple-A after being placed on the IL with a back issue. He was originally expected to start for the Rockies earlier this month, but he'll have to wait for another chance to return to the majors. Feltner owns a 6.15 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 33 punchouts over 33.2 innings in seven starts in the big leagues this year.

The Pirates promoted Chandler on Tuesday from their rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate to Single-A Bradenton.

Chandler, a third-round draft pick in 2021 who is being developed as a two-way player, worked exclusively as a hitter upon being selected last summer. The Pirates were likely just looking to keep his innings in check after he completed his final season of high school last spring, but Chandler has been splitting his time between pitching and serving as a designated hitter during FCL games in 2022. Over five appearances on the mound in rookie ball, Chandler struck out 21 and issued seven walks over 12.1 scoreless innings. He was only slightly less impressive at the plate, turning in a monstrous 1.098 OPS while walking more times (nine) than he struck out (six) in 26 plate appearances. The Florida State League should present a stiffer test for the talented 19-year-old.

Fried (9-3) took the loss Monday as Atlanta fell 4-1 to the Mets, giving up two runs on five hits and five walks over five innings. He struck out five.

The southpaw didn't have much margin for error with Max Scherzer in top form for New York, but Fried didn't help his cause by tossing only 55 of 99 pitches for strikes before exiting. It's only the second time in his last eight starts Fried has issued multiple free passes, and even with Monday's bumpy outing, he sports a 1.93 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 48:11 K:BB through 51.1 innings over that stretch.

Mikolas (6-7) picked up the win in Monday's 6-1 victory over the Phillies, allowing one run on six hits over 7.1 innings. He struck out five without walking a batter.

The right-hander served up a solo shot to Rhys Hoskins in the first inning but was in full control after that, tossing an efficient 99 pitches (62 strikes) before exiting. Mikolas has delivered six quality starts in his last seven outings, posting a 2.08 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 37:7 K:BB through 47.2 innings over that impressive stretch, but a lack of consistent run support has left him with a 2-4 record during that time.

Nola (5-7) was the pitcher of record in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Cardinals after allowing five earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out seven across seven innings.

The five runs he allowed Monday tied a season high, but it was mostly a result of an untimely sequencing of hits, as he retired 21 of the 28 batters he faced on the night. He's now taken losses in three of his last four outings, though his 2.93 FIP over that stretch suggests that he's pitched better than his results would indicate. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed Monday that due to his vaccination status, Nola won't be eligible to join the team in Toronto for its two-game series, so the right-hander will be moved to the restricted list. He'll be activated Friday and should make his final start before the All-Star break Saturday or Sunday in Miami.

Cobb (3-4) allowed three runs on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts in six innings, taking the loss Monday versus the Diamondbacks.

Cobb met the minimum standards for a quality start, but this wasn't a very impressive outing. All three runs against him came in the third inning, With 12 runs (eight earned) allowed across 25.1 innings since he returned from a neck injury, Cobb's doing a middling job lately. That's on par with his season numbers -- he owns a 4.71 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 63:20 K:BB through 63 innings in 13 starts overall. The right-hander is on track for a tough home start versus the Brewers this weekend.

Kelly (8-5) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in seven-plus innings to earn the win Monday over the Giants.

Kelly limited his opponent to exactly two runs for the third straight start. He gave up a run on a fielder's choice in the fourth inning and walked LaMonte Wade in the eighth before he exited. Joe Mantiply struggled in relief, allowing the inherited runner to score to tack another run on Kelly's line. This was Kelly's ninth quality start in 18 outings this year. He's maintained a solid 3.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 84:36 K:BB through 104.1 innings overall. The right-hander is projected for one more start in the first half, which is expected to be a road game versus the Padres this weekend.