MLB Player News

Sasaki (shoulder) is scheduled to face hitters at the Dodgers' complex in Arizona this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The rookie right-hander began throwing bullpens in mid-July and has progressed enough to move onto the next step in his recovery from a right shoulder impingement. This will be Sasaki's first time facing live hitters since he landed on the injured list in mid-May. It's expected that Sasaki will need to make at least three minor-league rehab outings before he's ready to be activated from the IL, so the earliest he's likely to return to the Dodgers is late August.

Brown is no longer listed as the Cubs' probable starter for Saturday's game against the Orioles,Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com reports.

Brown was originally scheduled to make a second straight turn through the rotation this weekend, but the Cubs are now listing Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea as their three starters for the series versus Baltimore. The shakeup in the pitching schedule comes after the Cubs acquired another starter Wednesday in Michael Soroka, whose arrival presumably bumps Brown out of the rotation. It's unclear if Brown will stick on the 26-man active roster as a reliever, or if he will be optioned to Triple-A Iowa to continue to stay stretched out as a starter.

Abbott didn't factor into the decision in Thursday's 10-inning loss to Atlanta, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and five walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out one.

Abbott struggled with his command Thursday, a rarity for the left-hander this year, as he matched a season-high with five free passes. Still, Abbott has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts. His ERA sits at a sparkling 2.15 with a 1.11 WHIP and 96:33 K:BB across 19 starts (108.2 innings) this season. Abbott's currently lined up to face the Cubs on the road in his next outing.

Carrasco didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Reds, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five.

Carrasco got off to a shaky start, allowing three runs in his first three innings, though he'd ultimately settle in and blank Cincinnati over his final three frames to log his first quality start of the season. Carrasco was traded to Atlanta after struggling to a 5.91 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 32 innings with the Yankees. The veteran right-hander figures to get a long look in the rotation as Atlanta currently has five starters on the 60-day IL. Carrasco currently lines up for a home matchup with the Brewers in his next outing.

President of baseball operations Nick Krall said Wednesday that Martinez will move to the bullpen after the Reds acquired Zack Littell from the Rays earlier in the day, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

The Reds aren't yet ready to remove prized rookie Chase Burns from the rotation, and the addition of Littell plus the pending return of Hunter Greene (groin) from the injured list at some point in August left Martinez on the outside looking in for a starting role. Aside from a disastrous outing July 8 against Miami in which he allowed 10 earned runs, Martinez had covered at least five innings while giving up no more than four runs in any of his last seven starts. The right-hander has ample experience working out of the bullpen, and he should be able to improve upon his 11.9 percent strikeout rate -- down more than five percentage points from 2024 -- as he transitions to relief. Martinez will likely handle a versatile role out of the bullpen that includes both multi-inning mop-up duty and higher-leverage late-inning work in front of closer Emilio Pagan.

The Reds transferred Miley (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Thursday.

The transaction frees up space on the 40-man roster for infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar, who was acquired from the Athletics on Thursday. According to MLB.com, Miley has been throwing long toss out to 120 feet and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday, but he's likely still at least a few weeks away from being ready for game action. Since he was first placed on the shelf June 20 due to a left flexor strain, Miley's move to the 60-day IL shouldn't affect his timeline for a return.

The Phillies acquired Manning from the Tigers on Thursday in exchange for minor league outfielder Josueth Quinonez.

Manning was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Thursday, and the Phillies elected to secure him via trade rather than risk a waiver claim. To make room on the 40-man roster for the right-hander, the Phillies designated Devin Sweet for assignment. Philadephia assigned Manning to Single-A Clearwater.

The Brewers acquired Montgomery (elbow) and right-hander Shelby Miller (forearm) from the Diamondbacks on Thursday in exchange for a player to be named later, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in late March, Montgomery will miss th rest of the season and likely a large chunk of the 2026 campaign. He's also set to become a free agent this winter, so the Brewers presumably agreed to pay at least some of the money remaining on his $22.5 million salary in order to acquire an impact relief arm in Miller at minimal cost in terms of prospect capital.

The Padres acquired Cortes (elbow), infielder Jorge Quintana and cash from the Brewers on Thursday in exchange for outfielder Brandon Lockridge, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Cortes had been on the Brewers' 60-day injured list due to a left elbow flexor strain, but he should be ready to rejoin the big leagues after completing a four-start rehab assignment and building up to 5.2 innings and 93 pitches in his most recent outing for Triple-A Nashville on July 24. However, with the Milwaukee rotation fully stocked at the big-league level and the team having viable starting arms on hand at the Triple-A level in right-handers Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson and Tobias Myers, Cortes was deemed an expendable piece. He'll have a better chance at earning a full-time rotation spot in San Diego, where he could step in to replace right-hander Randy Vasquez as the team's No. 5 starter. Both Vasquez and Cortes could be in danger of moving to the bullpen when Michael King (shoulder) returns from the injured list, however.

The Diamondbacks acquired Bratt, left-hander Kohl Drake and right-hander David Hagaman from the Rangers on Thursday exchange for right-hander Merrill Kelly, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

A 22-year-old lefty with excellent control, Bratt has a 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 106:16 K:BB in 90.2 innings at Double-A Frisco this season. His 4.3 percent walk rate is the third-best mark among qualified Double-A pitchers, and while his fastball typically sits in the lower 90s, he has a full repertoire and could make the big leagues as a No. 3 or No. 4 starter.