MLB Player News

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Horton's name came up in discussions before last week's trade deadline, but the team was unwilling to move the young pitcher, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Chicago was reportedly interested in All-Stars MacKenzie Gore and Joe Ryan, but it appears acquiring either pitcher would have required moving Horton, and the team was unwilling to do so. Horton has rewarded the club's faith recently, as the rookie has rattled off four consecutive scoreless starts totaling 22.2 innings. On the season, the 23-year-old righty has an impressive 3.18 ERA across 79.1 innings. While Gore or Ryan would have provided the Cubs' rotation with a bigger name for the stretch run, the team clearly sees long-term ace potential in Horton.

Henderson is slated to start Saturday's game against the Mets at American Family Field.

The rookie right-hander will make his second straight turn through the rotation in place of Jacob Misiorowski (tibia). After being recalled from Triple-A Nashville last weekend, Henderson took a no-decision in this past Sunday's win over the Nationals, covering 4.1 innings while striking out four and allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks. The Brewers seem optimistic that Misiorowski is on track to return from the IL when first eligible Aug. 15, so Henderson may not be in line for additional starts beyond Saturday.

Martinez is slated to start Saturday's' game against the Pirates at PNC Park.

After one appearance out of the bullpen following the acquisition of Zack Littell, Martinez will slot back into the rotation after Cincinnati placed Nick Lodolo (finger) on the injured list Tuesday. Lodolo sustained a blister on his pitching hand Monday, resulting in his early exit while Martinez came on to cover 2.1 innings in relief. The righty tossed 103 pitches and six innings in a July 30 start versus the Dodgers, so he shouldn't be operating with any workload restrictions as he steps back into the rotation.

Perez did not factor into the decision, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and two walks over 5.1 innings Thursday against Atlanta. He struck out one.

Entering Thursday, Perez had been dominant across his previous six outings, posting a 1.06 ERA with 37 strikeouts. However, he struggled to miss bats in this one, managing just one punchout while getting tagged for a season high in runs. The 22-year-old will look to rebound and recapture his sharp form in his next scheduled start, which lines up for next week against the Guardians.

Carrasco didn't factor into the decision Thursday against the Marlins, allowing six earned runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out two.

Carrasco was tagged for five runs in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run homer from Graham Pauley, and never fully settled in. The veteran right-hander has been subpar since joining Atlanta, giving up nine earned runs on 16 hits over 11.2 innings through two starts. Carrasco's margin for error remains thin as he tries to solidify a spot in Atlanta's rotation after a string of injuries.

Singer (9-9) took the loss Thursday against the Pirates, allowing four earned runs on six hits and four walks over 3.2 innings. He struck out two.

Singer struggled to find his command early, walking three consecutive batters and giving up a solo homer to Bryan Reynolds as part of a three-run first inning. The 29-year-old was unable to recover and was lifted at 86 pitches, as he failed to finish four frames for the fourth time through 23 starts this year. The right-hander had delivered back-to-back excellent outings prior to this start, but inconsistency continues to define his season. Singer will carry a 4.53 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 113:48 K:BB across 119.1 innings into his next scheduled outing against the Phillies next week.

Skenes (7-8) earned the win Thursday against the Reds, allowing seven hits and striking out eight across six scoreless innings.

Coming off a rocky outing in which he gave up four runs over five frames, Skenes bounced back to his typical dominance, logging his third consecutive start with at least eight strikeouts. He gave up a hit in all but one inning Thursday but worked around the traffic to keep Cincinnati off the board, throwing 97 pitches (69 strikes). The 23-year-old phenom continues to lead MLB, among qualified starters, with a 1.94 ERA, along with a 0.93 WHIP and an elite 162:34 K:BB over 144 innings. Despite the occasional minor hiccup, Skenes continues to overwhelm hitters and will look to keep rolling in his next scheduled outing in Milwaukee, against whom he surrendered four runs over a season-low four innings June 25.

Sale (ribs) threw a successful 30-pitch simulated game Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

As long as Sale bounces back well Friday, he will be cleared to begin a rehab assignment. The left-hander is eligible for activation from the 60-day injured list Aug. 19, and he should be ready to go on that date or shortly after following a rehab start or two. Sale has been sidelined since mid-June with a fracture in his left ribcage.

Parker (7-12) took the loss Thursday against the A's, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out four.

It was another tough outing for Parker, who's struggled to a 7.76 ERA over his last six starts. Overall, the left-hander's ERA is up to 5.43 on the season with a 1.48 WHIP and 81:46 K:BB through 23 starts (122.2 innings). Parker will look to get back on track his next time out, which is tentatively lined up to be a road matchup with the Royals.

Susana (elbow) was activated from the 7-day injured list at Double-A Harrisburg on Thursday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Susana hasn't pitched for Harrisburg since early May after being diagnosed with a right elbow sprain, but he made three rehab starts with High-A Wilmington and had a 16:2 K:BB over nine innings. The righty has collected a 3.86 ERA and 54:22 K:BB over 35 frames covering nine starts between the two stops this season.