The Cubs activated Soroka (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Soroka has been sidelined since early August with a right shoulder strain but has been cleared to return after making one 2.1-inning rehab appearance with Triple-A Iowa this past Thursday. All 17 of Soroka's appearances this season have come as a starter, but he appears slated for a relief role with the Cubs in the final two weeks of the campaign. Soroka excelled in a bullpen role last season with the White Sox, posting a 2.75 ERA with 60 strikeouts over 36 frames.

Gray (elbow) is scheduled to throw approximately three innings and 45 pitches in his next rehab start Friday with Triple-A Rochester, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Gray has already made two rehab starts as he works his way back from his July 2024 Tommy John surgery, which involved the insertion of an internal brace. After covering 1.2 innings and tossing 34 pitches in his most recent outing with Double-A Harrisburg this past Saturday, Gray will increase his workload as he moves on to Rochester for what will be his final rehab start with the minor-league season coming to a close this weekend. Assuming he makes it out of Friday's outing no worse for the wear, Gray could be reinstated from the 60-day injured list for the final week of the season, though he would likely be in line for just one abbreviated start or multi-inning relief appearance with Washington.

Susana underwent surgery last week to repair a right lat tear, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Susana suffered the injury while pitching for Double-A Harrisburg in late August, and the determination was made last week that surgery was the best course of action. It's unclear how long the 21-year-old's rehab will take, but he could be limited at the start of spring training. Susana posted a 3.51 ERA and 95:34 K:BB over 56.1 innings covering 14 starts between High-A Wilmington and Harrisburg in 2025.

Musgrove (elbow) has continued to throw regular bullpen sessions since early August and remains hopeful to pitch for the Padres as a reliever during the postseason if San Diego makes a deep playoff run, MLB.com reports.

Musgrove, who has been on the shelf all season while completing his recovery from Oct. 11, 2024 Tommy John surgery, had previously held the goal of pitching in a rehab game before the end of the minor-league season, but he's not far along in his throwing program for that to be a reality. A return during the postseason may not be realistic either, given that he has yet to resume facing hitters at this point in his rehab. On a positive note, Musgrove seems to have avoided any setbacks up to this point in the recovery process, so he should be ready to enter spring training with few restrictions, if any.

Cortes (biceps) was cleared to throw off a mound Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Cortes was moved to the injured list Sept. 5 after he experienced left biceps tendinitis coming out of his start two days earlier, but he's already begun to start throwing again following a brief shutdown period. The southpaw isn't on track to return from the IL later this week when first eligible, but he's holding out hope to contribute for the Padres at some point in the final week of the regular season. Cortes had been serving as the Padres' No. 5 starter prior to landing on the shelf, but it's unclear if he would immediately slot back into the rotation if he's activated next week.

Milbrandt has a 1.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10:4 K:BB in 10.2 innings across two starts for Double-A Pensacola.

Milbrandt emphatically forced a promotion from High-A, as he struck out 26 while logging a 1.17 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 15.1 innings over his final three starts for Beloit, including a 10-K, one-hit performance over five scoreless innings against a loaded High-A Wisconsin lineup. Long known for his strong stuff and shaky command, Milbrandt's propensity to issue walks is still his biggest weakness, but his stuff has gotten so good that hitters typically can't get much done on their own. He hasn't given up a home run since June 13 and has 80 strikeouts in 58 innings over that stretch. He'll likely spend 2026 refining his command and control across the top two levels of the minors.

Holmes is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Padres at Citi Field but will be piggybacked by Sean Manaea, MLB.com reports. "I think it depends what kind of lineup we get and where we're at in the game," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, when asked how extensively Holmes and Manaea will be used Tuesday. "That's the plan, but we've got to be able to make adjustments and be flexible. We've just got to see what we've got there."

Manaea's transition to the bullpen comes after he posted a 7.71 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in spite of an excellent 42:6 K:BB in 32.2 innings over his seven starts dating back to the beginning of August, and the Mets are hoping that the role change will help the southpaw generate better results. The arrangement could also prove beneficial for Holmes, who owns a 4.81 ERA and 1.46 WHIP since the beginning of August and may be wearing down during his first season in the big leagues as a full-time starter. Though the pairing of Holmes and Manaea could enhance the ratios of both pitchers while they take on lighter workloads than they would as traditional starters, Holmes may struggle to reach the five innings he would need to hit to qualify for a win. The Mets will likely reassess their rotation plans following Tuesday's game, but if the Holmes/Manaea tandem fares well, the two could be deployed in a piggyback setup once again Sunday versus the Nationals.

Roupp (knee) tossed a 25-pitch bullpen session at Oracle Park on Friday, MLB.com reports.

Roupp isn't expected to pitch again this season after landing on the 15-day injured list Aug. 22 due to a left knee bone bruise, but his ability to get back on the mound just under a month after suffering the injury suggests that he'll be in line for a relatively normal offseason. The 27-year-old proved to be a serviceable member of the rotation when healthy in 2025, logging a 7-7 record with a 3.80 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 102:45 K:BB in 106.2 innings.

Gray (elbow) struck out two and scattered four hits and no walks over 1.2 scoreless innings in a rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg on Saturday.

On the comeback trail following his July 24, 2024 Tommy John surgery with internal brace, Gray has now completed two rehab starts and has built up to 34 pitches. The right-hander doesn't have enough time left to get stretched out for a traditional starting role, but he looks like he'll have a chance to make it back from the 60-day injured list before the end of the season. The Nationals haven't indicated whether Gray will report to Triple-A Rochester to make one final start before the International League season comes to an end, or if he'll instead join the big club ahead of their series with the Mets during the upcoming weekend.

Lowder (oblique/forearm) will make his next rehab start Friday for Triple-A Louisville, MLB.com reports.

Lowder began a rehab assignment Saturday, throwing 34 pitches over two innings and allowing one run for Louisville. Per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Reds manager Terry Francona has been non-committal about Lowder returning from the 60-day injured list before the end of the regular season to aid the team in its bid for a wild-card spot, but that could change if he performs well in his upcoming rehab start. Even if he comes off the IL for the final week of the season, Lowder would likely be deployed out of the bullpen.