Burns (elbow) will initially pitch out of the bullpen upon his expected activation Friday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Burns will be limited in his innings and usage but could make a serious impact as a reliever. The right-hander can pair a triple-digit fastball and wipeout slider in short outings. Burns has worked his way back from a flexor tendon strain that's kept him on the injured list since Aug. 15 (retroactive to Aug. 12).

Sale (5-5) was charged with the loss Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out nine.

Sale continues to rack up the strikeouts, as he's now fanned nine in three consecutive outings since coming off the injured list. The three runs allowed were his most since his April 13 start in Tampa Bay, but the All-Star southpaw has registered at least seven punchouts in 11 of his last 12 appearances dating back to the end of April. On the year, he has a stellar 2.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 141:28 K:BB across 107 frames. Sale is next slated to face the division-rival Nationals, who have a paltry .574 OPS against left-handed pitching since the All-Star break.

Taillon didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out two.

Taillon appeared to have a slight limitation on his workload in his return from the injured list, as he threw just 79 pitches Wednesday. The veteran right-hander still managed to put in 4.1 serviceable frames, although the two strikeouts represented his second-lowest total of the season. Taillon will be aiming to handle a full starter's workload in his next appearance, which lines up as a favorable matchup against the last-place Pirates. Through 110.2 innings, he has a 4.15 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 83:23 K:BB.

Freeland (4-15) took the loss against the Dodgers on Wednesday, allowing four runs (one earned) on nine hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 5.2 innings.

All four of the runs Freeland allowed came in the second frame, though an inning-opening Rockies error meant that only one of those runs was earned. Nonetheless, Freeland was hardly sharp -- he gave up at least one hit in all but one of the frames in which he pitched and was pulled with two outs in the sixth after loading the bases. The southpaw's loss was his 15th of the campaign, tied for most in the majors with teammate Antonio Senzatela and Washington's Mitchell Parker. Freeland will look to avoid another defeat the next time he takes the mound, which is slated to be next week against Miami.

Snell (4-4) earned the win over Colorado on Wednesday, pitching six scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters.

Snell was overpowering in the win, feeding his 11 strikeouts with a whopping 22 whiffs. Both of the hits Colorado managed off the southpaw were harmless singles. Snell snapped a three-start losing streak with the victory to even his season record. The veteran hurler missed four months earlier this season due to a shoulder injury, but he seems fully healthy now, tossing a season-high 104 pitches Wednesday. He's next projected to take the mound at home against Philadelphia.

McGreevy allowed one run on five hits and no walks while striking out four batters over six innings in a no-decision against Seattle on Wednesday.

McGreevy's most recent start before Wednesday was a disaster, as he gave up six runs over a season-low four frames. The righty bounced back nicely against the Mariners, holding them without an extra-base hit over his six innings. McGreevy finished with his sixth quality start through 14 outings this season, but the Cardinals' offense produced only one run while he was in the contest, so he wasn't rewarded with a victory. McGreevy has been up and down while in the majors this year, posting a 4.44 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB through 79 innings.

Sasaki (shoulder) is flying to Los Angeles on Wednesday and will meet with the Dodgers to discuss next steps, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Sasaki's flight comes after he posted his most promising minor-league rehab start to date Tuesday, giving up three runs on three hits and four walks with eight strikeouts over 4.2 innings. While that final line isn't going to blow anyone away, the rookie right-hander most notably reached triple-digit velocity on six of his fastballs and induced 16 whiffs on 35 swings. Sasaki's eight punchouts also stood out after he notched the same number of strikeouts over his first four rehab appearances spanning a combined 14 innings. It's not yet clear what's next for Sasaki, though Harris reports that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts "left the door open" for the Japanese hurler to potentially be on the team's postseason pitching staff, which would require Sasaki to get into multiple big-league games before the end of the regular season. If that were to happen, Sasaki would likely need to work out of the bullpen, as Los Angeles' rotation currently has six healthy pitchers and has been performing well of late.

Pivetta pitched seven scoreless innings against Cincinnati on Wednesday, allowing four hits and issuing one walk while striking out eight batters in a no-decision.

Pivetta was brilliant against the Reds, limiting them to four harmless singles while throwing 73 of 101 pitches for strikes. The right-hander exited after the seventh frame with a 1-0 lead, but San Diego's bullpen gave up a pair of runs in the eighth, which both saddled Pivetta with a no-decision and handed the Padres a critical defeat. Pivetta has gone winless over his past four starts, but that's hardly his fault -- he has three quality starts and a 26:7 K:BB across 25 frames during that span. Pivetta's next start is tentatively slated to be a road matchup in New York against the Mets.

Abbott (9-6) earned the win over San Diego on Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters over eight innings.

Abbott entered Wednesday having gone 0-3 with an 8.56 ERA over his previous three contests and hadn't notched a victory in any of his past nine starts. The southpaw got back into the win column with a gem against the Padres, completing eight frames for the second time this season and giving up just one run (on a Fernando Tatis homer). Abbott was efficient in getting through the eighth on 102 pitches, and he racked up 15 whiffs. He now holds a 2.79 ERA, 11th-best among qualified MLB pitchers, through 26 outings spanning 151.2 innings on the campaign.

Sanchez (13-5) earned the win over the Mets on Wednesday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings.

Sanchez was sharp once again, delivering his third straight outing of just one earned run allowed and continuing a dominant stretch in which he's yielded one run or fewer in 11 of his last 15 starts. With Wednesday's effort, the southpaw also set a career high in innings pitched at 182.1, underscoring the stability he's added to his profile in 2025. Sanchez has now completed six or more innings in 22 of his 29 starts this season. The 28-year-old will carry a 2.57 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 192:43 K:BB into his next scheduled start against the Dodgers.