MLB Player News

Woodruff (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander was cleared to resume throwing over the weekend after having fluid drained from his inflamed shoulder last week, and he'll quickly return to mound work after landing on the injured list May 1. Woodruff doesn't expect to need a lengthy buildup given the brevity of his absence, so it's possible he's back in Milwaukee's starting rotation before the end of May.

Priester (shoulder) will resume a rehab assignment this weekend, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Priester went on the injured list before the season due to thoracic outlet syndrome and had to be pulled off his initial rehab assignment earlier this month because of right shoulder soreness. He showed diminished velocity and posted a 16.20 ERA, 3.00 WHIP and 5:8 K:BB across five innings in his first three rehab starts, so Priester has a lot to prove before convincing the Brewers he's ready to reclaim a spot in the rotation.

Waldron is slated to serve as the Padres' primary pitcher in Tuesday's game versus the Brewers, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Waldron struck out seven over five innings of one-run ball against the Giants on Wednesday after following opener Bradgley Rodriguez. The Padres will follow that same formula again in Tuesday's series opener. Waldron is not guaranteed any more starts beyond Tuesday's, as Lucas Giolito is expected to be ready to join the rotation soon after knocking off some rust in the minors.

Brown is slated to start Thursday's game against Atlanta at Truist Park.

Brown made his first 12 appearances of the season out of the Chicago bullpen, but he was called upon to start on short notice this past Friday in the wake of Matthew Boyd's (knee) surprise placement on the injured list. Though he wasn't fully stretched out for a starting role and was pitching on three days' rest, Brown delivered a strong outing on the road, holding the Rangers scoreless over four innings while striking out three and permitting no hits and one walk. While the Cubs are still likely to monitor his workload carefully in his second start, Brown should be able to build on the 46 pitches he tossed against Texas and reach the five innings he would need to qualify for a win. Another solid showing in Atlanta would likely help Brown solidify a rotation spot on a longer-term basis while neither Boyd nor Justin Steele (elbow) are close to returning from the IL.

Snelling is slated to start Thursday's game against the Twins at Target Field.

With the Marlins cutting Chris Paddack last week, Snelling appears to be in line for an extended audition in the Miami rotation, despite turning in an uneven MLB debut this past Friday. Snelling took a loss to the Nationals in his first start, covering five innings and striking out two batters while yielding three earned runs on five hits and four walks. On a more encouraging note, Snelling induced 12 swings and misses among his 86 pitches, illustrating the strikeout upside he brings to the table. Prior to receiving his promotion to the big leagues, Snelling generated 44 punchouts over 29 innings at Triple-A Jacksonville this season.

McDonald did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on nine hits and two walks over 5.1 innings against the Dodgers. He struck out four.

McDonald wasn't nearly as dominant in his second big-league start of the year compared to his seven-inning gem May 4 against the Padres, but he still was able to mitigate damage. The right-hander held the Dodgers scoreless through the first three innings before surrendering two runs in the fourth frame and a solo homer to Max Muncy in the sixth inning prior to being pulled. Through two starts, McDonald owns a 2.92 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with a 12:2 K:BB across 12.1 innings. With Logan Webb (knee) sidelined, McDonald figures to stick in the rotation for the time being, with his next start tentatively lined up for Saturday against the Athletics.

Soroka (5-2) earned the win Monday, allowing three hits and a walk over 6.1 scoreless innings against Texas. He struck out five.

Soroka was stellar, stifling the Texas offense with little resistance across 6.1 innings. Monday marked the right-hander's first scoreless outing since his season debut March 30 against Detroit, though he has now held opponents to two or fewer runs in six of eight starts. The 28-year-old has regularly looked sharp in his first year with Arizona, posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with a 47:12 K:BB across 43.1 innings. Even those solid numbers are inflated by a lone blowup outing April 30 against Milwaukee in which he allowed eight earned runs. Soroka's next start is tentatively lined up for Sunday against Colorado.

Gordon (lat) was activated from the 7-day injured list Sunday.

Gordon got roughed up in his first appearance at Double-A this season, surrendering five runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out one over 1.2 innings. However, he'll presumably have plenty of opportunities to turn his campaign around at Double-A Binghamton now that he's returned to health.

Giolito struck out three batters and allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks over six innings in a start Sunday for Double-A San Antonio.

Making his fourth appearance in the minors since signing a one-year deal with San Diego on April 22, Giolito delivered his best performance yet. He displayed pinpoint control in the start, pumping in 52 of his 74 pitches for strikes while not walking a batter or throwing a wild pitch for the first time during his rehab assignment. The Padres haven't decided on Giolito's next steps, but based on both the form he showed and the workload he handled Sunday, the right-hander appears ready to make his 2026 MLB debut for his next appearance. He could join the Padres in Seattle to make a start during the club's three-game series versus the Mariners this coming weekend.

The Cardinals must decide soon whether to return Pushard (knee) to the active roster or expose the Rule 5 pick to waivers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Pushard -- who is coming back from right knee tendinitis -- checked off what could be the final box on his rehab assignment checklist Sunday with the second of back-to-back appearances at Triple-A Memphis. He's pitched well over his last five rehab outings, yielding a total of one run with an 8:3 K:BB covering six innings. If the Rule 5 pick is added back to St. Louis' active roster, he'll be used in a low-leverage relief role.