MLB Player News

Lodolo (finger) threw 50 pitches over three innings in a simulated game Tuesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

This was the latest successful step for Lodolo, who had a promising two-inning sim game last week as part of his return from a blister on his left index finger. The left-hander was able to test the skin on his finger by throwing sliders -- the pitch that caused the blister during spring training -- in the bullpen but did not throw it when facing batters. The next step for Lodolo is a rehab assignment that's expected to begin with High-A Dayton on Sunday, when he'll further test the slider and is scheduled for four innings.

Dollander (2-2) took the loss against the Padres on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out nine across six innings.

Dollander followed Jimmy Herget on Tuesday, with Herget setting the tone by striking out the side in the first inning. Dollander was dominant himself for most of his outing, fanning six consecutive batters at one point, before he ran into trouble in the sixth and walked in a run with the bases loaded. While that was the only run he gave up, Dollander didn't get enough support from his teammates to avoid the loss. After giving up four earned runs and three homers in his first outing of the season against the Blue Jays on March 30, Dollander has posted a 1.71 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB over his last five games (over 21 innings). His next appearance is tentatively slated for this weekend on the road against the Mets, and it seems likely that he'll follow an opener for that contest.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed Tuesday that Hodge (elbow) underwent UCL reconstruction surgery with an internal brace, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Though Hodge didn't require a traditional Tommy John surgery to address the right elbow flexor strain he sustained in spring training, Counsell estimated that the 25-year-old will face an expected recovery timeline of 12-to-14 months. With that in mind, Hodge would seem likely to open the 2027 season on the Cubs' injured list, if Chicago elects to tender him a contract over the winter. Hodge showed plenty of promise in his 2024 rookie campaign with a 1.88 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 43 innings, but he fell off badly in 2025 (6.27 ERA, 1.58 WHIP in 33 frames) and finished the season in the minors before going down with the elbow injury in the spring.

The Cubs will activate Boyd (biceps) from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Phillies, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

The move will likely be made official at some point Wednesday. Boyd was always tracking toward starting this week after he was shelved 15 days ago with a left biceps strain. After Boyd was roughed up in his Opening Day nod against the Nationals, allowing six runs over 3.2 innings, the left-hander bounced back with a win April 1 against the Angels. He has a 6.75 ERA, but Boyd's 1.85 FIP over 9.1 innings suggests he should have seen better results. Boyd struck out 17 and walked just three across his two starts.

The Giants transferred Butto (arm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Butto has already been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery Saturday to repair an artery in his arm, so moving to 60-day IL has no impact on his timeline. He'll cede his spot on the 40-man roster to Eric Haase, who was selected from Triple-A Sacramento to replace Daniel Susac (elbow) on the active roster.

Wheeler (shoulder) will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday in Atlanta, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Wheeler made his fifth and final rehab start Sunday with Double-A Reading, throwing 77 pitches while allowing four runs across four innings. The veteran right-hander's performance was up-and-down during the rehab stint, as he finished with a 5.85 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 23:5 K:BB over 20 frames. Now fully recovered from surgery to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome, Wheeler should be able to handle a mostly normal workload in his first start of the season Saturday.

Manager Carlos Mendoza announced Tuesday that Scott will be called up from Triple-A Syracuse to start Thursday's game against the Twins, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander surrendered six earned runs over 3.1 innings during his season debut with Syracuse on April 3, but he has a 1.74 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB over 10.1 frames in his past two Triple-A starts. Scott is now set to make his first MLB start since 2024, which is when he made his big-league debut with nine starts before requiring Tommy John surgery with an internal brace.

Snell (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Ontario on Wednesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Snell has finally been cleared to pitch in a game after completing a live batting practice session last week. The left-hander will likely need most, if not all, of the allotted 30 days on his rehab assignment, which would set him up for a season debut in mid-to-late May. Snell is coming back from left shoulder fatigue.

The Rockies claimed Castano off waivers Tuesday and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Castano was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week but will maintain a spot on a 40-man roster with the Rockies. The right-hander opened this season at the Triple-A level and has given up one earned run with a 4:1 K:BB across 6.1 innings.

Waldron is slated to start Thursday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Shelved to begin the season while completing his recovery from hemorrhoid surgery, Waldron returned from the injured list last week following a dominant minor-league rehab stint during which he tossed 12 scoreless frames and posted a 12:1 K:BB over three starts for Triple-A El Paso. The right-hander stepped into the San Diego rotation but was unable to carry over his success from the minors, taking a loss Friday against the Angels while yielding six earned runs on eight hits and one walk over 3.2 innings. Though Waldron will be handed another start, he'll be difficult to rely upon for fantasy purposes while pitching in hitter-friendly Colorado.