MLB Player News

Gasser is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Pirates at American Family Field.

The Brewers will keep Gasser in the rotation as their No. 5 starter over Tobias Myers, who was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Friday. That same day, Gasser made his MLB debut against the Cardinals and breezed through six scoreless innings while striking out four and allowing just two hits and zero walks. His numbers in three starts at Nashville (5.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 17:6 K:BB in 12 innings) should give fantasy managers some pause in expecting Gasser to repeat the success of his MLB debut, but he'll at least make for an intriguing streaming option while facing off against a weak Pittsburgh offense that had posted a 70 wRC+ in nine May games heading into Sunday.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Sunday that Matz will require another pain-killing injection for the protruding disc in his lower back and won't resume throwing for at least another week, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

With Matz having yet to even resume playing catch since landing on the 15-day injured list May 3 due to the back issue, he appears safe to rule out for a return when he's first eligible to come off the IL next weekend. The southpaw had initially been scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, but the Cardinals opted to have him get another injection for his back after he hadn't responded to a week of rest as well as the team had hoped. The Cardinals will turn to Matthew Liberatore to make a second straight start in place of Matz on Monday versus the Angels.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Wesneski has been moved to the bullpen, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Counsell noted that Wesneski will work out of the bullpen for the Cubs' upcoming turn through the rotation, so it's possible that the right-hander could still move back into a starting role at some point later this month. For now, however, Wesneski will likely need the Cubs to lose another starter to injury, or for a rainout or a busy portion of the schedule to create a need for a temporary sixth starter. Wesneski had made each of his past three appearances for the Cubs as a starter, going 0-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 16.1 innings.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Taillon (back) will start Tuesday's game in Atlanta, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

A bout with back stiffness resulted in Taillon being scratched from his scheduled start Friday in Pittsburgh, but the right-hander responded well enough from a bullpen session Saturday for the Cubs to clear him to take the hill in Atlanta. With Kyle Hendricks (back) coming off the 15-day injured list to start Sunday in Pittsburgh, Taillon will end up taking over the spot in the rotation that had previously belonged to Hayden Wesneski, who has been moved to the bullpen.

The Cubs reinstated Hendricks (back) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start Sunday in Pittsburgh, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs initially planned to have Hendricks make the third start of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, but he'll end up returning from the IL earlier than expected after rotation mate Jameson Taillon (back) wasn't available to start this weekend. Hendricks struck out 13 and allowed just three walks while giving up three runs over 9.1 innings between his two rehab outings, but he struggled mightily over his first five starts with the Cubs before landing on the shelf (0-3 record, 12.00 ERA, 2.10 WHIP in 21 innings).

Manager Bud Black said Saturday that Freeland (elbow) is "a week or 10 days away from getting on the mound," MLB.com reports.

Freeland played catch Thursday, Friday and Saturday and seems to have responded well to the workouts, but the Rockies aren't yet ready to have him advance to the next phase of his rehab program for his strained left elbow. While Freeland might join the Rockies for their upcoming road trip that begins Monday, the veteran southpaw will still be limited to playing catch and doesn't yet appear to be close to a return from the 15-day injured list. Given that he'll still need to complete a minor-league rehab assignment after he resumes throwing off a mound and facing hitters, Freeland doesn't look like he'll be an option for Colorado's rotation until around mid-June.

Waldron (1-5) was tagged with the loss against the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks over 5.1 innings while striking out six.

Waldron coughed up a solo home run to Freddie Freeman in the top of the first and was later charged with another run in the sixth after having to be relieved by Adrian Morejon with one out in the frame. The right-handed Waldron threw only 11 of 20 first pitches for strikes in the contest en route to taking his third consecutive loss. Waldron has now allowed a home run in each of his last five starts, going 1-4 over that stretch with a 19:9 K:BB.

Paxton (5-0) earned the win over the Padres on Saturday, pitching six shutout innings while allowing four hits and striking out four.

Paxton never found himself in any serious trouble throughout the contest, allowing only one extra-base hit as the Dodgers cruised to a shutout win. The veteran lefty threw 15 of 22 first pitches for strikes and produced 10 whiffs on the night en route to earning his fifth win of the campaign. Paxton has allowed one run or fewer in back-to-back starts and in four of his seven outings this season. Saturday also marked his first start this season in which he didn't issue a walk.

Skenes came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 10-9 win over the Cubs, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks over four-plus innings. He struck out seven.

The 21-year-old right-hander displayed some nerves in his big-league debut, throwing only 54 of 84 pitches for strikes, but he flashed his upside right out of the gate by hitting triple digits on the radar gun on his first two career pitches and reaching 100 mph on five fastballs in total against the first batter he faced, eventually striking out Chicago leadoff man Mike Tauchman on a 100.9 mph four-seamer. Skenes isn't heading back to the minors any time soon, and his next start should come on the road next week in a rematch with the Cubs.

Steele escaped with a no-decision in Saturday's 10-9 loss to the Pirates, surrendering six runs on six hits -- including three home runs -- and two walks over four innings. He struck out three.

Making just his third start of the season after missing all of April with a hamstring strain, Steele served up homers to Connor Joe and Oneil Cruz in the third inning and Michael Taylor in the fourth, but he got taken off the hook for the loss thanks to a seven-run fifth by the Cubs. Steele has yet to complete five innings in an outing and threw just 74 pitches (53 strikes) Saturday, but he should begin to get stretched out more as he puts the injury further behind him. Steele will take a 4.73 ERA and 11:4 K:BB through 13.1 innings into his next start, which lines up to be a rematch with the Pirates back in Wrigley Field next week.