The Cubs optioned Brown to Triple-A Iowa on Monday.

He's being sent down to make room on the active roster for the return of Michael Soroka (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list. Brown has made 15 starts and 10 relief appearances for the Cubs this season, posting a 5.92 ERA and 121:32 K:BB over 106.1 frames.

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.

White Sox director of player development Paul Janish said Monday that Schultz is dealing with right patellar tendinitis in his knee but will not require surgery, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Schultz had already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee problem that first cropped up in July. He wound up making only five starts for Triple-A Charlotte after being promoted to the affiliate in late June and posted a 9.37 ERA in those outings. Schultz is just 22 years old and has some of the highest upside of any pitching prospect in baseball, but he has yet to reach 90 innings in a season.

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.

Pecko has a 1.88 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 31:8 K:BB in 24 innings over his last five starts for Triple-A Sugar Land.

A 6-foot-2 righty whom the Astros selected in the sixth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of a small college, Pecko's stock has steadily increased in pro ball. He has impressively navigated the harsh conditions of the Pacific Coast League after a couple rough outings following his Aug. 5 promotion from Double-A Corpus Christi. Pecko has been particularly sharp of late, striking out 17 batters in 11 innings over his last two starts for the Space Cowboys. He averages 94 mph on his sinker (touches 96 mph), but it plays above its velocity due to excellent late movement. His 83-mph slider and 89-mph cutter are his top two secondary offerings. Pecko has a chance to spend a good chunk of next season in the big-league rotation if he picks up where he's leaving off in 2025.

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.