MLB Player News

Cabrera (finger) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Thursday and had been scheduled to throw off the mound Sunday with greater intensity, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs haven't confirmed that Cabrera was in fact able to throw again Sunday, but Montemurro notes that the right-hander was able to use his entire pitch mix during Thursday's session. Cabrera's ability to use his full arsenal suggests that the blister on his right middle finger isn't providing any complications with his off-speed pitches, so the 28-year-old looks like he could have a realistic chance at avoiding a rehab assignment and returning from the 15-day injured list this coming weekend when he's first eligible. If he's deemed ready to go for the Cubs' weekend series with the Giants, Cabrera would presumably replace Jordan Wicks as the team's fifth starter.

Walston (elbow) paused his rehab program earlier in the season, but he was expected to start building back up around the middle of May, MLB.com reports.

Arizona hasn't provided any concrete information regarding where Walston currently stands in the rehab process, but he's not expected to be a realistic candidate to return from the 60-day injured list until after the All-Star break. The 24-year-old left-hander hasn't made an appearance in an official game since spring training of last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery March 26, 2025.

Mena (shoulder) had been scheduled to resume his throwing program two weeks ago, MLB.com reports.

Mena, who has been on the shelf all season while recovering from a right teres major strain, initially began a throwing program in late April before being shut down for a brief period. Though the right-hander appears to be building back up again, the Diamondbacks haven't provided an indication of where exactly he stands in his progression. Considering that he'll eventually need to complete a lengthy rehab assignment before being activated from the 60-day injured list, Mena is most likely at least a month away from joining the Diamondbacks.

Nootbaar (heels) "appears targeted" to be activated from the 60-day injured list before the start of Friday's series against the Reds, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

A previous report indicated that the Cardinals were aiming for June 1 for Nootbaar's season debut, but it seems he will remain on his rehab assignment a bit longer. The 28-year-old has looked good in his first 10 rehab games spread across three affiliates, slashing .259/.412/.519 with two home runs and a 7:4 BB:K. Nootbaar is working his way back from offseason double heel surgery.

The Marlins plan to recall Gusto from Triple-A Jacksonville during their series in Washington that begins Monday, FishOnFirst.com reports.

Miami is presumably earmarking Gusto for one of the two vacancies in its rotation, after Eury Perez (hamstring) and Janson Junk (shin) were both placed on the injured list over the weekend. The Marlins list Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer as their starters for Monday and Wednesday, respectively, so Gusto will likely slot into the rotation for the middle game of the series Tuesday and will be deployed as either a traditional starter or bulk reliever. Since the Marlins optioned him to Jacksonville in early April, Gusto has turned in a 3.63 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 45:16 K:BB in 39.2 innings over nine appearances (six starts).

Atlanta optioned Molina to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

Molina was in the bullpen this past weekend in Cincinnati but didn't make an appearance. Atlanta will announce a corresponding roster move prior to Tuesday's game versus the Blue Jays.

Milbrandt has been promoted from Double-A Pensacola to Triple-A Jacksonville, Craig Mish of FanDuel Sports Network Florida reports.

Milbrandt was fantastic at Pensacola, posting a 1.34 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 70:17 K:BB through 47 innings to earn a promotion to the Marlins' top minor-league affiliate. With Robby Snelling (elbow) out for the season and Eury Perez (hamstring) and Janson Junk (shin) sidelined, the Marlins' rotation depth is running thin, giving the 22-year-old Milbrandt a chance to debut in 2026 if he pitches well at Jacksonville.

Waldrep (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League team Monday.

Waldrep is set for his first game action since he had surgery in late February to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. Per Grant McAuley of the Marietta Daily Journal, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said recently that Waldrep has been throwing in the mid-to-high 90s, so the right-hander already regained his velocity post-operation. Waldrep will likely require most, if not all, of his allotted 30 days on a rehab assignment before rejoining Atlanta's roster around July 1.

Garcia went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Padres.

Garcia broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a 402-foot blast off Griffin Canning, his fifth homer of the year. Garcia's been swinging the bat well of late, going 9-for-25 with a pair of homers and a 1.000 OPS over his last seven games. Overall, he's slashing .268/.290/.430 with 30 RBI, 21 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases across 186 plate appearances this season.

De La Cruz (hamstring) is optimistic he won't miss much time after leaving Sunday's game, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

De La Cruz pulled up on his way to first base on a hit that might normally be a double. He believes he caught himself before doing anything worse to the hamstring. "When I was starting running and then when I was making the turn to get to first, I felt tightness on my hamstring and I immediately decided to stop because I felt like if I kept going, this could get worse," De La Cruz said, via an interpreter. He had gone 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and scored twice Sunday before being removed in the fifth inning. The Reds begin a three-game series with the Royals on Monday.