MLB Player News

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Tucker was diagnosed June 1 with a hairline fracture in his right hand and has continued to play through the injury, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Tucker was initially injured while sliding into second base in a June 1 win over the Reds. While X-rays on his right finger came back negative, further testing revealed a slight fracture on the top of his hand, where the pinky and ring finger meet. Tucker's fracture has shown healing, but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer admitted the injury has affected the outfielder's performance. Since the start of July, Tucker is hitting .189 with just four extra-base hits. Tucker has been out of the lineup for three straight games, as manager Craig Counsell indicated the star right fielder would get a couple days off for a mental reset. Tucker doesn't look as though he'll need a stint on the IL since the hand injury will continue to be more of a pain-tolerance matter, but it helps explain his lagging production during the second half of the season.

Alcantara (7-11) earned the win over the Cardinals on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out nine over seven innings.

The veteran right-hander turned in another excellent outing, generating 20 swinging strikes on a season-high 114 pitches and setting another season best with nine punchouts. Alcantara has now yielded one run or fewer in four of his last six starts, including three starts in which he finished the seventh inning, offering glimpses of the Cy Young-level dominance he displayed in prior seasons. Alcantara will take a 6.04 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 106:49 K:BB into his next scheduled start against Atlanta.

Gurriel went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Wednesday's 3-2 win against the Guardians.

The veteran outfielder led off the bottom of the ninth inning by launching a 424-foot solo shot off Cade Smith to tie the score at 2-2. It marked Gurriel's 17th long ball of the season and his third in the last seven contests, a stretch in which he's gone 9-for-28 (.321) with 12 RBI and five runs scored. Gurriel also recorded an RBI single earlier in the game.

Pfaadt didn't factor into the decision against the Guardians on Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five over seven innings.

The right-hander gave up a run in each of the first two frames but settled in from there, retiring 15 of the final 18 batters he faced to record his first quality start since July 18. While he's struggled to find consistency this season, the outing was a reminder of Pfaadt's ability to command the zone and navigate a lineup multiple times. Since the All-Star break, the 26-year-old has posted a 4.43 ERA and 29:8 K:BB over 40.2 innings. He'll look to build on Wednesday's effort when he makes his next scheduled start against Milwaukee.

Nimmo is considered day-to-day after leaving Wednesday's game against the Nationals due to neck stiffness, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Nimmo has a history of neck discomfort and was pulled from Wednesday's game in the bottom of the third inning after he woke up earlier in the day with a stiff neck, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. In his lone at-bat Wednesday, Nimmo grounded into a double play. The Mets believe he'll be back in the lineup in the next 24-to-48 hours, so Nimmo could get Thursday off since it's an afternoon game after a night game. If he does, it sounds like he should be good to go at some point for the weekend series versus Atlanta.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Wednesday that Merrill (ankle) is dealing with some bone bruising, which can "take awhile to heal," Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

San Diego continues to take things day by day with its star center fielder, but things might be coming to a head with a big series coming up against the Dodgers this weekend. A trip to the 10-day injured list could be needed. Ramon Laureano and Bryce Johnson have been patrolling center during Merrill's absence the last few days.

The Rockies placed Gomber on outright waivers Wednesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Gomber is still part of the Rockies' 40-man roster, and given his $6.35 million salary, he's a good bet to clear waivers and remain with Colorado. The 31-year-old has been roughed up across 11 starts in the big leagues this season, posting an 0-7 record, 6.75 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 32:15 K:BB across 54.2 innings. Gomber is set to become a free agent this winter, so even if he clears waivers as anticipated, it wouldn't be surprising if the Rockies eventually opted to cut him before the end of the season and ate the money remaining on his salary.

Yates (back) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of the Dodgers' upcoming weekend series against the Padres, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Both Yates and Tanner Scott (elbow) began a rehab assignment this week and each got an inning of work Tuesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Manager Dave Roberts said both will "probably not" pitch again in the minors prior to rejoining the Dodgers' 26-man roster for this weekend's critical series. Yates hasn't pitched since July 26 and holds a 4.31 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 44:12 K:BB across 31.1 innings out of the bullpen this season.

Scott (elbow) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of the Dodgers' upcoming weekend series against the Padres, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Scott threw one relief inning during a rehab outing with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, and manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Scott will "probably not" pitch again in the minors before rejoining the big-league club. Scott hasn't pitched with Los Angeles since July 21 and holds a 4.14 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 50:11 K:BB across 45.2 innings this season. He's notched 19 saves and should be back in the closer mix once reinstated.

Schwarber went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer, a double, five total RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 11-2 victory over the Mariners.

Schwarber capped his five-RBI outburst in the eighth inning with his 45th homer of the season, good for second most in the majors. Schwarber now has eight homers and 22 RBI in his last 17 games. Overall, he's slashing .253/.373/.584 with 109 RBI, 89 runs scored and 10 stolen bases across 566 plate appearances this season.