MLB Player News

The Cubs recalled Caissie from Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The 23-year-old slashed an impressive .291/.391/.567 with 22 home runs over 402 plate appearances this season at Iowa to earn his first look in the majors. How frequently Caissie ultimately plays with the big club will be a question mark. Caissie is limited to the corner outfield and designated hitter, and the Cubs have all of Kyle Tucker, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki at full health and available to fill out those three spots on an everyday basis. The rookie is starting in the DH spot and batting fifth in his major-league debut Thursday in Toronto.

Blackburn (shoulder) struck out three and gave up two earned runs on one hit and one walk over five innings of relief in Wednesday's 11-6 loss to Atlanta.

Activated from the 15-day injured list early in the day after he had been on the shelf since July 3 due to a shoulder impingement, Blackburn was needed for some length out of the bullpen right away when starter David Peterson recorded just 10 outs on 80 pitches (48 strikes). Blackburn had been fully built up as a starter during his minor-league rehab stint, so he was well equipped to handle the heavy workload in relief. With New York moving Frankie Montas to the bullpen to clear a spot in the rotation, Nolan McLean will be called up from Triple-A Syracuse this weekend to serve as the team's new fifth starter. If McLean falters, Blackburn could be next in line to join the rotation.

Lindor went 2-for-3 with two walks, a double and two runs scored in Wednesday's loss to Atlanta.

The shortstop has had trouble making a consistent impact with his bat since the All-Star break, but Lindor is at least still getting on base. Through 11 games so far in August, he's compiled a .238/.373/.381 slash line with three doubles, one homer, one steal, five RBI and 10 runs.

Hicks went 2-for-5 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Wednesday's win over the Guardians.

The two-bagger was Hicks' first extra-base hit since July 5, ending a 26-game stretch in which he'd managed a .222/.318/.222 slash line. The 26-year-old rookie continues to see regular playing time against right-handed pitching while bouncing between catcher, first base and DH, but he isn't offering much fantasy value.

Ashcraft is slated to start Friday's game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

After making his previous nine appearances out of the bullpen, Ashcraft picked up his second MLB start this past weekend against the Reds as a replacement in the rotation for Johan Oviedo, who was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Though he was limited to 56 pitches in his outing versus Cincinnnati, Ashcraft was effective during his time on the mound, striking out five while allowing five baserunners over 3.1 innings. He'll be rewarded with a second turn through the rotation this weekend, and Ashcraft could push his pitch count up to the 65-to-80 range now that he's on a starter's schedule. Whether Ashcraft will be stick around in the rotation for the rest of the season is still unclear; Friday marks the first day that prospects who are called up for the first time in 2025 won't be able to exceed 45 days of service time, which will keep them eligible for 2026 Rookie of the Year Award consideration. With that in mind, prized pitching prospect Bubba Chandler could soon get called up from Triple-A to make his MLB debut, and Ashcraft may move back to the bullpen to accommodate him.

Atlanta recalled Stratton from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.

Stratton has made five appearances in the majors this season between Pittsburgh and Atlanta, allowing seven runs over 5.2 frames. He will work in middle relief.

Atlanta designated Carrasco for assignment Thursday.

Atlanta appears set to proceed with Hurston Waldrep and Erick Fedde as its back-end rotation options after DFA'ing Carrasco, who allowed 15 earned runs on 22 hits and seven walks over 13.2 innings across his three starts with the club upon being acquired from the Yankees on July 28. Once he clears waivers, the 38-year-old right-hander could elect free agency in pursuit of an opportunity elsewhere, but it's possible that his time as a big-league pitcher may be over.

Profar went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored, three RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over the Mets.

The veteran outfielder drove in multiple runs for the first time since July 10, and through 12 games in August he's slashing .279/.446/.581 with three homers, three steals, eight RBI and 12 runs. Profar's been thriving at the top of the batting order, but with Ronald Acuna (calf) set to return from the IL any day now, it's not clear which of them will handle leadoff duties.

With top prospect Owen Caissie expected to make his MLB debut Thursday, per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com, Happ and other Chicago outfielders may be more crunched for regular playing time.

Chicago already has a fairly crowded outfield with Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker playing most days left to right, and regular DH Seiya Suzuki also capable of filling a corner spot. The addition of Caissie is likely an attempt to jumpstart a Cubs' offense that has been struggling lately, and the top prospect figures to take playing time away from any of the current outfielders who are slumping or could use a break. Happ has the lowest season-long OPS of the aforementioned quartet, and he's slashing just .222/.310/.361 this month. It remains to be seen how Chicago divvies up playing time moving forward, but it makes sense to think that the 31-year-old Happ could see more rest days during the stretch run.

Dollander is slated to start Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

Following a month-long stay in the minors, Dollander made his return to the big leagues Monday, joining the rotation as the team's new No. 5 starter in place of Anthony Molina. The rookie right-hander delivered an excellent performance in a no-decision on the road against the Cardinals, striking out five and allowing one run on five hits and three walks over five innings. He showcased premium velocity in the start, registering at least 98 miles per hour on 45 of his 60 strikes across 92 total pitches. Even after the impressive showing in St. Louis, Dollander still owns a 6.35 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 57:36 K:BB in 73.2 innings. The 23-year-old doesn't yet profile as a reliable fantasy option, especially heading into his next start in hitter-friendly Colorado.