MLB Player News

The Mets activated Blackburn (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.

Blackburn has made five rehab starts and built up to 97 pitches in his most recent outing last Friday. His return comes at a time of need after manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that Frankie Montas is moving to the bullpen permanently. It's been reported by Andy Martino of SNY.tv that Nolan McLean is expected to be tapped to start in his MLB debut Saturday against the Mariners, but Blackburn also appears ready to rejoin New York's rotation. For now, though, he's likely to be available out of the bullpen.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will be limited to pitching four innings in his next start Wednesday against the Angels in Anaheim, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

The Dodgers are continuing to have Ohtani get stretched out incrementally as a pitcher since he made his team debut on the mound June 16 after completing his recovery from his second career Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in September 2023. Though he's already made eight starts as a pitcher and has delivered excellent ratios (2.37 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 25:5 K:BB), he's tossed just 19 innings in total and has yet to work deep enough into any of those outings to qualify for a win. Ohtani won't be in the mix for a win Wednesday since he'll be limited to four innings for a second outing in a row in addition to serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter, but assuming he comes out of the appearance feeling well physically, he should be ready to make a five-inning start when his turn in the rotation comes up again next week.

Chapman is out of the lineup Wednesday due to right hand soreness, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman missed about a month of action earlier this summer due to a sprained hand, and he's experiencing some renewed soreness in the area. It's unclear if he's available off the bench. Casey Schmitt is starting at third base for San Francisco on Wednesday. The Giants have an off day Thursday ahead of a weekend set with the Rays.

Turang (finger) will start at second base and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Turang went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 14-0 win before being lifted in the bottom of the sixth inning for a pinch hitter while he tended to a pinkie injury. The Brewers held a 12-run lead at the time of Turang's departure, so the score may have played a factor in his early removal more so than the injury. The second baseman made enough progress in his recovery overnight to re-enter the lineup for a day game Wednesday as the Brewers look to extend their winning streak to 12.

Liberatore has had difficulty maintaining his velocity deep into starts, most recently seeing his four-seamer drop to 90-to-91 mph in the fifth inning of Tuesday's loss to the Rockies, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Liberatore set down the first nine batters he faced Tuesday. However, his velocity began to slip in the fourth -- when he served up a two-run homer to Hunter Goodman -- and declined further in the fifth before he was pulled after allowing the first two runners of that frame to reach base. Liberatore has a 5.47 ERA and 12:11 K:BB over 24.2 innings since the start of July and hasn't recorded an out beyond the fifth inning in any of those outings. The lefty could be wearing down as he goes through his first full season as a starter at the major-league level. Liberatore will make his next scheduled start Monday in Miami, but if he struggles again, the Cardinals will consider altering his role. One option is to piggyback him with Kyle Leahy.

Durbin is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Durbin had started in each of the Brewers' previous three games, but he'll get a breather for the series finale as the Pirates send right-hander Mitch Keller to the mound. Anthony Seigler will get the nod at third base Wednesday, but Durbin could be a candidate to replace him at some point during the game, especially if the Pirates send a lefty to the mound.

McLain is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

McLain will take a breather, and Santiago Espinal will man second base and bat eighth Wednesday. Over the last 30 days, McLain has slashed .279/.326/.349 with one home run, seven RBI, 11 runs scored, three stolen bases and a 7:26 BB:K. The extra-base power hasn't been there for McLain this season. After slugging .507 as a rookie in 2023, McLain missed the 2024 season and has slugged just .339 across 452 plate appearances this year.

Chapman is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

It looks like a routine day off for the veteran third baseman, as Casey Schmitt is getting the start at third and batting third. Chapman has slashed just .205/.302/.422 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 11 runs scored and a 10:27 K:BB over the last 30 days.

The Pirates recalled Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Simon made his MLB debut with Pittsburgh earlier this season, slashing .234/.327/.277 with two doubles, five RBI, six runs scored and a 7:7 BB:K across his first 56 big-league plate appearances. He'll provide the Pirates with some middle-infield and outfield depth.

The Pirates placed Cruz (concussion) on the 7-day injured list Wednesday.

Cruz collided with teammate Jack Suwinski in the outfield Tuesday against the Brewers and was removed from the game in the sixth inning. He'll spend the next week trying to clear concussion protocol. In a corresponding move, the Pirates recalled Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis. Over the last 30 days, Cruz has slashed just .188/.245/.341 with two home runs, 14 RBI, nine runs scored, five stolen bases and a 7:29 BB:K.