MLB Player News

Assad (oblique) struck out two and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk across 3.2 innings in his rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Iowa.

After tossing three scoreless frames in his first rehab outing July 24 in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Assad jumped up a few levels for his second outing. The right-hander got stretched out to 53 pitches (32 strikes) in the start and is expected to build upon that workload when he makes his next rehab appearance with Iowa on Wednesday, per MLB.com reports. Though Assad still appears more likely than not to work in long relief or stick around in Iowa's rotation once he's activated from the 60-day injured list, he could be needed to make starts with the big club if he ends up beating Jameson Taillon (calf) and Michael Soroka (shoulder) back from the IL.

Cortes (elbow) is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

San Diego reinstated Cortes from the 60-day injured list Sunday, but he'll end up waiting a few days before entering the rotation as a replacement for Randy Vasquez, who was optioned to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move. Acquired from the Brewers this past Thursday, Cortes made just two starts at the big-league level before landing on the IL on April 6 due to a left elbow strain. Before being traded, Cortes proved his health over the course of a four-start rehab assignment in July, during which he turned in a 1.00 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB in 18 innings. After building up to 93 pitches in his final rehab outing July 24, Cortes isn't expected to face a workload restriction Wednesday in his Padres debut.

Reds manager Terry Francona said after Monday's 3-2 win over the Cubs that Lodolo (finger) is likely to be placed on the 15-day injured list, Casey Drottar of MLB.com reports.

Lodolo lasted only 1.2 innings Monday before exiting his start due to a blister on his left index finger. The southpaw has dealt with blister problems before, which factors into the Reds' decision to "err on the side of caution" with Lodolo, per Francona. Assuming Lodolo is indeed placed on the IL, he would be eligible to return Aug. 20. Nick Martinez worked 2.1 frames in relief of Lodolo and could slide back into the rotation in his place.

Brasier (0-1) allowed a run on two hits while retiring two batters in relief to take the loss in Monday's 3-2 defeat to the Reds.

After Michael Soroka covered two innings before departing with a shoulder injury and Ben Brown worked the next four frames, Brasier came on in the seventh with the game tied 2-2. The veteran reliever allowed an RBI single to TJ Friedl that broke the tie and ultimately saddled him with his first loss of the season. Brasier still has a solid 3.27 ERA and 1.05 WHIP this year, and he should retain a key role in a Chicago bullpen that added Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge before the trade deadline.

Freeman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 3-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Freeman has hit safely in 12 of the last 13 games, going 20-for-52 (.385) with three homers and 12 RBI in that span. The first baseman's blast tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning, and it was the only hit the Dodgers could muster over seven frames against St. Louis starter Sonny Gray. Freeman is now at a 13 homers, 61 RBI, 55 runs scored, two stolen bases, 29 doubles and one triple while slashing .305/.375/.491 through 100 contests this season.

Glasnow allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings in a no-decision Monday versus the Cardinals.

Glasnow bounced back after allowing four runs over four innings versus the Reds in his last start. The right-hander has allowed exactly one run in four of five outings since returning from a shoulder injury. Glasnow is now at a 3.06 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 56:23 K:BB through 47 innings across 10 starts this season. He's projected to make his next start on the road versus the Angels next week as the Dodgers continue to work with a six-man rotation to ease the workload of multiple pitchers, including Glasnow, who have dealt with long-term injuries this year.

Winn went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 3-2 win over the Dodgers.

Winn continues to hit well since the All-Star break -- he's gone 21-for-60 (.350) over his last 16 games. His homer Monday was his first since June 24 versus the Cubs. The shortstop has struggled to tap into power this year, logging eight homers and 24 doubles through 101 games after posting 15 long balls and 32 two-baggers over 150 games a year ago. Winn has added a .270/.325/.395 slash line, six stolen bases, 42 RBI and 60 runs scored in 2025.

Herrera went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Monday's 3-2 win over the Dodgers.

Herrera has logged three straight multi-hit efforts, but the homer was just his second since June 15. The 25-year-old missed about a month in that span due to a hamstring injury, but he has settled in as the Cardinals' main designated hitter since his return just before the All-Star break. He's also made three starts in left field over the last week, which gives him another path to playing time if he can learn the position on the fly. He's hit well enough to stay in the lineup regularly -- Herrera is batting .310 with an .880 OPS, 10 homers, 40 RBI, 28 runs scored and four steals over 247 plate appearances this season.

Romero allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one over a scoreless inning to earn the save in Monday's 3-2 win over the Dodgers.

Romero has now picked up the Cardinals' first two saves since the team shipped Ryan Helsley to the Mets. This one wasn't a particularly pretty performance, but it was an improvement after he gave up a run during his first save Saturday versus the Padres. Romero had a rough early portion of the season, but he posted a 0.36 ERA and 28:8 K:BB from May to July before this recent shaky patch. He's at a 2.15 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 36:17 K:BB through 37.2 innings, and even if he isn't a full-time closer, he should still maintain high-leverage work after logging 16 holds earlier in the campaign.

Gray allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out eight over seven innings in a no-decision versus the Dodgers on Monday.

Gray brought one of his best outings of the season, with only a Freddie Freeman solo shot in the fourth inning marring his line. This was a positive sign, as Gray allowed 26 runs (24 earned) over 27.2 innings across his six starts in July, including a pair of 11-hit outings, though his 32:3 K:BB last month suggests a bit of misfortune was in the mix. He's now at a 4.21 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 141:21 K:BB through 128.1 innings across 23 starts this season. Gray's next start is expected to be another tough one this weekend at home versus the Cubs.