MLB Player News

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that the CT scans Cease (head) received Monday came back negative, per 97.3 The Fan.

Cease was struck in the back of the head by a comebacker off the bat of Francisco Lindor in the third inning during Monday's win, though the ball first hopped off the ground. The veteran hurler remained in the game until the bottom of the fifth inning, and his departure didn't seem to be related to the earlier incident. Nonetheless, Cease underwent precautionary CT scans after the contest, and Shildt indicated that testing revealed no swelling or bleeding or other issues. It thus seems likely that Cease will be able to take his next turn in the rotation, which is tentatively scheduled for this weekend against St. Louis.

Falter allowed a run on two hits and four walks while striking out one over five innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Tuesday.

Falter had not walked more than two batters in any of his last five outings, though his 4.70 ERA over 23 innings in that span wasn't anything special. He limited the damage Tuesday to a Willy Adames solo home run in the fourth inning. Despite some recent mediocre performances, Falter remains fairly steady for the Pirates with a 3.73 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 70:39 K:BB through 113.1 innings over 22 starts. He's also matched his career high in homers allowed (17) in 29 fewer innings than last season. The southpaw is projected to make his next start at home in a rematch versus the Giants.

Happ may need to spend time on the injured list after suffering a bruised left shin during Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

X-rays on Happ's shin came back negative after the game, but with Moises Ballesteros reportedly set to be recalled from Triple-A on Wednesday, the writing is on the wall for Happ's move to the injured list. If the 30-year-old outfielder ends up on the shelf, the Cubs may look to move Seiya Suzuki into the field while using Ballesteros or Justin Turner as their designated hitter.

The Cubs are expected to recall Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Ballesteros went just 3-for-16 during his first MLB stint back in May but has bounced back nicely in the minors since then, slashing .307/.374/.477 with 38 RBI and 28 runs scored over his last 51 games. The corresponding move for the 21-year-old's promotion hasn't yet been announced, though it could foreshadow a move to the IL for Ian Happ, who injured his shin during Tuesday's loss to the Brewers.

Hoerner went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee.

Hoerner singled in the second and fourth innings before knocking a solo shot in the sixth. He snapped a 23-game homerless drought and now has four home runs in 103 games this season, all of them coming in his last 29 contests. In that same 29-game span, he's stolen only five bags and has not swiped any in his last six appearances. Hoerner is slashing .293/.340/.385 with 58 runs scored this year.

Rea (8-5) allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over four-plus innings Tuesday, striking out two and taking a loss against Milwaukee.

Rea escaped some early trouble with just two runs allowed through four inefficient innings. He was then charged with two more runs in the fifth inning while failing to record an out in the frame. Rea looked impressive during a four-start winning streak but has since been tagged for 10 runs (nine earned) over nine innings in his last two outings. The veteran righty now owns a 4.25 ERA with a 75:28 K:BB through 106 frames this season. Rea will look to turn things around in his next outing, which is currently slated to be at home against the Reds next week.

Vaughn went 3-for-4 with a home run, six RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Cubs.

Vaughn singled and scored in the second inning before bringing home a run with a sacrifice fly in the third. He knocked an RBI single in the fifth and capped off his day with a game-sealing grand slam in the sixth. Vaughn has gone deep three times in his last four games and has knocked five long balls in 15 games since joining the Brewers. The 27-year-old has gone 18-for-48 (.375) during that 15-game span. Vaughn is now slashing .227/.268/.408 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 63 total MLB games this season.

Ashby allowed a run on one hit and a walk over 3.1 innings Tuesday, striking out two and earning a save against the Cubs.

Ashby entered the sixth inning with two outs and two runners in scoring position. He forced a Matt Shaw pop out to end the threat and would go on to finish the contest. Ashby threw 42 pitches and earned his first save since June 12. He now owns a 2.05 ERA with a 33:12 K:BB through 30.2 frames out of the bullpen. Ashby helped give Milwaukee's other relief arms some rest in Tuesday's 9-3 win and won't see many traditional save chances.

Fedde (3-11) took the loss Tuesday against the Royals, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings.

Making his first start since being acquired by Atlanta, Fedde struggled to settle in, surrendering all four of his runs across the first two innings, including a solo home run to Vinnie Pasquantino in the opening frame. Fedde now owns a 5.33 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 66:49 K:BB across 106.1 innings this season. The 32-year-old will aim for a sharper outing in his next turn through the rotation, scheduled for early next week against Milwaukee.

Priester (10-2) yielded two runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.2 innings Tuesday, striking out three and earning a win over the Cubs.

Priester fell one out short of delivering his fourth straight quality start but still moved 9-0 over his last 11 appearances. He gave up one run through five innings before Nico Hoerner knocked a solo shot in the sixth. Priester generated 11 swinging strikes on 86 pitches, including five with his slider. He's produced a 2.49 ERA over his last 12 starts, bringing his season ERA down to 3.27 with an 89:36 K:BB across 107.1 innings. Priester has not been charged with a loss since May 13. He'll look to continue riding the momentum in Atlanta next week.