MLB Player News

Assad (oblique) has been completing bullpen sessions as part of his rehab work but has yet to throw live batting practice, which the team says is his next step, MLB.com reports.

Assad, who suffered a left oblique strain during spring training and then aggravated the injury during a rehab start in late April, has yet to throw a pitch for the Cubs this season. The righty is still targeting an August return, but after missing such a significant chunk of time, it wouldn't be surprising to see him eased into action via a long-relief role. Assad worked exclusively out of the rotation last year, compiling a 3.73 ERA in 29 starts (147 innings) for the Cubs. In 2023, he served as a valuable swing man and posted a 3.05 ERA across 109.1 innings while making 10 starts and 22 relief appearances.

The Dodgers outrighted Alexander to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Alexander cleared waivers after being removed from the Dodgers' 40-man roster but will remain in the organization as a depth corner infielder and outfielder. He's a career .259/.328/.482 hitter at the Triple-A level.

Encarnacion-Strand went unused off the bench in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Marlins.

Since Noelvi Marte's return from the injured list last Friday, Encarnacion-Strand has started once over the last five games. For now, Marte and Spencer Steer will continue to garner most of the starts at the corner-infield spots, while Austin Hays and Gavin Lux appear set to share left field and the designated-hitter spot when the Reds face right-handed pitching. Encarnacion-Strand has batted just .179 over his last 17 games, and with his playing time on the downswing, he could soon be headed for a demotion to Triple-A Louisville.

Suarez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Padres.

Suarez padded the Diamondbacks' early lead with a solo shot in the fourth inning, his 29th through 91 games. That puts him on the verge of a second straight 30-homer season in the desert. Suarez was recently added to the NL All-Star squad as a reserve and deservedly so. He's tied for fourth in MLB in home runs and RBI (77).

McCann went 1-for-2 with two walks, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 8-2 win over San Diego.

McCann's been a welcome addition to the offense, going 7-for-20 (.350) with six walks, four extra-base hits, four RBI and six runs scored over his first seven contests. However, his biggest contribution may be as a manager of pitchers. After backstopping Zac Gallen through two consecutive strong outings, McCann guided Brandon Pfaadt through eight innings, the starter's longest outing of the season. Prior to McCann's arrival, Pfaadt had failed to pitch six innings in seven straight starts (8.48 ERA), but he's thrown six and now eight innings (12 strikeouts, 3.86) in his two starts with McCann as a batterymate.

Carroll went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Padres.

Carroll salvaged what was shaping up to be a day to forget with a ninth-inning home run, his 21st across 77 games. Prior to his final at-bat, he had struck out four times. After going hitless with five strikeouts in his first nine at-bats off the injured list, Carroll has strung together a three-game hit streak, which includes a double, triple and home run.

Baldwin went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in a 9-2 win against the Athletics on Wednesday.

Baldwin helped Atlanta get off to a big start, mashing a 431-foot, three-run shot to center field in the first inning. It was his second homer over his past four games, a span in which he's gone 5-for-15 with five RBI and just two strikeouts. Baldwin is making a viable case for NL Rookie of the Year honors, posting a .278/.353/.489 slash line with 11 home runs, 31 RBI and 21 runs scored over 61 games.

Acuna went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in a 9-2 win against the Athletics on Wednesday.

Acuna was scratched from Atlanta's previous contest due to a back issue, but he didn't show any signs of a lingering injury Wednesday. The star slugger led off the game with a blast to left field off Mitch Spence and added another solo homer off Spence in the fourth inning. The long balls snapped a 13-game homerless stretch for Acuna, during which he batted just .158 (6-for-38) with only two RBI. Despite that rough period, Acuna is slashing a healthy .336/.454/.601 with 11 home runs, 20 RBI and four stolen bases over 41 contests.

Elder (3-6) earned the win over the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing two runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over 6.2 innings.

Elder logged his second-longest outing of the season, trailing only his eight-inning, 12-strikeout performance against San Francisco on June 7. The right-hander racked up an outstanding 24 whiffs Wednesday, setting a new career-high mark in that category. Elder was in dire need of a positive performance, as he had logged a 12.64 ERA, 2.81 WHIP and 13:11 K:BB over his previous four starts spanning 15.2 frames.

Sheets went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday in a loss to the Diamondbacks.

San Diego managed just four hits in the loss, and Sheets' seventh-inning, 437-foot solo homer was the only ball to leave the park. It was the just the second home run over the past 23 games for the veteran slugger, though he's had a strong first half overall. Sheets has a .771 OPS through 89 contests, and with 14 homers he's just one shy of the career-high mark of 15 he set in 2022 while with the White Sox.