MLB Player News

The Pirates optioned Nicolas to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

He'll cede his spot in the bullpen to right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski, who was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move and will provide the Pirates with a multi-inning option in relief. Nicolas made three appearances after his June 3 promotion, giving up one earned run on three hits and one walk over 4.1 innings.

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

Mlodzinski is expected to serve in a bulk-relief role, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He made nine starts for the Pirates earlier this season, collecting a 5.67 ERA and 28:12 K:BB over 39.2 innings.

Megill might be the odd man out of the Mets' rotation when Frankie Montas (lat) and Sean Manaea (oblique) are ready to come off the injured list.

Both veteran pitchers are currently on rehab assignments, with Montas on target for a late-June season debut and Manaea tracking to join the 26-man roster in early July. Even if the Mets stick with a six-man rotation at that point, they'll have seven starting pitchers available. Megill and David Peterson both have a minor-league option remaining, but the latter has been the more consistent pitcher this season with a 2.80 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 12 starts and 70.2 innings, compared to Megill's 3.76 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 13 starts and 64.2 innings. A trade would also solve the logjam, but as things stand, Megill might get bumped to Triple-A Syracuse in a few weeks despite being on pace for the best season of his career.

White will start in left field and bat eighth in Wednesday's contest in Milwaukee.

The right-handed-hitting White has now started three of the last four games in left field over Alex Verdugo, even as Atlanta has faced a righty each time. In the one game White didn't start during that stretch, he received three plate appearances off the bench and homered. At least for the time being, White seems to have supplanted Verdugo as Atlanta's preferred option in left.

Verdugo is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game in Milwaukee.

For the third time over the past four contests, the left-handed-hitting Verdugo finds himself out of the lineup, even though all four games have come against right-handers. Eli White is again starting in left field and might be re-emerging as Atlanta's primary starter at the position. Verdugo has produced a lowly .247/.301/.312 slash line over 166 plate appearances since being promoted to the majors April 17.

Manaea (oblique) struck out four while giving up two hits and a walk over 2.2 scoreless innings for High-A Brooklyn on Tuesday.

The veteran southpaw built up to 46 pitches (31 strikes) in his second start for the Cyclones, and he's put together a 6:1 K:BB through 4.1 innings for Brooklyn to begin his rehab stint. Per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Manaea is set for at least three more rehab starts before the Mets will consider activating him from the injured list, a timeline which could have him joining the big-league rotation as soon as July 1 against the Brewers.

Wrobleski is expected to serve as a bulk reliever in Wednesday's game against the Padres, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.

Ben Casparius will open the contest and likely to work a couple of innings before turning the game over to Wrobleski. The left-handed Wrobleski has made two starts and one bulk-relief appearance for the Dodgers this season, posting a 7.20 ERA and 13:6 K:BB across 15 innings.

Double-A Knoxville placed McCullough (forearm) on its full-season injured list Friday after the right-hander opted for season-ending surgery, Greg Huss of NorthSideBound.com reports.

The Cubs haven't relayed whether McCullough's procedure was a Tommy John surgery or a flexor tendon repair surgery, but the right-hander won't pitch this season, and his availability for the start of the 2026 season would seem to be in jeopardy. McCullough will turn 25 years old later this month and has tossed just 14.2 total innings in the minors since the beginning of the 2024 season.

Casparius will serve as the Dodgers' opening pitcher in Wednesday's game against the Padres, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.

Casparius is stretched out enough to provide multiple innings if that's the route manager Dave Roberts wants to take, but Justin Wrobleski is expected to absorb the bulk of the innings Wednesday once he enters the game out of the bullpen. The right-handed Casparius has been excellent for Los Angeles this season, collecting a 2.93 ERA and 44:7 K:BB over 40 innings.

Busch is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

Busch went 3-for-17 with a pair of home runs while starting in each of the Cubs' last four games, but as per usual, he'll take a seat with a lefty (Jesus Luzardo) starting for the opposition. Justin Turner will spell Busch at first base.