MLB Player News

Arenado (back) will start at third base and bat cleanup in Friday's game versus the Nationals.

Arenado was a late scratch from the Cardinals' lineup Wednesday due to back spasms, but he's feeling well enough to play following the team's off day Thursday. The veteran third baseman will carry a modest four-game hitting streak into Friday's series opener.

The Cardinals reinstated Herrera (knee) from the 10-day injured list Friday.

The 24-year-old backstop has been cleared to rejoin the big-league roster after a six-game rehab assignment, during which he went 9-for-23 with a homer, a double and two stolen bases. The two steals are an especially encouraging sign that Herrera has fully recovered from the knee bruise that has sidelined him for the past month. Herrera clubbed four homers in seven games prior to the injury and will reclaim the starting job behind the plate, with Pedro Pages and Yohel Pozo serving as secondary options.

The Padres reinstated Cronenworth (ribs) from the 10-day injured list Friday.

The 31-year-old has been sidelined for the past month due to a non-displaced rib fracture, but he's ready to rejoin the Padres after going 3-for-7 with a homer and four walks during a three-game rehab assignment. Cronenworth was off to a hot start prior to the injury with an .895 OPS in 44 plate appearances.

Strider (hamstring) will throw another bullpen session Saturday before Atlanta decides whether he will need a rehab start before rejoining the big-league rotation, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Strider was given a PRP injection after suffering a right hamstring strain April 21 and threw his first bullpen since the injury Wednesday, which went well. The right-hander indicated that he feels ready to rejoin Atlanta's rotation, but the ultimate decision lies with the club. Strider could return next week if Atlanta decides a rehab start isn't necessary, but if that happens he would likely have a limited workload.

Atlanta selected Williams' contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Williams was removed from the 40-man roster during spring training but has made his way back to the majors in spite of a .132/.205/.145 slash line this season at Gwinnett. The 28-year-old will offer defensive versatility off the bench.

Cavalli (elbow) will get the start for Triple-A Rochester on Friday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Cavalli exited his last start April 29 due to fatigue and skipped his next turn, but he was never completely shut down from throwing and has been cleared to resume his rehab assignment. Coming back from Tommy John surgery, Cavalli has allowed three runs with a 9:4 K:BB across 11 innings in three rehab outings. The Nationals said at the start of spring training that they didn't expect Cavalli to be an option for their rotation until the second half of the season, so the righty will likely be optioned to Rochester once his rehab stint is over.

Kolek is listed as the Padres' probable starter for Saturday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field.

Unsurprisingly, Kolek will get a second turn through the rotation after he blanked the Pirates over 5.1 scoreless innings in his first start of the season Sunday. The right-hander will likely continue to hold down a spot in the rotation at least until the Padres get Yu Darvish (elbow) back from the injured list.

Civale (hamstring) allowed one hit and one walk over four scoreless innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Nashville on Thursday.

Civale threw 50 pitches as he cruised through his four frames. He will need at least one more rehab start as he continues to get stretched out, but the performance was a positive step for the veteran hurler. Civale has been shelved since late March with a strained left hamstring.

Weathers (forearm) yielded two hits and no walks over five scoreless frames in his last rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday.

Weathers struck out three in the outing while averaging 97.8 mph and topping out at 99.2 mph with his four-seamer. The lefty has permitted only two runs with a 13:4 K:BB over 10.2 innings in his three rehab starts. Weathers appears ready to rejoin the Marlins' rotation, although with a pitch count of just 57 on Thursday, it's possible he'll need to get stretched out a bit more. If he does get activated before building up any further, he could get the start Tuesday at Wrigley Field.

Kemp is slashing .331/.423/.662 with 10 home runs, five steals and a 27.0 percent strikeout rate in 35 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Kemp has started 19 games at third base, seven games at first base and six games at second base while logging the second-highest wRC+ (184) in the International League. His .419 BABIP illustrates how fortunate Kemp has been in the early going, but he's nonetheless looking ready for his first taste of the majors if the Phillies deal with any injuries to their infield.