MLB Player News

The White Sox traded Gonzalez and Brandon Eisert to the Pirates on Friday in exchange for minor-league reliever Jaden Woods and the 34th pick in the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

After sending him down to Triple-A earlier in the day, the White Sox will now send Gonzalez out to Pittsburgh to help bolster the Pirates' infield depth. The 24-year-old has slashed .244/.323/.360 across 97 plate appearances in the majors since making his MLB debut May 31, but he boasts a 1.040 OPS at the Triple-A level. With Konnor Griffin (finger) expected to miss multiple months and Spencer Horwitz (hamstring) also on the IL, Gonzalez could get an opportunity to contribute right away for the big club.

Imanaga (5-8) took the loss against the Reds on Friday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while striking out five across five innings.

Imanaga allowed at least one baserunner in each of the first four innings he pitched, but he did just enough to keep the Reds off the board. That scoreless effort came to an end on an Elly De La Cruz solo homer in the fifth, and while that was the only run Imanaga gave up Friday, he was still tagged with the loss as his Cubs teammates failed to score a run. Imanaga went through a rough patch from mid-May to early June, but he's given up two earned runs or less in five of his last six outings, posting a 2.81 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 32 innings in that span. He enters the All-Star break with a 4.17 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 105:27 K:BB across 108 innings.

Bleday went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run during Friday's 4-0 win over the Cubs.

Bleday capped off the Reds' three-run eighth inning with a two-run homer to center field, giving Cincinnati insurance runs to secure Friday's victory. Bleday has gone deep in two of his last three games and is up to 15 home runs on the season, surpassing his total from last year (14). He is also on track to eclipse the career-high 20 long balls that he hit in 2024 as a member of the Athletics. Bleday has an .838 OPS with four steals and 41 RBI across 276 plate appearances this season.

Greene (1-1) earned the win against the Cubs on Friday, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out 12 across seven innings.

Greene was roughed up for eight runs in his 2026 debut against the Orioles this past Saturday, but he looked like his old self in Friday's home game. He struck out the side in the sixth inning and limited the Cubs to just four baserunners, and his 12 punchouts were tied for the second-most in his major-league career, the fourth time he's reached that mark. Friday was almost certainly Greene's final outing before the All-Star break, and his return to the rotation is key for a Reds team looking to make a late playoff push for the second half of the 2026 season.

De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, a triple and an additional run scored during the Reds' 4-0 win over the Cubs on Friday.

De La Cruz scored the game's first run with a solo long ball in the fifth inning, and the superstar shortstop sparked the Reds' three-run eighth inning with a triple before coming home to score on a Sal Stewart sacrifice fly. It was the 23rd multi-hit game of the season for De La Cruz, who has an .842 OPS with 13 steals (on 18 attempts), 15 home runs, 44 RBI, 15 doubles and three triples over 330 plate appearances this season.

Burnes (elbow/side) was cleared to begin a throwing program Friday after an MRI showed signs of healing, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Burnes has been on the injured list since June 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, though his time on the shelf was extended when he suffered a teres major strain while throwing to live hitters last month. Now that he's made encouraging progress in his recovery from both injuries, he's been given the green light to restart a throwing progam. It will take him a while to ramp up after missing more than a full season, though the team hasn't yet shut the door on Burnes returning before the end of the year.

Ashcraft and the Pirates won't face the Brewers on Friday, as the game was postponed due to rain.

The Pirates and Brewers will play a doubleheader Saturday to make up Friday's contest, and Ashcraft will toe the slab during the earlier game, per Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com. The 26-year-old righty has collected a win in each of his last four starts while posting a 3.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 32:6 K:BB across 23.2 innings.

Sproat and the Brewers won't face the Pirates on Friday, as the game was postponed due to rain.

The two sides will make up Friday's contest during a doubleheader Saturday, and the Brewers will send Sproat to the mound to start Game 1, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The 25-year-old righty has begun to turn things around as of late, giving up two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts while posting a 2.88 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 30:8 K:BB across 25 innings in that span.

Chapman (abdomen) will not participate in baseball activities over the weekend, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

There was hope that Chapman could return to the active roster before the All-Star break when he initially landed on the injured list July 1 with an abdominal strain, but the team's decision to hold him out of all activities will officially rule him out for the final three games of the first half. The 33-year-old said Wednesday that he hasn't seen any significant improvement in his recovery, and his absence could bleed into the second half if his progress remains minimal during the intermission.

Hernandez (oblique) said Friday that he expects to return from the injured list during the Dodgers' first homestand after the All-Star break, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The Dodgers will open the second half with three consecutive road series before returning home July 28 for a three-game series against the Mariners, followed by another three-game set against Boston that runs through Aug. 2. Hernandez was cleared to begin taking live BP last weekend, and he will presumably head out on a minor-league rehab assignment after the break while the Dodgers are on the road.