MLB Player News

Berti will start at third base and bat ninth in Wednesday's game versus the Padres.

Gage Workman drew the first start at the hot corner Tuesday following the demotion of Matt Shaw, but it will be Berti getting the call Wednesday against right-hander Nick Pivetta. Cubs manager Craig Counsell will likely mix and match at third base until someone emerges.

Kelly (hand) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Kelly didn't play the last two days after being struck on the left hand by a pitch Sunday versus the Dodgers, but he will do the catching in Wednesday's rubber match. The 30-year-old backstop boasts a ridiculous 1.636 OPS this season as he shares catching duties with Miguel Amaya.

Suzuki (wrist) will start at designated hitter and bat third in Wednesday's game versus the Padres.

Suzuki missed three starts with right wrist soreness but is feeling well enough to give it a go in Wednesday's series finale. The 30-year-old is sporting a .292/.390/.538 batting line with four home runs in his first 17 contests this season.

Kershaw (toe/knee) struck out two and allowed two hits and issued no walks over three scoreless innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Kershaw threw 22 of 30 pitches for strikes and sported a four-seamer that averaged just 87.5 miles per hour and topped out at 88.8 mph, which is down significantly from the 89.9 mph he averaged with the heater last season. However, the lack of velocity is not especially surprising given that Kershaw was pitching in a competitive setting for the first time this season. Kershaw isn't eligible to return from the 60-day injured list until May 17, so the Dodgers are prepared to give him the full 30 days he's allotted on his rehab assignment.

Heyward is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

As usual, the left-handed-hitting Heyward will hit the bench while the opposition sends a lefty (Matthew Boyd) to the hill. Oscar Gonzalez will draw the start in left field Wednesday and could continue to occupy the short side of a platoon with Heyward.

Maldonado is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

After submitting a lowly .404 OPS in 48 games with the White Sox before being released last July, Maldonado has enjoyed a relative resurgence in San Diego so far this season. The 38-year-old backstop continues to provide most of his value behind the plate, but he's held his own with the bat so far, slashing .250/.276/.357 over 29 plate appearances. As a result, Maldonado has moved into a timeshare at catcher with Elias Diaz, who will be back in the lineup Wednesday after hitting the bench in five of the past seven games. The playing time will likely tilt back in Diaz's favor eventually, but the distribution of starts could be relatively even while he and Maldonado are performing at a similar level offensively.

Sheets is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

With the Cubs sending southpaw Matthew Boyd to the bump, the left-handed-hitting Sheets will retreat to the bench. Luis Arraez will replace Sheets in the lineup as San Diego's designated hitter.

Rockies manager Bud Black said Monday that he expects Bryant (back) to return when first eligible April 23, Andres Soto of MLB.com reports.

Bryant was diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease, the latest in a series of back problems for the 33-year-old. Black indicated when Bryant was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week that it's an injury the designated hitter is just going to have to manage moving forward. Bryant has just a .400 OPS and 31.7 percent strikeout rate in 11 games with the Rockies this season.

Soroka (biceps) will throw a simulated game Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

It will be his first time facing hitters since he went down with a right biceps strain in his season debut March 31. If Soroka's simulated game goes well, he'll likely be cleared to make 1-to-2 rehab starts. That would set the right-hander up to return in late April or early May if he continues to progress.

Abrams (hip) did some running on the field Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Abrams has also hit in the batting cage and is "definitely making good progress," per Nationals manager Dave Martinez. There is optimism Abrams will be ready for activation when first eligible April 22, but he'll first need to show he can make lateral movements at shortstop without discomfort in his right hip.