MLB Player News

Bart (back) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.

It's the fifth straight start Bart has missed due to lower-back soreness. Bart had been set to go through pregame testing Tuesday to determine his status, and while he has not yet been placed on the injured list, Bart clearly is not yet ready to play. Henry Davis will start at catcher and bat ninth Wednesday.

Nootbaar went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer and two walks in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Astros.

Nootbaar's third homer of the year proved to be the difference in Wednesday's win -- he launched a Ronel Blanco curveball 418 feet to center field in the fifth inning, putting St. Louis ahead 3-1. Nootbaar had a strong series against the Astros, going 4-for-9 with three extra-base hits in three games. He's now batting .284 with an .885 OPS, 10 RBI, 12 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases through his first 83 plate appearances this season.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough indicated Wednesday that Perez (elbow) is about a month away from beginning a rehab assignment, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.

Perez faced hitters Wednesday, throwing 45 pitches with three "up-downs." Everything appears to be progressing as scheduled from April 2024 Tommy John surgery for Perez, and it sounds like a plan for rehab games will be mapped out in the not-too-distant future. If the right-hander does indeed begin a rehab assignment around mid-May, that would likely put him on pace for a season debut in mid-June.

Wagaman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Wagaman will hit the bench after starting each of the past four games at either first base or designated hitter while going 5-for-15 with two doubles, three walks, three runs and one RBI. The Marlins will likely continue to make room for the 27-year-old in the lineup against left-handed pitching, but his opportunities to play against righties may be more sporadic after Miami brought back Jesus Sanchez (oblique) from the injured list Tuesday.

Helsley earned the save in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Astros, working around a walk in a scoreless ninth inning.

Helsley has held opponents scoreless in six of his seven appearances this season while improving to 3-for-4 in save chances after leading the league with 49 saves in 2024. His ERA is down to 2.57, with a 1.57 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB through seven innings to start the campaign.

Matz (1-0) earned the win Wednesday over the Astros, allowing one run on two hits and no walks over five innings. He struck out five.

Matz allowed a run on a pair of hits in the first inning before settling in and blanking Houston over his final four frames, setting down the final 15 batters he faced. Matz, who made five appearances out of the bullpen before starting Wednesday's outing, now sports a 2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB through his first 16.2 innings this year. Matz figures to see at least two more starts, with the Cardinals electing to utilize a six-man rotation for the next three weeks.

The Pirates optioned Cheng to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday,

Cheng was with the big club for a little over a week and didn't play much, going hitless in seven at-bats. He's clearing out to make room on the roster for Jared Triolo's (back) return from the 10-day injured list.

The Pirates activated Triolo (back) from the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Triolo spent the minimum amount of time on the shelf with a lumbar spine strain and was cleared to rejoin the Pirates after going 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk in a rehab game with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday. With Nick Gonzales (ankle), Spencer Horwitz (wrist) and Endy Rodriguez (finger) still on the IL, Triolo should see plenty of playing time for the Pirates between first and second base. He'll occupy the keystone and will bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Nationals.

Marsh is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Though manager Rob Thomson floated the possibility Monday that Marsh could be held out of the lineup for the first three games of the series versus San Francisco, the 27-year-old ended up starting in Tuesday's 6-4 win. He couldn't get off the schneid, however, going 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly to bring his batting average down to .100 on the season. The left-handed-hitting Marsh will be back on the bench while southpaw Robbie Ray takes the hill for San Francisco, and Marsh could be at risk of losing out on more starts against right-handers as well if he's unable to break out of his funk at the plate in the near future.

Kepler is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Kepler will head to the bench along with fellow left-handed hitters Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh while the Giants send southpaw Robbie Ray to the hill. Kyle Schwarber, who typically serves as the Phillies' designated hitter, will fill in for Kepler in left field.