MLB Player News

Busch went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 7-0 win over the Rangers.

After recording no extra-base hits over his first six games of the season, Busch now has four extra-base hits across his last six contests. The 27-year-old often sits against southpaws, but he's an effective hitter against righties, and Busch now has a strong .831 OPS for the year. He posted a .775 mark in 2024, which was his first season with the Cubs, along with 21 home runs and 65 RBI.

Steele (3-1) picked up the win Monday against the Rangers after giving up three hits and two walks in seven scoreless innings, striking out eight.

Steele looked to be right at home on a cold night at Wrigley Field, scattering three singles with the benefit of having the wind blowing in Monday. It was easily the star left-hander's finest performance of the campaign thus far, as he allowed a season low in knocks and fanned a season-high eight during his longest outing among four starts. Steele has a strong 21:5 K:BB and 1.15 WHIP to go with three wins over his first 22.2 frames, but he'll be looking to improve on his subpar 4.76 ERA in a tough road matchup against the Dodgers that lines up for this weekend.

Mlodzinski (1-1) allowed a run on five hits and two walks over five innings Monday, striking out six and earning a win over the Cardinals.

Mlodzinski worked four shutout frames before the Cardinals put a run on the board in the fifth inning. It was a much more effective outing after he coughed up four runs in 3.2 frames during his season debut against the Rays. Still, Mlodzinski needed 92 pitches (54 strikes) to get through five innings. He'll carry a 5.19 ERA into his next matchup, which is lined up to be in Cincinnati this weekend.

Gore (1-1) earned the win Monday against the Dodgers, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out seven.

Gore stifled the star-studded Dodgers, generating an impressive 15 whiffs in this 100-pitch outing. The only blemish on the Washington left-hander's outing was a two-run homer yielded to Shohei Ohtani in the third inning. Gore has opened his season on an impressive run, pitching to a 2.65 ERA, supported by a 2.38 FIP, with 25:3 K:BB across 17 innings. The 26-year-old currently lines up to make his next start at Miami this weekend.

Lord will start Tuesday's game against the Dodgers, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Lord hasn't pitched more than one inning in an outing this season, but the Nationals are targeting him for 45-to-50 pitches in Tuesday's contest. Orlando Ribalta and Jackson Rutledge are two candidates to cover an inning or more behind Lord. Both pitchers should be fresh, as Rutledge hasn't pitched in a game since April 1 at Triple-A Rochester, while Ribalta hasn't been used out of the bullpen since Friday.

Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, a triple and a walk in Monday's 6-4 loss the Nationals.

The Japanese superstar was a perfect 3-for-3 against southpaw starter MacKenzie Gore. After leading the game off with an infield single, Ohtani slugged a 378-foot homer in the third inning to tie the game at 2-2. The three-time MVP wasn't finished, however, returning in the fifth to hit his first triple of the season. Ohtani looks headed for another great season, as he's opened with a .311/.436/.644 slash line across 55 plate appearances.

May (0-1) took the loss Monday at Washington, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out one.

The Los Angeles right-hander picked up his first quality start since May 12, 2023 in this 86-pitch outing. May averaged 95.0 mph on his fastball but did struggle to miss bats, generating just two whiffs. The 27-year-old's season is off to a solid start after he missed all of 2024, as he sports a 0.82 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 7:6 K:BB across 11 innings. May should continue to stick in the Dodgers' rotation, especially since Blake Snell (shoulder) hit the injured list on Sunday.

Musgrove (elbow) played catch Monday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Musgrove was encouraged by Monday's throwing session, citing all of the rehab he's done in the last six months to simply make it to this point. The team doesn't expect him to make his return during the 2025 campaign, but if all continues to go as planned, he should be in a great spot to be ready for the beginning of 2026.

Merrill is being held out of Monday's starting lineup against the Athletics due to a hamstring injury, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Acee notes that Merrill has been playing through a minor hamstring issue for a few games, and the team has ultimately elected to give him a day or two off as a precaution. Brandon Lockridge is getting the start in center field Monday and would likely be in line for another chance Tuesday if Merrill misses more time.

Cabrera (finger) has joined the team in New York following a rehab start Sunday at Triple-A Jacksonville, Fish on First reports.

Cabrera's activation from the 15-day injured list isn't imminent at this point, though the fact that he's joined Miami on the current road trip is likely a sign he's close to returning. The club will monitor the right-hander closely over the next few days to determine if he's in need of another rehab start.