MLB Player News

The Cubs are hopeful Steele will be cleared to throw a bullpen session at some point during the current road trip, which runs until Sunday in Colorado, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Manager Craig Counsell noted that Steele hasn't experienced any issues while playing catch, so the next step will be for the southpaw to resume throwing off a mound. He'll likely be asked to complete a side session or two before getting the green light to face live hitters.

Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 3-2 win over the Marlins.

Cruz took Valente Bellozo deep to center in the first inning for his 19th blast of the season, which came off his bat at 113.7 mph. It was Cruz's first homer since August ninth, ending a career-long streak of 26 games without a home run. Cruz hit his sixth home run of 440 feet or more this season, which is tied for the third most in MLB. The 25-year-old has an average home run distance of 421.3 feet this season, trailing only Jorge Soler among players with 10 or more homers.

Bellozo (2-3) took the loss Monday against the Pirates. He allowed three runs (one earned) over 5.1 innings with six hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

Bellozo battled Monday but was on the wrong end of another dominating performance by Paul Skenes. Bellozo threw six shutout innings in a no-decision his last time out following back-to-back starts of six or more runs, so Monday's start is another positive sign. The rookie right-hander has allowed two runs or less in seven of his 10 starts this season, but in his other three starts he's allowed 17 runs. Bellozo's 15.4 percent strikeout rate would be the worst mark among qualified big-league starters if he'd thrown enough innings to qualify.

Skenes (10-2) got the win Monday over the Marlins, giving up one run on six hits and one walk while striking out nine over six innings.

Skenes was sharp yet again Monday, holding the Marlins to one run through six innings. Skenes recorded nine strikeouts and surpassed Cy Blanton in 1935 for the most strikeouts by a Pirates rookie in franchise history. Skenes now has 151 strikeouts this season, making him the fifth pitcher since 1920 with 150 or more strikeouts in his first 20 pitching appearances. The 22-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.10, and he now has 14 quality starts in his first 20 big-league appearances.

Diaz pitched a perfect ninth inning Monday to pick up the save against Atlanta. He did not allow a hit or a walk and did not collect a strikeout.

Diaz entered a 1-0 game and kept Atlanta off the bases for his 27th save and third in his last four appearances. Following a rough August where Diaz pitched a 7.00 ERA and blew two saves, Diaz has bounced back in September as he has yet to allow a hit in five appearances in the month. The 27-year-old has been up and down this season but remains one of the more reliable options for saves as he ranks ninth in MLB in that category.

Morton (8-8) took the loss Monday, giving up one run on six hits and two walks over 6.2 innings in a 1-0 loss to the Mets. He struck out seven.

Morton put together one of his better efforts of the season in a losing effort Monday. He pitched into the seventh inning for just the fifth time this season and held the Reds to a single run on an RBI double by Ty France in the third inning. The 40-year-old got lit up for eight runs against the Brewers early in August but has bounced back nicely since then with a 2.88 ERA over his last six starts. 

Martinez (8-6) got the win Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing two hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings. He struck out five.

Martinez pitched a gem Monday as he continues to settle into his new role in the rotation. Even though he had started sparingly earlier in the season, Martinez has now received eight straight starts and is pitching to a 3.12 ERA over that span. The 34-year-old veteran threw his fourth career start of seven or more innings without allowing a run, and two of those have come over his last eight starts.

Glasnow (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday followed by a simulated game Friday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

This is another step in the right direction for Glasnow, who successfully fired a 25-pitch bullpen session Saturday. If he's able to get through Tuesday's bullpen and Friday's sim game without issue, the right-hander could be sent out on a rehab assignment as early as next week.

Graterol (hamstring) will likely be activated from the 15-day injured list prior to Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Graterol has been out since Aug. 7 after suffering a Grade 3 right hamstring strain, but he's expected to be cleared for the team's final game of the series Wednesday if all goes according to plan. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the club deploy the right-hander in a few low-leverage situations upon his return, as he's logged one-third of an inning so far this season dating back to Aug. 6 against Philly.

Kershaw (toe) was spotted throwing off a makeshift mound at Dodger Stadium on Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ardaya added that Kershaw was testing his ability to push off his big left toe by not wearing a shoe. It's another step in the right direction for Kershaw, who landed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 31 due to a bone spur in his left big toe. A timeline for the veteran southpaw's return remains unclear.