MLB Player News

McCutchen (knee) recently went through a full workout which included running the bases, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

McCutchen is eligible for activation from the 10-day injured list now and believes he's ready to return, but the Pirates are still discussing the next step for the veteran designated hitter. He's been out since mid-August with left knee inflammation.

Gonzales will undergo left flexor tendon surgery in early September and is expected to be sidelined for 9-to-12 months, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Gonzales is getting his second forearm surgery in just over a year, as he had an operation last August for a nerve issue. The lefty was ready in time for Opening Day after last year's surgery, but the upcoming procedure will be more invasive, and he could be sidelined until around midseason. Gonzales, who turns 33 in February, will be a free agent this offseason after the Pirates decline his $15 million club option for 2025.

Stratton is expected to be sidelined for 7-to-10 months after undergoing surgery Monday to repair a patella tendon rupture in his left knee, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Stratton suffered the injury over the weekend when he fell awkwardly into the wall while chasing down a wild pitch. Given the timeline provided, he will be a question mark for Opening Day next season.

The Phillies optioned Kennedy to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday.

Kennedy's stay with the big club lasted just two days while fellow utility player Weston Wilson (personal) was on the paternity list. With Wilson rejoining the Phillies on Wednesday, Kennedy will return to Lehigh Valley, where he should settle back in as an everyday player.

The Phillies reinstated Wilson (personal) from the paternity list Wednesday.

Wilson missed two games following the birth of his child. Now that he's back with the Phillies, Wilson will return to a bench role, though he could see occasional starts against left-handed pitching. Wilson owns a .480/.481/.880 slash line over 27 plate appearances versus southpaws this season.

Amaya is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh.

Amaya was in the lineup for the first two games of the series, piling up six hits and driving in six runs. However, with the Cubs and Pirates playing a matinee for Wednesday's series finale, the hot-hitting catcher will grab a seat. Christian Bethancourt will start behind the plate for the Cubs.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell acknowledged Wednesday that Brown (neck) is unlikely to return from the 60-day injured list this season, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

On the shelf since June 11 with a stress reaction in his neck, Brown resumed throwing shortly after landing on the IL, but he's been shut down on two occasions since then while continuing to experience lingering discomfort. The rookie right-hander remains at the Cubs' complex in Arizona for his rehab program, but he's not yet doing much pitching work and doesn't look like he'll be able to complete a throwing progression within the next month to put himself in position to join Chicago even as a relief option late in the season. Brown generated a 3.58 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 64:19 K:BB over 55.1 innings spanning 15 appearances (eight starts) this season prior to suffering the injury. He should be ready to go for spring training and will have a chance to stake claim to a rotation spot.

Goldschmidt went 3-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Padres.

The 36-year-old first baseman took Bryan Hoeing deep in the fifth inning to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead, but the team's offense went cold the rest of the way. It was Goldschmidt's first multi-hit performance since Aug. 12 and he's slashing just .221/.294/.429 through 85 plate appearances on the month, but Tuesday's long ball was his 20th of the season -- the 11th time in his career he's reached that plateau.

Mikolas came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Padres, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk over 5.2 innings. He struck out three.

The veteran righty appeared to be headed for another rough outing when San Diego jumped on him for four runs in the second inning, but Mikolas shook it off and left the mound after 93 pitches (63 strikes) with St. Louis having taken a 5-4 lead. The Cards' bullpen couldn't get him his ninth win of the year, however. Mikolas has been tagged for at least four runs in four of five August starts, leaving him with an ugly 6.39 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 19:4 K:BB through 25.1 innings on the month. He's scheduled to make his next trip to the mound on the road early next week in Milwaukee.

Williamson (shoulder) struck out four and gave up one hit and one walk over 2.2 scoreless innings in his rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Louisville.

After making four rehab starts in May and June, Williamson was pulled off his minor-league assignment when he experienced a setback with his shoulder. He was then diagnosed with a Bennett lesion in his shoulder, but rather than opting for season-ending surgery to address the issue, he instead received injections to treat the injury. Williamson seems to be responding well more than two months later, and he took a major step forward in the recovery process by restarting his rehab assignment Tuesday. He tossed 50 pitches (26 strikes) in the rehab outing for Louisville, generating seven swings and misses along the way. Williamson will likely continue to build up over at least two more rehab outings before he becomes a realistic option for the Cincinnati rotation.