MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that Matz (back) will have his pitch count scaled back to 65 in Tuesday's rehab start with Triple-A Memphis, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

That's after he threw 85 pitches in his last outing with Memphis. The idea behind reducing Matz's workload is to keep him flexible for a variety of roles when he rejoins the Cardinals, as it sounds like he could be used as a starter or a reliever or both. Tuesday's rehab appearance is expected to be the final one before Matz is activated from the 60-day injured list. He's been out since late April due to a herniated disc in his back.

Laureano will start in left field and bat sixth in Monday's game against the Twins.

Atlanta will include Laureano in its lineup for the 17th time in 18 games, with his continued usage coming while he's slashed .357/.410/.643 with five home runs and one stolen base over the prior 16 contests. Despite the ample playing time of late in addition to his strong production at the plate, Laureano may not be locked into a regular spot in the Atlanta outfield. He's benefited from Jorge Soler missing seven consecutive starts earlier this month due to a hamstring injury he's since recovered from, but Atlanta will have a spot available for Laureano on Monday while Michael Harris sits with a sore hand. Assuming Harris' injury doesn't force him to the injured list, Laureano could soon move back into a fourth-outfielder role, as Harris, Soler and Jarred Kelenic project as the team's primary outfield trio versus right-handed pitching when all are healthy. Laureano should at least spell the lefty-hitting Kelenic when Atlanta faces lefties.

Urshela will start at third base and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Twins.

Since finalizing a one-year contract with Atlanta last Tuesday, Urshela has quickly settled into an everyday role at third base. He'll draw a seventh consecutive start Monday after going 6-for-22 with two doubles, a walk, two RBI and one run in first six games with Atlanta.

Merrifield will start at second base and bat leadoff in Monday's game against the Twins.

Merrifield will get his first look in the leadoff role while Michael Harris takes a seat after injuring his hand in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Nationals. Assuming he avoids a trip to the injured list, Harris should eventually settle back in atop the lineup, but Merrifield still looks as though he'll retain a prominent spot in the batting order. After mostly hitting eighth or ninth in his first three weeks with Atlanta, Merrifield had batted either second or sixth in his last five starts before getting the leadoff nod Monday. Merrifield's ascension in the lineup comes while he's reached base in each of his last 19 starts while slashing a robust .279/.413/.410 over that stretch.

Murphy is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins.

Travis d'Arnaud returned to the lineup Saturday after missing about a week of action with a wrist injury, so Murphy appears set to move back into more a timeshare at catcher after he had started behind the plate in six of the past seven contests. Murphy has posted a .633 OPS in August, roughly in line with his disappointing .665 mark for the season.

Harris (hand) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins, but he said he could realistically return to the lineup within a few days, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Harris avoided a fracture when he was hit in his left (throwing) hand by a pitch in the first inning of Sunday's loss to the Nationals, and though he said Monday that he's feeling better, he'll need to miss at least one game while he waits for the soreness to subside. Based on his comments, Harris is seemingly trending toward missing out on another start Tuesday, but a stint on the injured list doesn't appear to be in the cards just yet. Jarred Kelenic will fill in for Harris in center field Monday.

Siani (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Siani will play five innings in center field in his first rehab game and continue to build up from there. He would seem to be tracking toward a return within the next week or so. Siani has been shelved since early August with a right oblique strain.

Lynn (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Lynn threw approximately 75 pitches in a live practice session Monday and is slated for 80-to-85 pitches in his first rehab start. He should be stretched out enough for a return to the big leagues after that, though it's not a guarantee that he'll rejoin the St. Louis rotation at that time. Lynn has been out since late July with right knee inflammation.

The Marlins placed Edwards on the 10-day injured list due to mild back extensor soreness.

Edwards missed the final two games of the Marlins' series against the Cubs over the weekend with the back issue, and though an MRI on Sunday returned negative, the team will err on the side of caution and deactivate him. Before landing on the IL, Edwards was able to take some swings and do some throwing on the field Sunday, so he could have a chance at returning from the IL when first eligible Sept. 3. Vidal Brujan is expected to serve as the Marlins' primary shortstop in place of Edwards, who had slashed .356/.432/.442 with 10 extra-base hits and 22 stolen bases since moving into a full-time role at the beginning of July.

Wicks (oblique) will make another rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Wicks struck out four over 4.2 scoreless innings Sunday with Triple-A Iowa, throwing 73 pitches. However, he will be asked to get a bit more stretched out before likely rejoining the Cubs' rotation next week, likely on Sept. 4 against the Pirates. Wicks has been sidelined since mid-June with a Grade 2 right oblique strain.