MLB Player News

Bader (ankle) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.

Bader rolled his ankle in Tuesday's game against the Yankees and will now miss a second straight start. Tyrone Taylor will receive another start in center field while Bader rests.

Ross (back) made a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Nashville and gave up three earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings.

Ross tossed 80 pitches (50 strikes) in Wednesday's outing and looks ready to return from the 60-day injured list from a workload standpoint, but it's unclear if the Brewers will turn to him to fill the vacant spot in their rotation. Before landing on the IL on May 21 with a low back strain, Ross turned in unremarkable ratios (4.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) over his nine starts, and his recent results at Nashville haven't inspired much confidence. He began a rehab assignment earlier this month and has now made four minor-league starts in total, but he's labored in both of his past two outings, striking out six while allowing 11 earned runs on 14 hits and five walks over 8.1 innings. Milwaukee will require a fifth starter again Tuesday versus Atlanta, but Ross' poor form of late could prompt the team to opt for a bullpen game rather than activating the right-hander.

Junis improved to 3-0 on the season after striking out a batter and working around one hit and one walk over three scoreless innings of relief in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Cubs.

The Brewers essentially deployed two bulk relievers as part of their bullpen game Wednesday. Opening pitcher Rob Zastryzny covered the first inning and gave up one run, with Bryse Wilson following him with four innings of one-run ball before Junis took the hill in the bottom of the sixth. With the Brewers breaking a 2-2 tie on Willson Contreras' RBI double in the top of the ninth, Junis was credited with the win when Joel Payamps came on in the bottom of the inning to close the game. Junis has now scooped up wins in three of his last four multi-inning relief appearances, but the Brewers don't seem compelled to have him fill the open spot in their five-man rotation. Instead, the club looks content to get by with bullpen days when a fifth starter is needed until one of Joe Ross (back) or DL Hall (knee/forearm) is ready to return from the 60-day injured list.

Hall (knee/forearm) struck out one batter and gave up two earned runs on three hits and two walks over 2.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Nashville.

Hall resumed his rehab assignment with Nashville after he had been shut down for just under two weeks while he recovered from a bruised left forearm, an injury he sustained when he was struck by a line drive in his previous rehab outing July 9. As expected, Hall looks like he'll be built back up for a starting role, as he tossed 49 pitches (26 strikes) in his return to Nashville. He'll likely need at least two more outings in the minors to get fully stretched out before the Brewers potentially bring him back from the 60-day injured list and clear a spot for him in the rotation.

The Giants will call Birdsong up from Single-A San Jose to start the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Rockies, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Birdsong was sent to the minors even after striking out 12 while limiting the Rockies to two runs in six innings at Coors Field this past weekend. He'll make a second straight start against Colorado on Saturday, this time at Oracle Park. Birdsong is likely to be sent back to the minors again no matter how he fares Saturday, presuming Alex Cobb (hip) gets through his final rehab start with no issues and is able to return from the 60-day injured list next week.

The Giants are planning to move Hicks to the bullpen and could do so as soon as this weekend, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Hicks made his last start on 11 days' rest but still struggled, yielding four runs on three hits and five walks with seven strikeouts over 3.2 innings in a loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. He needed 92 pitches to cover his 3.2 frames and admitted again after the outing that his body feels "a little worn down." Hicks could get one more start Sunday, but if that happens he's expected to throw only three innings or so. The right-hander's conversion from reliever to starter began with a bang as he posted a 2.33 ERA and 48:19 K:BB over 58 innings in his first 11 starts. Since then, though, he's managed just a 6.42 ERA and 42:22 K:BB across 40.2 frames covering nine starts. Hicks' 98.2 innings are already his career high by 21 frames. He will move to short relief soon, but the Giants plan to put Hicks back in the rotation in 2025.

Triple-A Syracuse reinstated Gilbert (hamstring) from its 7-day injured list Tuesday.

Before sitting out Wednesday's game, Gilbert returned to the Syracuse lineup in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to Buffalo, starting in left field while going 1-for-5 at the plate. Gilbert was back in action with Syracuse for the first time since April 6 after missing more than three months while recovering from a left hamstring strain. He made six rehab appearances in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and with Single-A St. Lucie prior to being activated.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Wednesday's loss to San Francisco that he expects Taylor (groin) to go on the injured list, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Taylor hurt his groin while rounding first base on a double and exited with a trainer. Roberts later indicated that the team's level of concern is "sort of " high and that the utility man is likely to land on the injured list, though that won't be certain until he gets scans Thursday. Roberts also stated that if Taylor does need to go on the IL, James Outman would be recalled from the minors.

The Dodgers designated Ramirez for assignment Thursday.

Hewill end up as the Dodgers' roster casualty following the return of Clayton Kershaw (shoulder) from the 60-day IL, marking the fourth time Ramirez has been DFA'd this season. The 29-year-old righty owns a career-worst 5.98 ERA and 1.44 WHIP through 43.2 innings on the year, though he still may draw interest on the waiver wire from other teams in need of immediate bullpen help.

The Dodgers activated Kershaw (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list Thursday for his start against the Giants, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kershaw will make his season debut Thursday after completing a comeback from offseason shoulder surgery. The 36-year-old made three rehab starts, allowing three runs with a 12:2 K:BB over 10 innings. He went four innings and threw 67 pitches his last time out, so he won't go deep into Thursday's start, and there's a good chance his workload will be relatively limited for the remainder of this season. Kershaw was still highly effective in 2023 even with diminished stuff, collecting a 2.46 ERA and 137:40 K:BB over 131.2 frames covering 24 starts.