MLB Player News

The Reds placed Spiers on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement Saturday.

Spiers notched a career-high nine punchouts over five innings in a win over Miami on Friday, but he apparently hurt his shoulder in the process. The right-hander's move to the IL means he won't be eligible to return until July 28. Cincinnati called up reliever Tony Santillan from Triple-A in a corresponding move, but it's not clear who will take Spiers' spot in the rotation following the All-Star break.

Smith underwent Tommy John ligament construction surgery Friday, which included an internal brace procedure, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Per DiComo, the procedure was a "full-blown Tommy John ligament reconstruction," which means Smith will likely be sidelined for 12-to-18 months. With that in mind, the reliever -- who previously underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2019 -- will likely miss at least half of next season and may not pitch again until 2026. He's slated to be a free agent in November.

The Cubs reinstated Assad (forearm) from the 15-day injured list Saturday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

A forearm strain has kept Assad on the IL since June 27, but he'll now return to start the second game of Chicago's doubleheader versus the Cardinals. The 26-year-old righty owns a 3.04 ERA and 1.28 WHIP through 16 starts on the year, though his numbers jump up to a 5.04 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across his five most recent outings. He'll officially serve as the Cubs' 27th man for Saturday's twin bill, though he'll presumably remain with the team following his start.

The Cubs recalled Roberts from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

With Luke Little (shoulder) headed for the injured list, Roberts will return to the majors in order to fill the open spot in Chicago's bullpen. The 27-year-old hasn't surrendered an earned run in 19 total innings this season -- four of which came during a prior stint in the big leagues.

The Cubs placed Little on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left shoulder strain, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Little had to leave his appearance Friday after just four pitches due to reported soreness in his shoulder, and imaging revealed a strain that will cause him to land on the IL. Ethan Roberts was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move in order to replenish Chicago's bullpen depth.

Gilbert (hamstring) began a rehab assignment Thursday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and went 0-for-2 with a walk while starting in center field.

The 23-year-old only played seven games with Triple-A Syracuse at the beginning of the season before suffering a fairly significant right hamstring strain. He looks to be on the comeback trail, but he may not report back to Syracuse until after the All-Star break.

Hicks said after Thursday's loss to the Blue Jays that his body "in general is just feeling it a little bit more than in past seasons," NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Hicks has already surged past his previous career high in innings with 95 after previously topping out at 77.2 frames as a rookie in 2018. After a brilliant start to his tenure in San Francisco, Hicks has struggled lately, posting a 6.08 ERA and 1.78 WHIP over his last eight starts. There have been no indications that Hicks will be limited in the immediate future, but the Giants may need to find ways to ease his workload down the stretch to keep the 27-year-old from wearing down completely in his return to a starting role.

Bart isn't in the Pirates' lineup for Saturday's game against the White Sox, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Bart went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored during a win in Friday's series opener, and he'll now take a seat while Yasmani Grandal starts behind the plate.

Harrison (5-4) earned the win over the Twins on Friday, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while striking out three over 5.1 innings.

Harrison allowed four runs on four hits and four walks over 3.1 innings against the Guardians in his first start back from the injured list July 6, so this was a sizable step forward. For the year, Harrison is at a 4.08 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 73:27 K:BB over 86 innings spanning 16 starts. The 22-year-old lefty built up to 83 pitches Friday after throwing 72 pitches in his first start back, and he is tentatively in line for two starts (@LAD, vs. COL) in the first full week after the All-Star break.

Goldschmidt isn't in the Cardinals' lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cubs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Goldschmidt will take a seat to begin Saturday's activities after putting together a five-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 6-for-22 with two homers and four RBI. His absence will move Alec Burleson to first base, allowing Willson Contreras to serve as the DH with Pedro Pages at catcher.