MLB Player News

Jones isn't in the Rockies' lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals, Luke Zahlmann of The Denver Gazette reports.

Jones has gone just 1-for-13 with seven strikeouts over his last four games, and the Rockies will give him a chance to clear his head Saturday. Sam Hilliard will get the nod to start in left field instead while batting ninth.

Merrifield is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Atlanta.

Merrifield went 1-for-5 with two stolen bases in Friday's 8-6 win, and over his last 12 games he's gone 5-for-28. Alec Marsh, Johan Rojas and Nick Castellanos will be in the outfield for Saturday's contest.

Bednar (oblique) threw 21 pitches in live batting practice Saturday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Bednar utilized all three of his pitches in Saturday's session as he faced live batters for the first time in his rehab program. It's another positive step for the 29-year-old as he works his way back from a left oblique strain. Bednar appeared in 34 games before landing on the injured list June 23, earning 16 saves with a 5.17 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 32:7 K:BB across 31.1 innings.

Cobb (hip/shoulder) struck out five batters and allowed one walk over two innings in his rehab start with Single-A San Jose on Friday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Cobb threw 45 pitches in his second rehab start Friday. Through two outings, he's recorded nine strikeouts while giving up just one run on two hits and a walk over four frames. Cobb should see his workload increase as he progresses through his recovery, and the 36-year-old will aim to return to the big club shortly after the All-Star break.

Leiter (forearm) threw live batting practice Saturday, and manager Craig Counsell said that the right-hander will be activated from the 15-day injured list during the Cubs' upcoming road series against the Orioles, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Leiter landed on the injured list June 23 due to a right forearm strain. The 33-year-old won't require a rehab assignment, and he could available out of the Cubs' bullpen as soon as Tuesday in Baltimore. Leiter has a 5.34 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 28.2 innings this season.

Hendricks was removed from his start in Saturday's game against the Angels due to lower-back tightness, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Hendricks lasted just two innings Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out one. The 34-year-old right-hander was on the injured list earlier in the season due to lower-back strain, so it's not the most encouraging sign that he's seemingly dealing with a related injury.

Merryweather (ribs) threw a live batting practice Saturday, and manager Craig Counsell said the 32-year-old right-hander will be out on rehab assignment with High-A South Bend next week, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Merryweather landed on the injured list April 7 with a right shoulder strain, and he was later transferred to the 60-day IL after additional testing revealed a rib stress fracture in his right back. He's been slowly working his way through baseball activities, and he'll likely need multiple rehab outings as he looks to return to the big club after the All-Star break.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said Saturday that he will have a postgame call with Nootbaar (oblique) to determine whether the 26-year-old is ready to return from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Springfield, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Katie Woo of The Athletic reported Friday that Nootbaar was expected to remain in Springfield over the weekend to work on his timing. In his last rehab outing Friday, Nootbaar went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, and if he and Marmol agree that more reps in the minors aren't needed, a return to the Cardinals could happen as early as Sunday in Washington. Prior to his injury, Nootbaar was slashing .234/.337/.404 with five home runs and 19 RBI across 164 major-league plate appearances.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said Saturday that Herrera (back) experienced no pain after Friday's rehab outing with Triple-A Memphis, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

As the designated hitter Friday, Herrera went 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI and one walk. Marmol noted that Herrera will start behind home plate soon, and a return to the majors will hinge on the 24-year-old's ability to start at catcher on back-to-back days. Before landing on the injured list June 22 with lower-back tightness, Herrera was slashing .279/.340/.378 with three home runs and 19 RBI over 191 major-league plate appearances.

Arizona sent Lawlar (hamstring) on a rehab assignment to the Arizona Complex League on Saturday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Lawlar was placed on Triple-A Reno's 7-day injured list June 17 after sustaining a Grade 1 left hamstring strain while legging out a triple against Sacramento two days earlier. Lawlar missed the beginning of the season while recovering from a surgical procedure to repair ligament damage in his right thumb, and he played in just 11 games before the hamstring strain. The 22-year-old shortstop has gone 16-for-45 with five doubles, five stolen bases, one home run and 16 RBI in the minors this season. Lawlar will get up to game speed over a few outings in the ACL as he works his way back to Reno.