MLB Player News

Winker will undergo an MRI after sustaining a right knee injury during Saturday's game against the Marlins, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Winker awkwardly slid back into second after rounding the base on a Ildemaro Vargas hit and was removed from the game in the third inning. The outfielder will have an MRI done on his right knee later Saturday, which should provide some insight on the severity of the injury.

Muncy (oblique) is at least a week away from swinging a bat and doesn't have a timeline for return, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Muncy's recovery from a right oblique strain has been unexpectedly slow, and he doesn't seem particularly close to returning. The 33-year-old hasn't swung a bat in a few weeks and won't be cleared for swings for at least another week. Cavan Biggio and Enrique Hernandez should handle most of the work at third base until Muncy returns.

Suwinski is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.

The lefty-hitting Suwinski will take a seat against lefty Ty Blach on Saturday. Michael Taylor will play center field and bat ninth.

Tellez is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Colorado.

Tellez will dodge a matchup with southpaw Ty Blach on Saturday, yielding to Connor Joe at first base. After a slow start to 2024, Tellez has come to life in June, hitting .385 with three extra-base hits and seven RBI in nine games played.

Cruz (ankle) isn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against Colorado.

Cruz was a late scratch from Friday's lineup with left ankle soreness and will take a seat once again Saturday. Jared Triolo will draw another start at shortstop and bat eighth for the Pirates.

Bryant revealed Saturday that he has been diagnosed with an internal oblique strain in addition to a left rib contusion, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. He's without a timetable for return from the 10-day injured list,

Initially, Bryant missed three straight games due to back soreness, but when he was placed on the 10-day IL on June 6, his injury was classified as a rib contusion. Nine days later, it's now known that Bryant is also battling an oblique strain, which further pushes back his potential timeline for a return. Charlie Blackmon has been the Rockies' preferred designated hitter since Bryant was shut down with the injury, while Jake Cave (head) and Michael Toglia have picked up more playing time in the corner outfield.

Wicks was diagnosed Saturday with a Grade 2 right oblique strain, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Manager Craig Counsell didn't offer much of a timeline for Wicks' recovery, mentioning only that Wicks was "going to miss some time." However, a Grade 2 sprain likely indicates that Wicks will be sidelined for significantly longer than the minimum 15 days, leaving his rotation spot to Kyle Hendricks for the foreseeable future. Wicks sustained the injury Friday during his first start since April after spending a month on the 15-day injured list due to a forearm injury. The Cubs placed him on the IL prior to Saturday's game against the Cardinals.

Smith is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Smith will give way to Austin Barnes behind the dish for the second time in three days, with Barnes batting ninth Saturday. In 256 plate appearances, Smith owns a .848 OPS with 10 homers and a 16.0 percent strikeout rate.

Winker (undisclosed) exited Saturday's matchup with the Marlins in the bottom of the third inning, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Winker singled and later rounded second base on a base knock from Ildemaro Vargas in the bottom of the first inning before being tagged out after awkwardly sliding back into the bag. Luis Garcia replaced Winker at the plate in the third inning and more information on Winker's status will likely come following Saturday's contest.

Senga (shoulder/triceps) threw a two-inning bullpen session Saturday, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

Senga was able to throw more than 30 pitches in the session and he's expected to throw a shorter one next week. The right-hander has been slowly working his way back from a posterior right capsule strain and then a subsequent triceps injury, and he's yet to make his season debut. Senga has already been ruled out for the first half of the season, but if he can build on Saturday's session next week, he'll remain on track to return relatively soon following the All-Star break.