MLB Player News

Wesneski (2-4) allowed a solo home run in an inning of relief to take the loss Friday against the Cardinals.

Wesneski allowed the first run of the game in the eighth inning, a solo shot by Pedro Pages, then got saddled with the loss as the Cubs got blanked 3-0. Despite the hiccup, the 26-year-old has been solid this season as he's settled into a relief role for Chicago, posting a 2.84 ERA and 34 strikeouts across 38 innings.

The Rockies placed Diaz on the 10-day injured list Friday due to a left calf strain, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports..

Diaz was removed in the bottom half of the first inning of Monday's game against the Twins after straining his left calf while running to first base. He was held out for the rest of that series in the hopes he would be available for a weekend set against Pittsburgh, but instead the 33-year-old heads to the IL. Jacob Stallings got the start at catcher the last two games, and he figures to see most of the action behind the plate while Diaz is sidelined, though Hunter Goodman will provide some depth and will start at catcher for Saturday's game, per Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com.

Heyward is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals.

Heyward is 2-for-19 in his last five starts and will take a seat Friday with lefty Cole Ragans on the mound for Kansas City. Chris Taylor, Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernandez will fill the outfield from left to right.

Hendricks tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals. He allowed two hits and struck out one.

Chicago starter Jordan Hicks departed after just 1.2 innings due to an oblique injury, which pushed Hendricks into action. The veteran responded well and had perhaps his best outing of the season, giving the Cubs some much-needed length out of the bullpen. While Hendricks still has an ugly 8.20 ERA overall, he's been better lately with 8.2 scoreless innings over his last three appearances. The veteran is the most likely candidate to move into the rotation with Wicks expected to land on the IL.

Lux isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Friday versus the Royals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

With southpaw Cole Ragans on the mound for Kansas City, the lefty-hitting Lux will watch the beginning of Friday's contest from Los Angeles' dugout. Miguel Rojas will fill in at the keystone and bat eighth.

Jones (knee) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Friday.

Jones landed on the injured list April 30 due to back stiffness. His initial rehab assignment was halted May 21 due to right knee soreness stemming from a slide, but he was able to resume activities June 3. Across his 12 rehab games with Triple-A Albuquerque, Jones went 9-for-42 with six runs, one home run and six RBI. He is starting in left field and batting fifth in Friday's game against the Pirates. To make room for Jones, Colorado placed Elias Diaz on the 10-day IL with a left calf strain, retroactive to June 11.

Manager David Bell said Friday that Williamson will not undergo surgery on his left shoulder, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Surgery to remove a lesion from Williamson's left shoulder would have put an end to his season before it even started, but the lefty will instead receive injections in his shoulder and be shut down from throwing for the next three weeks. At that point, the Reds will re-evaluate the 26-year-old southpaw and determine the next steps in his recovery.

Ortiz (hamstring) is playing third base and batting seventh Friday against the Reds.

Ortiz missed a pair of contests with a sore right hamstring, but he's back in the Brewers' lineup following the team's day off. In 12 games before sustaining the injury, Ortiz went 14-for-43 (.326) with seven runs, five RBI and three stolen bases.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after Friday's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals that Wicks will get an MRI for his right oblique and that a stint on the injured list is "likely," Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Wicks was lifted from Friday's game after just 1.2 innings due to right oblique discomfort. He was previously on the injured list due to a left forearm strain that kept him out of action for nearly six weeks. Wicks made two appearances since being activated from the IL on June 7, including Friday's start. Kyle Hendricks came in to replace Wicks on Friday, and he figures to enter the Cubs' rotation.

Helsley worked around a pair of walks in the ninth inning to earn the save in Friday's 3-0 win over the Cubs. He struck out two.

After recording the first two outs in the ninth, Helsley issued consecutive walks to Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ before striking out Nico Hoerner to earn his MLB-leading 23rd save of the year. Helsley hasn't blown a save since March 30, in his first appearance of the season. His ERA on the year is down to 2.61 with a 1.13 WHIP and 35:10 K:BB across 31 innings.