MLB Player News

Musgrove (elbow) played catch Friday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Friday marks the first time Musgrove has played catch since he landed on the injured list Sunday due to right elbow inflammation. The 31-year-old righty said everything looked good after receiving an MRI, and he still expects to return from the injured list when eligible next Friday. He owns a 6.37 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 41 innings this season.

Manager Pat Murphy said Friday that Williams (back) is scheduled to begin playing catch within the next two weeks, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Williams will be looked at by a doctor within the next few days, which will help determine how far away he is from beginning a throwing program. Though he seems to be trending in the right direction, the 29-year-old closer is still not expected back until around the All-Star break.

Middleton (forearm) threw off the mound again Friday and is set for a rehab assignment next week, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Middleton is on the cusp of a rehab assignment according to manager Oli Marmol, who explained that the reliever will report to either Double-A Springfield or Triple-A Memphis for his assignment this upcoming week. The right-hander is eligible to return from the 15-day injured list May 17, and he appears to be on track to return from his forearm injury on or close to that date.

Hayes is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.

Hayes is mired in a 2-for-26 slump and will sit Friday for the second consecutive contest. Jared Triolo will shift to third base while Nick Gonzales, freshly promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis, starts at the keystone.

Goldschmidt is starting at first base and batting third in the lineup for Friday's game against the Brewers, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Goldschmidt was absent from the starting lineup in the team's 7-1 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday. The veteran first baseman has not registered a hit over his last six appearances, and he is slashing .195/.287/.263 with a 31.3 percent strikeout rate this season. Goldschmidt will look to get back on track against Brewers rookie southpaw Robert Gasser.

Matz (back) played catch off the mound Friday in St. Louis, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Matz has been on the 15-day injured list since May 3 while dealing with a lower-back strain, more specifically a protruding disc, but manager Oli Marmol said Friday that the expectation for the left-hander is for him to throw at a higher intensity Monday. It's unclear how close Matz is to returning to game action, but prior to being activated from the injured list, he'll likely have to make at least one rehab start with a minor-league affiliate.

Donovan isn't in the Cardinals' lineup for Friday's game against the Brewers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Left-hander Robert Gasser will make his MLB debut Friday as Milwaukee's starting pitcher, meaning the left-handed bat of Donovan will begin the game from the Cardinals' dugout. Lars Nootbaar, Mike Siani and Dylan Carlson will start across St. Louis' outfield while Donovan sits.

Gorman is not in the starting lineup for Friday's contest with the Brewers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Gorman will take a seat as left-hander Robert Gasser makes his major-league debut on the mound for Milwaukee. Jose Fermin will draw the start at second base in his place and bat leadoff against the Brewers.

The Pirates transferred Delay (knee) to the 60-day injured list Friday.

Delay will give up his spot on the 40-man roster in order to make room for Daulton Jefferies, who was acquired in a trade with the Giants on Friday. Delay was already expected to be out until July after undergoing knee surgery in April, so his move to the 60-day IL has virtually no impact on his return timeline. He has resumed catching during bullpen sessions, but he still has a long way to go before returning to the Pirates' lineup.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Taillon was scratched from Friday's start against the Pirates due to back stiffness, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Taillon felt his back tighten up Tuesday when playing catch, and it didn't improve in time for him to make his scheduled start in the series opener. Counsell noted that the right-hander's back issue is not as bad as the one he dealt with in spring training, which caused Taillon to start the season on the 15-day IL. He will be re-evaluated Saturday, and there's a chance he could take the mound Sunday. Javier Assad will start Friday while Justin Steele will get the nod Saturday.