MLB Player News

Contreras isn't in the Cardinals' lineup for Saturday's game against the Dodgers, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Contreras will catch a breather Saturday after starting the year 1-for-7 with three strikeouts across St. Louis' first two games. Ivan Herrera will fill in behind the dish and bat sixth.

Perez (elbow) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Saturday marks the first time Perez has thrown off a mound since experiencing inflammation in his right elbow. He threw 20 pitches during his first session and used his entire arsenal of pitches, with everything seeming to go smoothly. He'll likely require a few more mound sessions before moving to facing live hitters, and a minor-league rehab assignment should come after that.

Cabrera (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Cabrera has been sidelined since March 10 due to a right shoulder impingement he suffered while warming up for a Grapefruit League game, and Sunday will mark his first time testing his shoulder in a game setting. The 25-year-old righty is only scheduled to throw three innings -- or about 50 pitches -- Sunday, so he will certainly require more rehab starts as he builds up to a typical starter's workload.

Manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that he expects Steele (hamstring) to miss the entire month of April, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Steele was officially diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain Saturday, and the Cubs will hold off on starting his throwing program until he is able to walk without limping. An exact timetable for the left-hander's return will likely have to wait until he starts throwing again, but Counsell noted that he expects Steele to rejoin the rotation sometime during May. In the meantime, his spot appears set to go to Ben Brown, who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Graterol (shoulder) threw long toss with Blake Treinen (lung) on Saturday from roughly 150 feet, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Manager Dave Roberts noted Thursday that Graterol still has a long way to go before being ready to return to the Dodgers' bullpen, but seeing him throw again is certainly an encouraging sign. The 25-year-old right-hander has been dealing with shoulder inflammation since early March and will need to continue progressing through his throwing program before a return timeline can emerge.

Treinen (chest) threw long toss from roughly 150 feet Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Saturday marks the first time Treinen has thrown since landing on the injured list March 19 with a bruised lung. He is reportedly still dealing with a bit of discomfort in his chest area, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, so he shouldn't be expected to return anytime soon. A return timeline may emerge once the 35-year-old righty is able to throw off a mound.

Madrigal isn't in the Cubs' lineup for Saturday's game versus Texas.

Madrigal started at third base for Chicago on Opening Day, but he will get a day off Saturday to allow Christopher Morel to play at the hot corner while Garrett Cooper serves as the DH.

Bailey isn't in the Giants' lineup for Saturday's game against the Padres, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Bailey will catch a breather Saturday after going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored during Friday's win. Tom Murphy will start behind the plate instead and bat eighth.

Rojas went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-3 win against the Cardinals.

With Los Angeles going up against lefty Zack Thompson, Rojas logged his first start of the campaign while Gavin Lux got the night off. Rojas made the most of the opportunity, gathering two hits, including a solo homer to left field in the seventh inning. The veteran is slated to get regular starts at shortstop when Los Angeles goes up against lefty starters, but it's not expected to be a straight platoon with Lux, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

Machado went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday in an 8-3 loss to San Francisco.

Machado put the Padres on the board in the fourth inning with his 398-foot shot to left field. It was his second homer of the campaign, but he doesn't have any other hits among his 14 at-bats. Machado has logged all four of his starts this season at DH as he continues to recover from offseason elbow surgery.