MLB Player News

The Cubs optioned Triantos to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Triantos made his major-league debut July 25 against the Pirates and appeared in seven games for the Cubs while serving in a utility role in the infield. He'll get regular playing time in Triple-A, where he's slashing .306/.344/.440 with 18 steals (in 23 attempts), seven home runs and 52 RBI over 378 plate appearances. Triantos' demotion to the minors corresponds with the Cubs recalling Kevin Alcantara and selecting Owen Miller's contract from Iowa, as well as Dansby Swanson (oblique) being placed on the 15-day injured list.

Marte is not in the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader versus the Cardinals.

Marte went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in the first game and is just 4-for-30 with a 1:10 BB:K at the dish so far in August. Hector Rodriguez will start in right field in the second game of the double dip.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Johnson will undergo left knee surgery Thursday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

According to Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com, Johnson will require an ACL reconstruction plus an LCL procedure on the knee, which he injured during an Aug. 8 game with Triple-A Indianapolis. Tomczyk said that a timeline for Johnson's return will be established once surgery is completed, but given that the operation will address damage to multiple ligaments, the 22-year-old will likely remain out well into the 2027 season. Johnson hit .198/.332/.319 with eight home runs and 24 stolen bases over 95 games with Indianapolis before the knee injury ended his season.

Stephenson is absent from the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

Stephenson started at catcher in the first game of the twin bill, going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. The Reds will turn to Jose Trevino behind the dish for the nightcap.

The Cubs selected Miller's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Miller inked a minor-league deal with the Cubs in early February and has spent the entire season in Triple-A, where he has a strong slash line of .299/.352/.459 with 10 steals (in 16 attempts), seven home runs and 57 RBI across 403 plate appearances. He figures to serve in a utility role in the Cubs' infield in the absence of Dansby Swanson (oblique), the latter of whom was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Monday that Rodriguez is gathering a second opinion on his left hip injury, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Pittsburgh listed Rodriguez's injury as left hip inflammation when he was placed on the shelf Thursday, but the organization may be concerned that the 26-year-old catcher might be dealing with something more significant. While Tomczyk relayed that the Pirates are expected to have more information on Rodriguez's condition later this week, it's reasonable to expect Rodriguez to spend more than the minimum 10 days on the injured list. Henry Davis and Rafael Flores will continue to share playing time behind the dish while Rodriguez is on the mend.

The Cubs recalled Alcantara from Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Alcantara has spent most of the 2026 season in Triple-A, where he's slashing .271/.363/.542 with five steals, 19 home runs and 49 RBI over 303 plate appearances. He's appeared in 20 games for the Cubs in 2026 and belted his first major-league homer against the Dodgers on Aug. 3. Alcantara's addition to the Cubs' 26-man roster gives the team some depth in the outfield.

The Reds recalled Maxwell from Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Maxwell will help supplement the bullpen as the Reds navigate through a stretch of 17 games in 16 days. The big righty has struggled during his opportunities in the majors this season, logging a 9.90 ERA and 9:10 K:BB over 10 innings.

The Cubs placed Swanson (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Swanson is facing a 4-to-6 week recovery timeline due to a Grade 2 left oblique strain that he suffered during the Cubs' 11-4 loss to the Cardinals. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, the Cubs are hoping that Swanson's timeline is closer to four weeks, which would put him on track to return by mid-September with a couple of weeks left before the playoff begins, if the Cubs qualify. The Cubs selected Owen Miller's contract from Triple-A Iowa to provide infield depth, but Nico Hoerner figures to be Chicago's everyday shortstop for as long as Swanson is on the shelf.

Davis will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Tigers.

With fellow backstop Endy Rodriguez (hip) recently returning to the injured list, Davis has re-emerged as the Pirates' top option behind the dish. He'll pick up his seventh start in nine games while the Pirates open up a three-game set versus the Tigers. Davis is slashing just .143/.219/.143 with no extra-base hits, two RBI and two runs since the start of August, so he's not doing much to take advantage of his larger share of playing time.