MLB Player News

Salas (back) was recently cleared to resume baseball activities at the Padres' spring training complex and will be one of the San Diego prospects who is set to participate in the Arizona Fall League, which begins Oct. 6., MLB.com reports.

Salas remains on Double-A San Antonio's 60-day injured list and doesn't appear in line to return to action over the final week of the Texas League season, but the young backstop looks like he could be ready to play at some point during the AFL, which runs through mid-November. Even if Salas hasn't progressed enough in his recovery from a lower back stress reaction to see action by the end of AFL play, he'll likely take part in winter ball to make up for the at-bats he lost out on this season. Salas' last appearance with San Antonio came back on April 17.

Musgrove (elbow) has continued to throw regular bullpen sessions since early August and remains hopeful to pitch for the Padres as a reliever during the postseason if San Diego makes a deep playoff run, MLB.com reports.

Musgrove, who has been on the shelf all season while completing his recovery from Oct. 11, 2024 Tommy John surgery, had previously held the goal of pitching in a rehab game before the end of the minor-league season, but he's not far along in his throwing program for that to be a reality. A return during the postseason may not be realistic either, given that he has yet to resume facing hitters at this point in his rehab. On a positive note, Musgrove seems to have avoided any setbacks up to this point in the recovery process, so he should be ready to enter spring training with few restrictions, if any.

Cortes (biceps) was cleared to throw off a mound Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Cortes was moved to the injured list Sept. 5 after he experienced left biceps tendinitis coming out of his start two days earlier, but he's already begun to start throwing again following a brief shutdown period. The southpaw isn't on track to return from the IL later this week when first eligible, but he's holding out hope to contribute for the Padres at some point in the final week of the regular season. Cortes had been serving as the Padres' No. 5 starter prior to landing on the shelf, but it's unclear if he would immediately slot back into the rotation if he's activated next week.

Manager Mike Shildt said that Bogaerts (foot) took ground balls, tracked live pitches and took swings in the batting cage during a workout Saturday and could continue his rehab program at the Padres' facility in Arizona during the upcoming week, MLB.com reports.

The Padres placed Bogaerts on the 10-day injured list Aug. 29 due to a non-displaced fracture in his left foot, but the veteran infielder is progressing well in his recovery and is targeting a return to the lineup during the final week of the regular season. While Bogaerts has been shelved, the Padres have prioritized offense over defense of late, as Jake Cronenworth and Luis Arraez (head) have been seeing more starts at shortstop and second base, respectively, in order to open up a regular spot in the lineup at designated hitter for Gavin Sheets.

Milbrandt has a 1.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 10:4 K:BB in 10.2 innings across two starts for Double-A Pensacola.

Milbrandt emphatically forced a promotion from High-A, as he struck out 26 while logging a 1.17 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 15.1 innings over his final three starts for Beloit, including a 10-K, one-hit performance over five scoreless innings against a loaded High-A Wisconsin lineup. Long known for his strong stuff and shaky command, Milbrandt's propensity to issue walks is still his biggest weakness, but his stuff has gotten so good that hitters typically can't get much done on their own. He hasn't given up a home run since June 13 and has 80 strikeouts in 58 innings over that stretch. He'll likely spend 2026 refining his command and control across the top two levels of the minors.

Holmes is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Padres at Citi Field but will be piggybacked by Sean Manaea, MLB.com reports. "I think it depends what kind of lineup we get and where we're at in the game," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, when asked how extensively Holmes and Manaea will be used Tuesday. "That's the plan, but we've got to be able to make adjustments and be flexible. We've just got to see what we've got there."

Manaea's transition to the bullpen comes after he posted a 7.71 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in spite of an excellent 42:6 K:BB in 32.2 innings over his seven starts dating back to the beginning of August, and the Mets are hoping that the role change will help the southpaw generate better results. The arrangement could also prove beneficial for Holmes, who owns a 4.81 ERA and 1.46 WHIP since the beginning of August and may be wearing down during his first season in the big leagues as a full-time starter. Though the pairing of Holmes and Manaea could enhance the ratios of both pitchers while they take on lighter workloads than they would as traditional starters, Holmes may struggle to reach the five innings he would need to hit to qualify for a win. The Mets will likely reassess their rotation plans following Tuesday's game, but if the Holmes/Manaea tandem fares well, the two could be deployed in a piggyback setup once again Sunday versus the Nationals.

Atlanta announced Saturday that Bummer (shoulder) has resumed a throwing program, but the left-hander hasn't yet been cleared for bullpen sessions, MLB.com reports.

Bummer has been on the injured list since Aug. 24 due to left shoulder inflammation, and while he hasn't been shut down for the season, he's running out of time to complete his throwing program and rejoin the Atlanta bullpen. Prior to being shut down, Bummer recorded three wins and two holds while submitting a 3.81, 1.25 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB in 54.1 innings over 42 appearances for Atlanta.

Rodriguez is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow during the final week of September, MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez has known for a few weeks that he would need Tommy John surgery after he was placed on the injured list Aug. 26, but he'll end up delaying the procedure for nearly a month, presumably because he was waiting for the inflammation in his elbow to subside. Assuming his surgery goes off without any complications, Rodriguez will face a 12-to-18-month recovery, which will keep him out for the entire 2026 campaign. Before suffering the injury, Rodriguez earned his first All-Star nod after submitting a 1.78 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 67:11 K:BB while collecting three wins, four saves and 13 holds over 50.2 innings this season.

Miller (elbow) completed a bullpen session at Oracle Park on Saturday, MLB.com reports.

Miller has been on the shelf since July 5 due to a left elbow sprain and incurred a setback in mid-August after making four rehab appearances for Triple-A Sacramento, but he's been able to resume his throwing program following a brief shutdown period. The southpaw still appears to have a chance at returning from the 60-day injured list before the end of the regular season, but due to the extensive time he's missed, the Giants may not be eager to deploy him in high-leverage spots right away while the team fights for a wild-card spot.

Baez homered in each of his final three regular-season games at Double-A Springfield, bringing his season total between High-A Peoria and Springfield to 20.

It's been a true breakout season for Baez, who slashed .287/.384/.500 with 20 homers and 54 stolen bases over 117 contests. Contact issues had been the 22-year-old's biggest problem coming in 2025, and he managed to cut his strikeout rate from 34.4 percent to 20.6 percent year-over-year. Baez's arrow is firmly pointing up in dynasty leagues.