MLB Player News

Bader will start in center field and bat leadoff in Tuesday's game against the Mets.

The Phillies have had to shake up the top of their lineup with Trea Turner (hamstring) sidelined. Bryce Harper was up in the leadoff spot against a righty Monday, and it's Bader at the top of the batting order Tuesday versus southpaw Sean Manaea. Bader has had reverse splits this season, but he's traditionally been a much better hitter in his career against lefties, sporting a .762 OPS as compared to a .695 OPS versus righties.

Marsh (illness) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.

The 27-year-old was held out of Monday's starting nine due to an illness and will sit for a second straight game, though he may have been on the bench regardless Tuesday since lefty Sean Manaea is pitching for New York. Weston Wilson is receiving a start in left field in Marsh's stead.

Mazur is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Nationals in Miami.

Mazur had initially been lined up to start this past Sunday's series finale versus the Phillies, but Miami ended up going with an impromptu bullpen game led off by right-hander Tyler Phillips. Since the Marlins were able to stay away from Mazur in relief that day, he'll end up taking the hill for Tuesday's contest. Through his first three starts with Miami this season, Mazur has gone 0-2 with a 5.74 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 15.2 innings.

Mears (back) played catch from 105 feet Tuesday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The right-hander landed on the shelf last week due to back tightness but wasn't shut down from throwing for long. Mears will be eligible to be reinstated Sept. 17, and the Brewers are targeting that date or shortly after for his return from the injured list.

Megill (elbow) threw a successful live batting practice session Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

It was the first time Megill faced hitters since he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 right flexor strain in late August. He could thrown one more live batting practice session before being sent out on a rehab assignment. Megill is aiming to be activated from the 15-day injured list next Tuesday, and thus far, he seems on track to achieve that goal.

Soroka (shoulder) is scheduled for a multi-inning rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, and he could rejoin the Cubs soon after that, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Soroka has been out since his first and only appearance for the Cubs back on Aug. 4 after he was acquired from the Nationals prior to the trade deadline. The veteran has been building up in a throwing program as he recovers from a strain to his right shoulder, and the rehab appearance may be his last step in the process. The Cubs also could be grooming Soroka for a long-relief role, as the rotation currently includes Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea, with Jameson Taillon (groin) set to return from the injured list Wednesday. Soroka's best chance at starting would likely be bumping Rea as the No. 5 starter at some point.

George is slashing .295/.409/.370 with three home runs, 100 steals, a 16.3 percent walk rate and a 15.2 percent strikeout rate in 111 games for High-A Great Lakes.

His 100 steals easily pace the minor leagues, with Royals outfielder Asbel Gonzalez ranking second with 78 steals. George hit 60.3 percent of balls on the ground and 52.1 percent of balls to the opposite field, so while he has four career home runs in 225 games, he's usually not attempting to pull the ball in the air. George only swung at 39.4 percent of pitches, so his game is really all about getting onto first base by any means possible and using his speed from there. He has a below-average arm but is otherwise a quality defensive center fielder, so there are shades of Billy Hamilton and Chandler Simpson here, but George will face a tough challenge when he heads to Double-A for his age-21 season next year.

Assad is expected to move to the bullpen later this week with Jameson Taillon (groin) set to return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game in Atlanta, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Assad has made five starts for the Cubs this season after recovering from a strained oblique, turning in a 4.62 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 25.1 innings. However, Taillon's imminent return leaves Chicago with a full rotation that also includes Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea. Assad pitched well in a swingman role back in 2023, when he compiled a 3.05 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 109.1 innings across 10 starts and 22 relief appearances. The righty will likely once again give the Cubs some length out of the bullpen, and he's capable of making a spot start if needed.

Watson, who was promoted to Double-A Binghamton on Aug. 25, has a 2.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 128:56 K:BB in 111.2 innings across three levels of the minors this season.

A seventh-round selection out of USC in 2024, Watson spent the bulk of the year dominating for High-A Brooklyn (1.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 18.9 K-BB%) before getting the late-season promotion to Double-A. He has given up seven earned runs on 11 hits and seven walks while striking out eight in 8.2 innings across his first two appearances at Double-A. Watson's velocity has jumped in pro ball, with his fastball now sitting 93-95 mph (touches 97 mph) and playing up due to the ride he gets out of a lower arm slot. His changeup is his best secondary offering while his slider is a fine third pitch. He worked as a reliever at times in college and it's still unclear if he'll throw enough strikes to make it as a starter in the big leagues, but Watson's run at High-A should buy him more developmental time in the rotation.

With Daniel Palencia (shoulder) landing on the injured list Monday, Kittredge is an option to see more high-leverage work at the end of games, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Sharma notes that Chicago manager Craig Counsell is likely to deploy a committee approach to the ninth inning with Palencia out, rather than settle on a single closer. Kittredge is in that mix, though fellow righty Brad Keller might be a bit ahead of him in the bullpen pecking order and is probably the favorite for saves at the moment. The Cubs also have Caleb Thielbar and Drew Pomeranz as options from the left side. Kittredge probably will get a bump in fantasy value with Palencia out, but it remains to be seen exactly what the former's role will be.