MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol told reporters Saturday that Dobbins' next appearance will be as a starting pitcher, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The Cardinals will go with a six-man rotation for at least one turn, with Dobbins slated to take the mound on the road either against the Mets or Twins. The 26-year-old right-hander has pitched well in his two outings since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis this past Sunday, recording a win and a save while allowing one run on eight hits and two walks while striking out 10 across 8.2 innings.

De La Cruz (hamstring) had his scheduled MRI moved up three days to this coming Friday, June 12, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

De La Cruz is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks due to a right hamstring strain that he sustained this past Sunday against Atlanta. The good news for the superstar shortstop is that he appears to be progressing ahead of his recovery schedule, so Friday's MRI should give the Reds a better sense of the next steps for De La Cruz's rehab program. In his absence, Matt McLain is expected to see more starts at shortstop, and Edwin Arroyo and Noelvi Marte are also slated to see more playing time.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters Saturday that Swanson is healthy but will "get a couple of days off," Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Swanson is not in the Cubs' lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants, and it sounds like he may be on the bench for Sunday's series finale as well. The veteran shortstop has struggled at the plate this season, and over his last 10 games he's gone 5-for-33 (.152) with one RBI, two steals and 12 strikeouts. Nico Hoerner will start at shortstop Saturday, and Swanson's absence means more playing time is available for Pedro Ramirez.

Varsho (wrist) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Baltimore.

Varsho was forced to make an early exit from Friday's contest due to left wrist inflammation, and the Blue Jays will give him a chance to rest Saturday while Myles Straw starts in center field.

Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters Saturday that Greene (elbow) could return from the 60-day injured list prior to the All-Star break, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Greene continues to recover from a procedure in mid-March to remove bone chips from his right elbow. He was cleared to throw in bullpen sessions in late May, and the Reds will have a better sense of the right-hander's recovery timeline once he's been given the green light to embark on a rehab assignment.

Higashioka went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 3-2 win over Cleveland.

Higashioka ignited Texas' three-run sixth inning with a leadoff homer, his fourth of the season. The blast also extended a hit streak to four games, during which he's 7-for-13 with three extra-base hits, two RBI and five runs scored. He's appeared in 32 games and is essentially sharing catching duties with Danny Jansen (41 games), but Higashioka has been the better hitter. He's has a .712 OPS compared to Jansen's .586 OPS.

Swanson isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants.

Swanson will get a day off Saturday after going 0-for-4 during Friday's loss. Nico Hoerner will move over to shortstop to cover for him, giving Pedro Ramirez a start at second base.

Langford batted leadoff and went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Friday's 3-2 win over the Guardians.

Langford was activated from the injured list and slotted in at leadoff for the first time this season. He doubled and scored as part of the Rangers' three-run sixth inning, which also featured a home run from the returning Corey Seager, who batted behind Langford in the two hole against lefty starter Parker Messick. Langford had been out since April 21 with a flexor strain in his right forearm. There was a setback early in his rehab that extended his stay on the IL.

Eldridge went 2-for-5 with two runs scored in Friday's 18-3 win over Chicago.

Eldridge singled in the fourth inning and came around to score before adding another base hit in the sixth and scoring again. The 21-year-old has delivered multi-hit performances in back-to-back games and has recorded at least one hit in eight consecutive contests, batting .500 with 11 runs scored, five doubles, four RBI and a home run across 33 plate appearances during that span. He's slashing .293/.372/.467 with 13 runs scored, six RBI and two long balls in 86 plate appearances this season.

Cox went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 18-3 win over the Cubs.

Cox entered in the sixth inning and hit a leadoff single to right field before coming around to score, and he added another single later in the frame. The 24-year-old outfielder also opened the ninth inning with a solo home run to center field off catcher Carson Kelly. Cox has appeared in six straight outings since having his contract selected from Double-A Richmond on Sunday, batting 4-for-9 with three runs scored, a home run and a double in nine plate appearances.