MLB Player News

Hjerpe (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at the Cardinals' Florida Complex League affiliate Friday.

It will be Hjerpe's first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. The left-hander will knock off some rust in the FCL before eventually moving up either to Double-A Springfield or Triple-A Memphis. Hjerpe is on the Cardinals' 40-man roster and could push to debut at some point in the second half. The 2022 first-round pick collected a 3.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 76:28 K:BB in 52.1 innings at Springfield in 2024.

Soderstrom went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-6 loss against the Cubs.

Soderstrom went the opposite way off southpaw Shota Imanaga to open the seventh inning and extend the Athletics' lead, though the club would ultimately relinquish it. Soderstrom's hitting streak is now up to 10 games, during which he is batting .417 with three homers, three doubles, six RBI and five runs. The hot stretch has significantly boosted the left fielder's numbers on the season, raising his OPS from .655 to .750 across 59 contests.

Pereira (pectoral) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Pereira hasn't played since April 28 due to a strained right pectoral, but he recently began throwing again and is now cleared for game action. The 25-year-old slashed .250/.310/.453 with three homers, seven RBI, seven runs scored, one stolen base and a 4:21 BB:K across his first 71 pate appearances this season.

Polanco (Achilles/wrist) will remain on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse through the weekend, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The Mets previously hadn't ruled out a return for Polanco as soon as Friday in San Diego. However, the club has elected to wait to bring back the veteran infielder, likely targeting Tuesday versus the Cardinals at the start of a homestand. Polanco has been sidelined since mid-April with a right wrist contusion and left Achilles bursitis.

The Cubs optioned Ferguson to Triple-A Iowa on Friday.

He's being sent out in order to make space on the roster for the return of Edward Cabrera (finger), who will start Friday's game against the Giants. Ferguson was promoted earlier this week and did not make an appearance during this stint with the big club.

The Cubs activated Cabrera (finger) from the 15-day injured list Friday.

Cabrera will start Friday's game against the Giants after missing the past two weeks with a blister on his middle finger. The right-hander did not make a rehab start, so he could be relatively limited from a pitch count perspective. Cabrera holds a 4.00 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 47:20 K:BB across 54 innings in his first season with the Cubs.

Abel (elbow) touched 97 mph in a 37-pitch live batting practice session Thursday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Abel said afterward that he felt "free and easy" in the session. The right-hander went on the 15-day injured list in late April with right elbow inflammation and then needed a cortisone injection after a setback with his triceps in early May. As long as Abel bounces back well Friday, he will throw either another live batting practice session next week or begin a rehab assignment. The 24-year-old looks to be tracking toward a return by late June.

Woodruff (shoulder) is headed to the Brewers' spring training facility and could pitch in Arizona Complex League games, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Woodruff lowered his arm slot during a 42-pitch live batting practice session Wednesday, as he believes it had risen since right shoulder surgery. (For the record, Baseball Savant disagrees, listing Woodruff's 2026 arm angle at 43 degrees, which is right in line with his career norm). The right-hander is looking for an arm slot that he feels comfortable with, and he could remain in Arizona for a bit while he works on his mechanics. Woodruff believes he will be back to make multiple starts before the All-Star break, but the Brewers have not offered a target date for his return yet.

Haase went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk in Thursday's 12-9 win over the Brewers.

The veteran catcher drew a walk in the first inning and cracked a grand slam off Jake Woodford in the seventh to give the Giants a 10-3 lead. Haase has recorded at least one hit in four of his last five appearances, batting .357 with five RBI and two home runs across 16 plate appearances over that stretch. Overall, he's slashing .282/.333/.667 with nine RBI, seven runs scored and four long balls in 42 plate appearances on the campaign.

Schmitt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 12-9 win over the Brewers.

The 27-year-old launched a leadoff homer to left-center field off Coleman Crow in the first inning, and Schmitt also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the third. Additionally, he singled in the seventh, marking his fifth multi-hit performance over his last 12 outings. Schmitt is slashing .282/.316/.528 with 35 RBI, 28 runs scored, 13 home runs and five stolen bases across 231 plate appearances this season.