MLB Player News

Norby (elbow) is not in the lineup for Monday's contest in Toronto.

Norby had to be lifted from Sunday's game versus the Mets after being hit in the left elbow by a pitch. He is considered day-to-day. With Norby resting, Esteury Ruiz will draw a start for the Marlins in Monday's series opener.

Busch went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Pirates.

Busch homered for the second straight day but got no support around him as the Cubs dropped their ninth straight contest. The first baseman had been struggling recently too with a .176 batting average in his last 10 games before Sunday, but he's bounced back by going 3-for-8 with those two long balls over the last two days. On the season, Busch now has six home runs and 30 RBI in 53 games.

Thornton (2-1) allowed a run on two hits in an inning of relief to take the loss Monday against the Pirates.

Thornton served up a solo home run to Henry Davis in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie, and Pittsburgh would hold on for the 2-1 win. The Cubs are spiraling with nine straight losses, but Thornton has been mostly good this year with a 2.79 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 9.2 innings in eight appearances. The veteran righty should stick in a middle relief role for Chicago with limited fantasy upside at the moment.

Blach elected to become a free agent Monday.

Blach had been removed from the Cubs' 40-man roster and will test out free agency rather than accept an outright assignment. The lefty could wind up re-signing on a minor-league deal, but he will have the ability to negotiate with all teams.

Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said Monday that Puk (elbow) will need 7-to-8 rehab appearances before returning from the 60-day injured list, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Puk began his rehab assignment with the team's Arizona Complex League affiliate on Saturday, striking out one over a perfect inning. The left-hander will move up to a higher affiliate and make several more rehab appearances before rejoining the Diamondbacks' bullpen.

Guerrero (elbow) is absent from the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins.

Guerrero was pulled from Sunday's contest versus the Pirates after being struck on the inside of the right elbow by a pitch. X-rays came back negative, but Guerrero will receive at least one day of out of the lineup to recuperate. Per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca, Vlad Jr. could be available off the bench, seemingly giving him a good chance to return to the lineup Tuesday. Lenyn Sosa is handling first base and batting ninth for the Blue Jays in Monday's series opener.

Langford (forearm) will take batting practice Monday and could begin a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Langford encountered a setback with his right forearm injury during an extended spring training game in late April but has been making steady progress lately. If he is able to begin a rehab assignment this weekend as hoped, Langford could be ready to return from the 10-day injured list in early June.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Fried (elbow) played catch Monday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Boone also revealed that Fried underwent follow-up imaging on his left elbow, which showed "nothing really that would say he can start the ramp-up process yet," per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. Fried will be brought along slowly, as he'll take part in light catch initially before upping the intensity of his throwing. The left-hander remains several weeks away from rejoining the big-league rotation.

The Blue Jays optioned Schneider to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday.

Schneider has really struggled this season, slashing just .127/.295/.211 over 38 contests. With Yohendrick Pinango playing well and Nathan Lukes (hamstring) back from the injured list, Schneider is a roster casualty.

The Blue Jays activated Lukes (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Monday.

Lukes has been shelved for more than a month with a left hamstring strain but has been cleared to return to the active roster after going 3-for-9 with one home run in four rehab contests. The 31-year-old will likely operate as an active fourth outfielder for Toronto.