MLB Player News

The Cubs selected Velasquez's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Friday.

Velasquez signed a minors deal with Chicago in the offseason and has since posted a 3.71 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 17 innings at Iowa. The 33-year-old will now return to the majors for the first time since 2023 to round out the Cubs' bullpen following Caleb Thielbar's (hamstring) move to the injured list.

The Cubs placed Thielbar on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left hamstring strain.

Thielbar had to come out of Thursday's game against the Phillies early after suffering an injury on the mound, and he'll now be forced to sit out at least another 15 days. The 39-year-old had been serving as Chicago's closer with Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, but that responsibility could be passed on to Ben Brown for the time being. Vince Velasquez was selected from Triple-A Iowa to fill the open spot in the Cubs' bullpen.

Lukes was removed from Friday's game against the Guardians with left hamstring discomfort, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Lukes hit a double to lead off the first inning but apparently tweaked his hamstring while running and was replaced on the bases immediately afterward. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but if he ends up needing to miss additional time, Myles Straw would be in line to make extra starts in the outfield.

The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Hodge will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery Tuesday, so the Cubs will stash him away on the 60-day IL and give his 40-man roster spot to Nicky Lopez.

The Cubs selected Lopez's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

The Cubs acquired Lopez in a trade with Colorado on Thursday, and they'll now bring him up to provide depth to their infield unit. The 31-year-old appeared in 14 games for Chicago last season but logged just one hit in 18 at-bats. Porter Hodge (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.

Springer (toe) is hitting on the field and running ahead of Friday's game against the Guardians and could return to running the bases within the next few days, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicated on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM earlier Friday that Springer could be reinstated from the IL "maybe just even [in] a day or two," but that never appeared to be a likely possibility. The veteran slugger is already eligible to be reinstated to the active roster, but he'll need some more time to complete his running program. It also remains to be seen if Springer will require a brief rehab assignment before being activated.

The Rays transferred Uceta (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

Uceta has been on the injured list all season due to a right shoulder impingement, and he was recently shut down for another 2-to-3 weeks due to strain of the same shoulder. The move to the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise given that development, and Uceta now won't be eligible to be reinstated until late May at the earliest.

Barger (ankles) is ramping up his baseball activities, with the next steps in his rehab program being running the bases and hitting live pitching, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The 26-year-old continues to work his way back from the sprains in both ankles he sustained in early April, and he appears to be getting close to being cleared for game action. Barger will need a multi-game rehab assignment in the minors before coming off the injured list, so he's likely still at least a week or two away from potentially rejoining the Blue Jays.

Harris (hand) is starting in left field and batting seventh Friday against the Yankees, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Harris was held out of the lineup Wednesday against the Guardians after suffering a hand contusion Tuesday, but he's good to go after Thursday's team off day. Since being claimed off waivers April 18, Harris has gone 0-for-6 with a walk and two runs in three games with the Astros.

Berrios (elbow) is scheduled to make his next rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Berrios has made two rehab starts with Single-A Dunedin -- most recently Wednesday against Fort Myers, when he allowed three hits and struck out five batters without issuing a walk over four scoreless innings. He'll now shift his rehab assignment over to Triple-A, and he'll likely need at least two more starts without suffering a setback before being cleared to make his major-league season debut with the Blue Jays.