MLB Player News

The Cubs will recall Miller from their alternate training site to have him start the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Miller is being recalled as the Cubs' 29th man and will make his major-league debut Monday. Adbert Alzolay was initially expected to make the start, but he suffered a forearm bruise when he was hit by a ball at the alternate training site. Manager David Ross said that Miller had been throwing the ball well in South Bend, and he'll step in as a result. In 11 starts with Triple-A Iowa last year, Miller struggled with a 7.58 ERA and 1.80 ERA over 48.2 innings.

Pagan (0-1) took the loss against Arizona on Sunday, pitching one inning and allowing three runs on two hits and one walk while striking out two.

Pagan was summoned in the eighth inning to protect a two-run lead, but he couldn't get the job done, allowing a single and a walk before serving up a three-run homer to Eduardo Escobar. Pagan had been trending in the right direction with four straight scoreless outings after a rough start to the campaign, but Sunday's blowup pushed his season ERA back up to 8.31. He has registered five holds, but Pagan's inconsistency is not what the Padres expected after the 29-year-old saved 20 games and notched a 2.31 ERA along with a 0.83 WHIP with Tampa Bay last season.

Padres manager Jayce Tingler told Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM on Monday that Yates (elbow) will head to Texas to receive a second opinion on his injury from Dr. Keith Meister.

Yates was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday after bone chips were discovered in his right elbow during an MRI. The Padres are still trying to determine the best course of action for Yates, who may need arthroscopic surgery to remove the chips. Once Yates commits to a treatment program, a timeline for his return should come into focus, but fantasy managers should prepare for him to be sidelined for longer than the minimum 10 days. Drew Pomeranz will likely pick up most of the Padres' save opportunities while Yates is sidelined, though Emilio Pagan could also factor into the closer conversation.

Hernandez tossed five scoreless innings in Sunday's loss to the Braves but didn't factor into the decision. He allowed three hits and no walks while striking out nine.

Hernandez faltered late in his last start, but he was productive throughout his five innings against Atlanta. Unfortunately for the right-hander, the Braves' pitching staff allowed the Marlins to record just two hits, so Hernandez had to settle for his third no-decision in as many starts. Hernandez will attempt to build on his momentum on the road Friday against the Nationals.

Hader did not allow a baserunner and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Sunday against the Cubs.

Hader came on to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning and prevailed to earn his fifth save of the season. He did battle through a 13-pitch at-bat with Nico Hoerner, which ran Hader's pitching count to 25. Hader has maintained his dominance early, throwing 6.1 scoreless frames with 10 strikeouts.

Hudson struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save Sunday against the Orioles.

Hudson blew his first save of the season when he faced the Orioles on Aug. 8, but he tossed a perfect inning in Sunday's series finale to earn his fourth save in five attempts. Outside of his lone blown save, the right-hander has been quite effective this year and has a relatively firm hold on ninth-inning duties.

Alexander (1-0) allowed one run on three hits over two innings to earn the win Sunday versus the Angels.

Alexander pitched the sixth and seventh innings, with the only damage against him being a Brian Goodwin solo shot in the sixth. That homer was the first earned run allowed by Alexander in 7.1 innings this season. He has a 1.23 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and seven strikeouts in seven appearances.

Hudson (0-2) allowed one earned run on two hits and a walk while striking out three across four innings to take the loss Sunday against the White Sox.

Hudson threw only 55 pitches after a three-week layoff in between starts. He pitched fairly well, with the only run coming in the midst of a short rally in the opening inning. Hudson also did well limiting walks in a continuation of his first outing, as he has handed out only two free passes in 8.1 innings of work after posting a 4.43 BB/9 in 2019. He should be able to work a bit deeper into the game during his next start, currently projected for Friday against Cincinnati.

Bard could see some save opportunities in the coming games, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Jairo Diaz has been working as the Rockies' closer recently with Wade Davis (shoulder) remaining sidelined. However, Diaz has been inconsistent in recent games and was unable to finish Sunday's game against the Rangers as he struggled mightily with command. Manager Bud Black said after the game that the team will steer away from using a designated closer in the coming games, which could open the door for Bard to see more work in the ninth inning. In his return to the mound in 2020, Bard has made nine relief appearances, recording a 3.60 ERA and 12:0 K:BB over 10 innings while converting on his only save opportunity. If he can pitch consistently in the near future, he could emerge as the team's favorite option for save situations.

Estevez suffered a right hand injury on the final play of Sunday's win against the Rangers, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

Estevez came on in Sunday's game to record the final out and succeeded in just one pitch. However, he was hit by a comebacker on the right hand before throwing to first base for the last out. He appeared to be in considerable pain as he left the field with the trainer and is undergoing X-rays to determine the severity of the injury.