MLB Player News

Howard (shoulder) allowed a hit and a walk, while striking out five, over three innings in his first rehab start since being sidelined in late April.

Howard needed just 24 pitches (20 strikes) to record nine outs following a lengthy absence. He'll presumably pick up another rehab start or two before rejoining the rotation at High-A Clearwater. A summer stint at Double-A Reading should follow barring any further injury setbacks.

Ferguson was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Ferguson spent the past two weeks with the Dodgers, compiling a 4.26 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB across 6.1 innings (five appearances) during that stretch. Edwin Rios was summoned to the majors to take Ferguson's place on the roster.

Edwards (back) completed a bullpen session Wednesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, Edwards checked out fine upon being re-evaluated Thursday and is slated to throw again Saturday. Edwards has been on the shelf since June 13 after being diagnosed with a left thoracic strain. If he can advance to facing hitters by early next week, he'll have a chance at making it back from the 10-day injured list before the All-Star break.

Barraclough (forearm) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Barraclough has been on the shelf since June 16 with radial nerve irritation in his right forearm. Wednesday's mound session is a step in the right direction for the right-hander, though he's slated to report to the Nationals' spring training facilities following Thursday's series finale in Miami to continue rehabbing, suggesting a return isn't imminent.

The Cubs officially recalled Kimbrel from Triple-A Iowa prior to Thursday's game against the Braves.

Kimbrel's long-awaited 2019 debut is finally on tap after the star closer completed a four-appearance conditioning stint in Iowa shortly after signing with the Cubs earlier this month. Given his track record in the ninth inning in addition to his three-year, $43 million contract, Kimbrel is expected to immediately settle in as Chicago's closer. The 31-year-old saw his performance take a dip during his final season in Boston in 2018, but still turned in a stellar 2.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 96 strikeouts over 62.1 innings while converting 42 of 47 save chances.

The Braves recalled Wilson from Triple-A Gwinnett ahead of his scheduled start Thursday against the Cubs.

Wilson will draw his third career big-league start and second of 2019 after posting a 3.79 ERA, 12.4 WHIP and 79:16 K:BB across 78.1 innings at Gwinnett. The 21-year-old will be assuming the rotation spot of the struggling Mike Foltynewicz, who was dispatched to Triple-A over the weekend. With several promising young arms lingering in either the big-league bullpen or Triple-A pitching staff, Wilson may need to deliver an impressive outing versus Chicago to earn another turn in the rotation.

Helsley (shoulder) took the loss for Triple-A Memphis against Nashville on Wednesday, failing to record an out in the eighth inning while allowing four earned runs on a hit and three walks.

Helsley's first rehab assignment didn't exactly go as planned, to say the least. The 24-year-old right-hander immediately ran into trouble and ultimately got just five of 19 pitches into the strike zone. Helsley will look to put some distance between himself and Wednesday's meltdown and likely retake the mound for the Redbirds by this weekend.

Mayers (lat) fired a scoreless seventh inning in Triple-A Memphis' loss to Nashville on Wednesday.

The good news is that Mayers got through his one frame without a hitch. However, he may have been just a tad too efficient, considering he needed just six pitches to notch three outs. Overall, it was an encouraging first appearance for Mayers after he last saw game action April 15, and he'll work on building his pitch count back up in subsequent rehab outings.

Minter struck out two through 1.1 hitless innings to record his fourth save in a win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Minter struck out a batter to get the Braves out of a jam in the eighth inning and cruised through a hitless ninth inning to nail down the save. Minter has a 2-0 record with a 2.54 ERA through eight appearances since returning from the minors.

Iglesias gave up four earned runs on three hits and a walk over one inning Wednesday night against the Angels, picking up the loss. He also recorded a strikeout

Iglesias came into a 1-1 game and allowed the first two batters (Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani) to reach before getting two out. However, he subsequently gave up an infield single to surrender the lead, and followed that by allowing a three-run homer to Justin Bour. Manager David Bell will have to field questions about Iglesias's usage, but the fact he was charged with facing the heart of the Angels' order didn't help his cause.