MLB Player News

Rolison will serve as the Cubs' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the Giants in San Francisco, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Rolison has been an effective relief option this season with a 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 24:12 K:BB over 24 innings, and he's now set to make his first start of the season and the second of his MLB career. The left-hander has covered more than one frame in eight of his 20 appearances with Chicago and is likely to give way to Colin Rea after working an inning or two Sunday.

Gage (knee) allowed one hit while striking out two across 1.2 scoreless innings during a rehab appearance for Single-A San Jose on Saturday.

Gage was placed on the 15-day injured list June 3 due to knee inflammation and received the starting nod in the first game of his rehab assignment. He was pulled after throwing 23 pitches, 16 of which were strikes. Prior to going on the IL, the left-handed reliever posted a 2.63 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 19:13 K:BB across 24 innings.

Pagan (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a live bullpen session Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Per MLB.com, Pagan had already tossed a pair of bullpen sessions, so this is the next step in his recovery, with a rehab assignment potentially on the horizon. Pagan has been on the shelf since May 6 due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and the Reds' closer situation has been mostly a mess in his absence.

Mikolas is expected to pitch in bulk relief behind opener PJ Poulin in Sunday's game against the Mariners, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

Mikolas will be making his sixth straight appearance as a bulk reliever, this time working behind Poulin after lefty Richard Lovelady served as the Nationals' opener in Mikolas' previous turn through the rotation. The veteran right-hander has gone 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB in 25 innings over his last five outings.

Poulin will serve as the Nationals' opener for Sunday's game against the Mariners, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.

Poulin will draw his eighth start of the season, and just like on the previous seven occasions, he's expected to cover no more than two innings. Miles Mikolas is slated to work in bulk relief behind Poulin.

Mayza (2-1) earned the win Saturday against the Brewers after allowing one hit over one-third of an inning.

Mayza entered the game in the fourth inning and needed just five pitches (four strikes) to get the win, allowing a single to Jake Bauers before retiring Garrett Mitchell. This was Mayza's second win of the season, and he's gone six straight appearances without allowing a run. The left-hander has a 3.26 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 27 appearances and 30.1 innings this season.

Drohan (3-2) was tagged with the loss Saturday against the Phillies after allowing four runs on eight hits across five innings. He struck out seven.

Drohan's seven strikeouts were a season high for the 27-year-old southpaw, who's made four starts among 14 appearances this season while moving in and out of the rotation. Drohan has a 3.59 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 42.2 innings in 2026, and his 2.73 FIP suggests he's had a bit of bad luck. If he stays in the rotation for another turn, Drohan would be lined up to make his next start on the road against Atlanta.

Duran tossed a perfect inning and earned the save in Saturday's win over the Brewers. He struck out one.

Duran is on the verge of reaching at least 20 saves for the fourth consecutive season, and he should be able to hit that mark before the All-Star break. One of the best closers in the National League, Duran has gone 18-for-19 in save chances while posting a 1.90 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 23.2 innings and 25 appearances this season.

Brown (3-2) allowed one run on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings to earn the win over the Giants on Saturday.

Brown pitched fairly well, and the Giants weren't able to capitalize often on their consistent traffic on the bases. The right-hander threw 54 of 86 pitches for strikes in this outing. He's allowed one run or fewer in six of his seven starts this season, adding a 37:11 K:BB across 36.1 innings in those games. Overall, he has a 1.74 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 61:19 K:BB through 62 innings over 19 appearances. Brown's next outing is projected to be at home versus the Blue Jays. He's provided some much-needed stability to an injury-ravaged rotation and looks to have done enough to stay in the unit once Matthew Boyd (knee/shoulder) is ready to return.

Manaea (1-2) took the loss against Atlanta on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out six batters over six innings.

Manaea was deployed in a traditional starting role for the first time this season after working behind an opener his last two times out and as a long reliever prior to that. The southpaw gave up one run in each of the second and fourth frames, but that was the extent of the damage Atlanta managed against him. Manaea was tagged with the loss, however, since New York mustered just one run against five Atlanta hurlers. Still, this was a promising outing for Manaea, who completed six frames for the first time since the 2024 campaign. Given this performance, it seems likely he'll continue to be rolled out as a starter, though he's lined up for a tough matchup on the road against the Phillies his next time out.