MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Hicks (neck) was feeling better Wednesday but remains on a "no-throw, rest program," John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Hicks also reported feeling a "strange sensation" in his arm to go along with his fatigue; however, an MRI revealed no structural damage. There remains no word on how soon Hicks will be able to return to St. Louis' bullpen.

Manager Oliver Marmol said Hudson may officially join the Cardinals' rotation, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Any move into the rotation for Hudson would be made with the intention of affording Adam Wainwright longer periods of rest between starts. Hudson's most recent start came Saturday, when he threw eight innings and gave up one unearned run while earning his eighth win of the season.

Naughton was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old was called up by St. Louis on Sept. 10 and allowed one run over four frames during his brief time on the active roster. Naughton was optioned to Memphis but will remain with the big-league club as a member of the taxi squad.

Hjelle was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday.

After giving up six hits and two runs over four innings Wednesday, Hjelle will return to Triple-A. His 8.10 ERA and 2.00 WHIP over nine innings in September was a good indicator this move was coming, and he will now be replaced on the active roster by fellow reliever Jharel Cotton.

Stiever (lat) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Triple-A Charlotte, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Stiever has resided on the White Sox's 60-day injured list all season while recovering from the surgery he required last August to address a right lat injury. Even if he had been healthy for spring training, Stiever likely would have been on the outside looking in for a rotation spot with the White Sox, so he shouldn't be viewed as a candidate to join the big club whenever he's formally activated. The White Sox will likely just want to see Stiever make an appearance or two for Charlotte to feel more confident about his health heading into the offseason, when the organization will have to decide whether to tender him a contract for 2023.

Effross (shoulder) will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Effross made a rehab appearance at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday and allowed two runs on three hits and no walks while failing to strike out a batter in a relief inning. The right-hander should be available out of the bullpen for Thursday's series opener against the Red Sox after missing just over a month. Manager Aaron Boone plans to take a committee approach for the late innings, per Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record, so Effross could be in the mix for some save chances if he pitches well once activated.

Ridings (shoulder) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday.

Ridings made a rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset on Saturday and struck out two in a scoreless innings. It's possible that he'll require several Triple-A appearances since he hasn't pitched in a major-league game in over a year.

Abreu (elbow) had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday.

Abreu began a rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset on Sunday and struck out two in a scoreless inning. It's possible that he rejoins the major-league club sometime this weekend or early next week.

The Cubs optioned Estrada to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

He'll cede his spot in the Chicago bullpen to Keegan Thompson (back), who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. Estrada has worked 5.2 innings in relief for the Cubs this season, giving up two earned runs while striking out eight.

The Cubs reinstated Thompson (back) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Reliever Jeremiah Estrada was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to clear a spot on the 28-man active roster for Thompson, who is expected to work out of the Cubs bullpen over the final two weeks of the season after making 17 starts prior to landing on the IL on Aug. 20. With a 3.97 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 104.1 innings this season, Thompson has likely done enough to put him in good position to open the 2023 campaign as a member of the rotation.