Wicks (oblique) struck out three and allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks in his second rehab start Thursday with Triple-A Iowa. "He's got a minimum of two [rehab starts] left before he's kind of ready to pitch for us regardless," Cubs manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com on Friday, when asked about a timeline for Wicks to return from the 60-day injured list. "So, he's got time left. I think at the start of it, health is most important. And as we get closer to making a decision, then results start to get factored in more, absolutely."

Wicks has been on the IL since mid-June with a Grade 2 right oblique strain, but he's been able to steadily ramp up his workload over his first two rehab starts, tossing 43 pitches Aug. 10 and 59 pitches Thursday. The results haven't been impressive, however, as Wicks has covered just 3.2 innings between those outings while giving up 10 earned runs on nine hits -- including four home runs -- and four walks. Counsell expressed confidence that Wicks will be able to knock off the rust in his subsequent rehab outings, and the fact that the skipper notes that the lefty will make at least two more starts in the minors suggests that Wicks probably won't be activated until the final weekend of August, at the earliest. Kyle Hendricks should continue to hold down a spot at the back end of the Chicago rotation while Wicks is on the farm.

Sale (14-3) earned the win over the Angels on Saturday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over six innings while striking out 10.

Sale stifled the Angels' lineup for most of the night, allowing only two batters to reach second base over the first five innings before surrendering two runs -- one of which came across on a wild pitch -- in the sixth. The lefty induced 17 whiffs on the night and posted double-digit strikeouts for the third consecutive start. Sale has now won his four last decisions (spanning eight starts) and hasn't surrendered more than two runs since June 1 against the Athletics (a span of 12 starts).

Freeland took the loss against the Padres on Saturday, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks over five innings while striking out three.

Freeland went 1-2-3 through the opening frame before surrendering three consecutive hits to start the second, leading to two runs coming home for San Diego. The lefty would then allow two more runs in the fourth and another in the fifth while matching his season high with three walks in the contest. Freeland has now given up at least three runs in each of his last three starts and currently holds a 7.43 ERA in August to go along with an 11:6 K:BB. Saturday marked only his second loss since April 14.

Jones (lat) struck out three over 3.1 innings and gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and no walks in his second rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Indianapolis.

While Jones built up to 67 pitches (43 strikes) and looks to be nearly fully stretched out, he hasn't been at his best over his two rehab outings at Triple-A. Between his appearances Wednesday and on Aug. 8, Jones has coughed up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with a 6:2 K:BB over six innings. The Pirates haven't provided word on the next step for Jones, but the organization may want to have him make one more tune-up outing with Indianapolis before he makes his return from the 15-day injured list. The rookie has been on the shelf since July 4 with a Grade 2 right lat strain.

Woodford is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Mariners in Pittsburgh.

He'll be making his second turn through the rotation as a replacement for Marco Gonzales, who was placed on the injured list Monday with a season-ending forearm strain. The Pirates could get Jared Jones (lat) back from the IL later this month, but the team could still choose to keep Woodford part of a six-man rotation in an effort to keep the workloads of Jones and fellow rookie Paul Skenes under control down the stretch. Woodford's performance in future outings could factor into the Pirates' plans for him moving forward, and he made a strong first impression in his start this past Monday in San Diego, when he limited the Padres to one run on three hits and no walks over six innings.

Cease (12-9) picked up the win over the Rockies on Saturday, allowing three runs on three hits and five walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out five.

Cease started off strong, striking out five of the first nine batters he faced while keeping the Rockies off the scoreboard through the first five innings. The right-hander then began to stumble in the sixth, allowing three consecutive batters to reach before eventually surrendering three runs in the frame. He was relieved by Adrian Morejon with two outs, marking the third consecutive start in which Cease has been unable to get through six innings (excluding his rain-delayed start Aug. 6). The five walks on the night also matched his season high, and he's now issued multiple free passes in four consecutive outings in which he's pitched outside of the first inning. Despite that, Cease has won five of his last six decisions (spanning seven starts).

Miller (1-3) took the loss against the Cardinals on Saturday, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk over 4.2 innings while striking out one.

Miller struggled with his command from the jump, allowing singles to two of the first three batters he faced in the contest before throwing two wild pitches in the opening frame. The right-hander would then fail to retire the leadoff man in three of his next four innings of work while also coughing up two homers on the night. Miller has been unable to make it through five innings in both of his last two starts (with the previous one coming back on July 9) while giving up multiple homers on each occasion. On a positive note, Saturday marked the first time in his last eight outings that Miller didn't walk multiple batters, though he did throw four wild pitches.

Greene (elbow) underwent an MRI on Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Greene, who was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, declined to comment on the injury until the results of the MRI are known. Cincinnati manager David Bell expressed optimism that Greene avoided a major injury, though the skipper suggested that the right-hander could miss more than the minimum amount of time. Bell has not yet determined who will take Greene's spot in the rotation Monday in Toronto, and the team's starting depth is thin due to injuries to Graham Ashcraft (elbow) and Brandon Williamson (shoulder). Sheldon speculates that Triple-A Louisville right-hander Julian Aguiar could be a leading candidate to replace Greene in the rotation.

Pallante (5-6) picked up the win over the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out five.

Pallante held his own against a talented Dodgers lineup despite allowing the leadoff man to reach in four of his seven innings of work. The right-hander surrendered one run in the first and another in the fifth on a solo shot from Shohei Ohtani, but he was able to hang on for his fifth win of the season and his first since June 28 against the Reds. Pallante has now allowed three or fewer runs in four of his last five starts, though he's also walked multiple batters in five straight. In the month of August he holds a 4.15 ERA to go along with an 11:8 K:BB.

Sanchez (9-8) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on two hits over nine innings in a 5-1 victory over the Nationals. He struck out four without walking a batter.

The southpaw was incredibly efficient in his second complete game of the season, firing 71 of 99 pitches for strikes, and an Alex Call solo shot in the fourth inning was the only blemish on his performance. Sanchez followed up his other nine-inning gem, a shutout of the Marlins on June 28, with a seven-run stinker against the Cubs -- an outing that began a tough stretch in which the 27-year-old posted a 6.63 ERA over the seven starts prior to Saturday. Sanchez will look to avoid a similar swoon in his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week in Atlanta.