MLB Player News

Boyd (shoulder/knee) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Thursday's game against the Mets, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell previously noted that Boyd would rejoin the rotation this week, and now the specific date has been confirmed. Boyd has been sidelined since early May, first due to meniscus surgery and later because of shoulder soreness. He threw 59 pitches over four innings in his final rehab start, so Boyd will likely be somewhat limited Thursday from a workload perspective.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Senga will be moved to the bullpen, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Senga's demotion to a relief role comes after he walked five batters and allowed seven earned runs in just 3.2 innings during Tuesday's loss to the Cubs, bringing his record to 0-6 and inflating his ERA and WHIP to 10.08 and 1.92, respectively, over his seven starts on the season. Though the right-hander will be available to make his debut out of the bullpen during this weekend's series versus Philadelphia, he could be needed to fill a bulk-relief role behind an opener while the Mets still have a couple of holes in the rotation. The Mets aren't necessarily closing the door on Senga re-emerging as a starter at some point, but he'll presumably need to show improved form while working out of the bullpen for an extended period before the team goes down that road again.

The Cubs selected Velasquez's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Velasquez will give the Cubs' bullpen some length during Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets. The veteran hurler spun 2.1 scoreless frames in his lone appearance in the majors earlier this season.

The Cubs placed Cabrera on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a strained left hamstring, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Cabrera injured his hamstring during Tuesday's start versus the Mets when he did the splits while extending to catch a throw to first base. He will undergo an MRI on Wednesday to determine the severity of the strain. An update on Cabrera's timeline could be available later Wednesday.

The Marlins reinstated Perez (gracilis) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday against the Rangers.

Though Miami manager Clayton McCullough said that Perez would likely be shelved for around eight weeks after being diagnosed with a right gracilis strain May 29, the right-hander will wind up returning to the big club in just under a month. During his lone rehab start last week with Triple-A Jacksonville, Perez covered 3.2 innings and tossed 51 pitches, so he'll likely be somewhat limited from a workload perspective as he rejoins the big-league rotation. Perez should be ready to handle a more typical starter's workload following Wednesday's outing.

Smith-Shawver (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday at Atlanta's spring training facility in Florida, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The 23-year-old right-hander is set to throw 35-to-40 pitches over two innings in a simulated game. Smith-Shawver is heading into the final stretch of his recovery from June 2025 Tommy John surgery, and he's on track to be an option for Atlanta's big-league rotation sometime after the All-Star break. Over his first seven starts in 2025 prior to developing elbow trouble, Smith-Shawver had a 2.33 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 40:17 K:BB in 38.2 innings.

Keller (5-5) took the loss Tuesday as the Pirates were downed 3-2 by the Mariners, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk over six-plus innings. He struck out four.

The veteran right-hander did come away with his eighth quality start of the season, but home runs by Cal Raleigh in the fourth inning and Cole Young in the seventh cost Keller his first win since May 24. It marks the first time in 2026 that he's been taken deep multiple times, but over his last five starts, Keller's served up five homers in 24 innings while going 0-3 with an 8.25 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and 23:13 K:BB. He'll try to get back on track in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home this weekend against the Reds.

Greene (elbow) struck out three and scattered two hits and one walk over four scoreless frames in a rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.

Greene threw 64 pitches in his second rehab outing and first with Louisville. He averaged 98.4 mph with his four-seamer Tuesday, down a bit from his average of 99.5 mph last season. His results have been excellent through his first two rehab starts, with Greene firing eight scoreless innings with a 9:2 K:BB. Per MLB.com, Greene is expected to build up to 70-to-85 pitches in one final rehab start with Louisville on Sunday before returning from the 60-day injured list in the first week of July. He's working his way back from mid-March surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

Ritchie allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out seven over five innings in a no-decision versus San Diego on Tuesday.

Ritchie wasn't particularly good in this performance, though the seven strikeouts matched his season high. He was at least able to keep the ball down better after giving up three home runs in his last start against the Giants. Ritchie has a 4.87 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 37:25 K:BB through 40.2 innings over eight games (seven starts). Despite the underwhelming numbers, Atlanta needs him in the rotation while the team waits for Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver to return from their respective elbow injuries. Ritchie is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus St. Louis and could continue to start through July as long as he shows some promise.

Canning allowed four runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning Tuesday versus Atlanta. He didn't factor in the decision.

This was penciled in as a bulk-relief outing, but Canning's poor showing to start the second inning took the bulk out of the conversation. He ended up being the pitcher with the fewest outs recorded for the Padres in this contest. It's another low mark in a season that has had few things to celebrate for the 30-year-old. Canning has a 7.38 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 43:26 K:BB through 42.2 innings over 10 appearances (eight starts). It's unclear how much longer he'll be an option in San Diego's rotation -- if JP Sears does well Wednesday, Canning could be the one to lose a starting role once German Marquez (forearm) is activated.