MLB Player News

Cabrera was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Cabrera struggled mightily with his command in his last start Monday versus the Phillies, yielding six walks over just three innings. The right-hander heads back to the farm holding an overall 4.79 ERA and 1.47 WHIP through 17 major-league starts this year.

Blalock was traded from the Red Sox to the Brewers on Tuesday in exchange for Luis Urias, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

A legitimate pop-up prospect this season, Blalock had Tommy John surgery in March 2022 and made his 2023 debut May 24. He sits 93-95 mph with his fastball and touches 97 mph while also displaying a potentially plus curveball and good control. Through seven starts at High-A, Blalock sports a 2.55 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 36 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. His 6.2 percent walk rate is particularly encouraging for a pitcher who is recently recovered from TJS.

The Pirates acquired Falter from the Phillies on Tuesday in exchange for Rodolfo Castro, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The left-hander received some run in Philadelphia's rotation during the first six weeks of the season, but he was demoted to Triple-A in mid-May after he posted a 5.13 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 28:8 K:BB in 40.1 innings. Falter was a solid swingman in 2022 with a 3.86 ERA across 20 appearances, and he could get a look in Pittsburgh's rotation down the stretch since Rich Hill was dealt to San Diego.

McKendry was traded from the Rays to the Brewers on Tuesday in exchange for Alex Jackson, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

A 25-year-old righty who has not reached the big leagues yet, McKendry logged a 4.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 96.2 innings this year for Triple-A Durham. He projects as a swing man or long reliever in the short term.

Lorenzen will make his first start for the Phillies on Thursday at Miami, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Lorenzen was acquired earlier Tuesday from the Tigers, for whom he had delivered a 3.58 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 83:27 K:BB through 105.2 innings (18 starts) this season. Philadelphia is going to roll with a six-man rotation for the time being, per Zolecki, but Ranger Suarez or Cristopher Sanchez could eventually be pushed to the bullpen.

Megill will likely be called up from Triple-A Syracuse to take Justin Verlander's spot in the Mets' rotation, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

David Peterson is set to take over for Max Scherzer, who was dealt to the Rangers this past Saturday, and the Mets will probably then turn to Megill as their other fill-in starter after moving Verlander to Houston on Tuesday afternoon. Megill, 28, carries an ugly 5.17 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 58:39 K:BB in 71.1 innings (15 starts) this season at the major-league level.

The Phillies acquired Lorenzen from the Tigers on Tuesday in exchange for Hao-Yu Lee, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Shortly after Justin Verlander's move back to Houston, another domino fell with Lorenzen being shipped to Philadelphia. A surprise All-Star this year, Lorenzen pitched to a 3.58 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 105.2 innings with the Tigers (already his second-most innings in a major-league season). He will presumably step into the rotation for the Phillies, pushing Ranger Suarez or Cristopher Sanchez to the bullpen unless the team decides to move to a six-man rotation.

Barco (elbow) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on July 20 and has turned in a 1.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB across nine innings over his first three appearances.

Barco is technically on Triple-A Indianapolis' 60-day injured list, but once he's activated, he'll likely remain in the FCL or head to Single-A Bradenton. The 44th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, Barco didn't make his professional debut last season while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

Wacha (shoulder) faced live hitters Monday, tossing two simulated innings to minor-leaguers in San Diego, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

This was the first time Wacha has faced live hitters since he went on the injured list with right shoulder fatigue July 4. Padres manager Bob Melvin said the right-handed hurler "felt good" after the session and indicated that Wacha's next steps will be discussed after seeing how he feels Tuesday. Acee reports that San Diego hopes to slot Wacha back into the rotation during a stretch of 13 straight games without an off day that begins Aug. 11.

Wolf, Alfonso Rivas and Estuar Suero were traded from the Padres to the Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for Rich Hill and Ji-Man Choi, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Wolf, a 6-foot-7 lefty, is extremely deceptive and boasts an above-average slider, but his fastball averaged 88.9 mph in his lone big-league start earlier this year. The 24-year-old prospect has never pitched at Triple-A, but he's logged a 4.08 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 105:22 K:BB in 88.1 innings across 18 starts this year at Double-A. The Pirates will likely continue developing him as a starter for now, but his below-average fastball velocity limits his long-term upside.