MLB Player News

The Cubs optioned Barnes to Triple-A Iowa on Monday.

Barnes was called up for the second time of the season Sunday, but he did not pitch in the Cubs' 6-0 loss to the Dodgers. The Cubs reinstated Phil Maton (knee) from the 15-day injured list Monday, and the big club will send Barnes back to Triple-A, where he has appeared in five games (two starts) with a 3-0 record and a 3.24 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB across 16.2 innings.

Henriquez walked two batters and struck out one in a scoreless relief inning versus the Cubs on Sunday.

After Justin Wrobleski gave the Dodgers six scoreless frames, Henriquez took the mound in the seventh. The right-hander threw only 11 of his 24 pitches for strikes and issued a pair of free passes, but he managed to escape the inning without being scored upon. Henriquez has flashed big-time heat again this season, as his fastball velocity is averaging 100.5 mph. That hasn't yet led to massive strikeout numbers -- he has a 9:5 K:BB through 8.1 frames spanning nine outings -- but Henriquez does seem to have established a low-leverage role in the Dodgers bullpen. He doesn't have a hold or a save on his ledger, but over his past six appearances he's yielded only one earned run across 5.1 innings.

Priester (wrist) struck out two and allowed zero hits and issued three walks across 2.1 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Nashville.

Though he emerged from his second minor-league outing with a solid box-score line, Priester once again struggled to find the strike zone. After spotting just 12 of 29 pitches for strikes in his first outing with Nashville on Wednesday, Priester was even more inefficient Sunday (18 strikes on 45 pitches). The right-hander's velocity was also down in Sunday's appearance, with his sinker topping out at 92 miles per hour after averaging 93.2 mph with the Brewers in the 2025 regular season. Though Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy previously said that the 25-year-old would need at least three starts in the minors before coming off the 15-day injured list, Priester's shaky control through his first two rehab outings suggests he'll likely need more time than that to shake off the rust as he works his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome.

Strider (oblique) struck out seven and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks across five innings Sunday in a rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett.

In what was likely the third and final start of his rehab assignment, Strider delivered another strong outing to convince Atlanta that he's ready to return from the 15-day injured list. The 27-year-old built up to 82 pitches (50 strikes) Sunday, inducing 16 whiffs while maxing out at 96.9 miles per hour with his fastball. Assuming his oblique checks out fine following his next bullpen session, Strider will tentatively line up to make his season debut with Atlanta during its upcoming weekend series in Colorado.

Lodolo (finger) allowed two hits and struck out seven over five scoreless innings for High-A Dayton on Sunday.

Lodolo, who's been on the 15-day injured list since Opening Day due to a blister, kicked off a second rehab assignment Sunday. The left-hander was sharp, throwing 39 strikes among his 51 pitches. His first rehab was cut short when the blister resurfaced as he tried to throw a slider during a start for Dayton on April 2, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. There was no data or reporting on how many sliders Lodolo used Sunday.

Dollander (3-2) gave up five hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven shutout innings to earn the win in Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Mets.

This was Dollander's first start of the season, and he delivered his best outing yet. He's allowed one run or less over each of his last six games, five of which have been multi-inning performances. The right-hander appears to be fully stretched out after throwing 105 pitches (63 strikes) in this start, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him stick in the rotation. Over seven appearances spanning 32 innings, Dollander has a 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB this season. His next outing is projected to be a tough test at home against Atlanta.

Senga (0-4) took the loss in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Rockies. He allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one over 2.2 innings.

Senga was pulled in the third inning. He allowed a two-run home run to Hunter Goodman in that frame and put more traffic on the bases before Carl Edwards was brought in for mop-up duty. Senga landed 30 of 50 pitches for strikes in this outing, but he continues to struggle -- this was his third straight start that lasted less than four innings, and he's given up five homers in that span. For the season, he has a 9.00 ERA, 1.95 WHIP and 23:13 K:BB across 20 innings over five starts. Senga is tentatively projected to make his next start against the Angels, but it's unclear how much longer the Mets will tolerate his struggles on the mound, as it already looks like he's operating on a short leash.

McLean (1-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out seven over five-plus innings to take the loss in Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Rockies.

McLean was charged with a single run in the fourth and sixth innings, though the second run on his line came after Huascar Brazoban allowed an inherited runner to score. This was tied for McLean's shortest start of the season, but he's yet to give up more than three runs in any of his six outings, and he's logged at least seven strikeouts on five occasions. He's at a 2.55 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 45:10 K:BB through 35.1 innings. McLean's next outing is projected to be on the road versus the Angels, though wins could remain tough to come by if the Mets don't give him better run support.

Quintana (1-2) allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings to earn the win in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Mets.

Quintana's start was pushed back a day by Saturday's rainout. He ended up having his best outing of the season, limiting the damage to a fifth-inning solo shot by Tyrone Taylor. While three of Quintana's four starts have come on the road, he still has an uninspiring 4.91 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 9:11 K:BB across 18.1 innings this season. That doesn't bode well for when he sees a steadier stretch of time at Coors Field. Quintana is tentatively projected for a brutal matchup at home against Atlanta in his next start.

Nelson did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings against the Padres. He struck out four.

Nelson was hit hard by the Padres in this neutral-site matchup at hitter-friendly Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu, serving up a pair of homers to Manny Machado. An offensive outburst from the Diamondbacks spared Nelson from taking the loss, but the right-hander's numbers are trending in the wrong direction. After posting a 3.54 ERA and 1.03 WHIP through his first five starts, the 28-year-old has allowed 14 runs over his past two outings and now owns a 7.71 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 25.2 innings. He'll look to get back on track in his next start, tentatively scheduled for Saturday against the Cubs.