MLB Player News

Wheeler (forearm) is expected to throw a bullpen session this weekend, and if all goes well, he could be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday against the Marlins, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The veteran right-hander landed on the shelf last week with forearm tendinitis, but he may be looking at a minimum-length stay on the IL. If Wheeler is able to return next week, he may not have any significant workload limitations given the brevity of his absence.

Steele (back/personal) is expected to start Tuesday against the Reds, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Steele exited his start against the Brewers on Friday due to low-back tightness and is on the restricted list for the Cubs' series in Toronto that concludes Wednesday. The southpaw will get some extra time to rest upon his return from the restricted list, but he'll likely return to the mound for Tuesday's series opener against the Reds at Wrigley Field.

Megill (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Double-A Binghamton, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Megill threw live batting practice Monday and apparently fared well since he was cleared to start up the rehab assignment. The right-hander shouldn't require a particularly lengthy rehab stint since he's slated to pitch out of the Mets' bullpen once he's back to full health.

Dunn experienced shoulder tightness during his start in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Cardinals, but Reds manager David Bell expects the right-hander to make his next turn through the rotation Sept. 6 against the Cubs, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

After two straight solid starts, Dunn was on his way to another quality outing Tuesday before he was pulled after four innings, when he began to show a dip in velocity. He was still able to escape the start relatively unscathed, taking a no-decision and striking out four while allowing one run on three hits and no walks. Though it's somewhat concerning that Dunn's shoulder is acting up again after it kept him on the 60-day injured list through the All-Star break, the Reds seemingly have confidence that he'll be ready to go after a few days of rest. His status for the series opener with the Cubs should be solidified based on how his shoulder responds to a throwing session over the weekend.

Farrell is slated to start Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Due to a doubleheader with the Cardinals early last week, Farrell was summoned from Triple-A Iowa to join the Cubs as a temporary sixth starter. After giving up one run over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against St. Louis last Wednesday, Farrell made a relief appearance in Milwaukee over the weekend, but he'll be needed in the rotation once again for the series finale in Toronto because scheduled starter Justin Steele wasn't able to enter Canada due to his vaccination status. Steele had been day-to-day with a back injury coming out of his most recent appearance, but assuming the lefty is ready to slot back into the rotation next week, Farrell could find himself back in the bullpen or at Triple-A following Wednesday's start.

The Marlins reinstated Rogers (back) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday against the Rays at LoanDepot Park, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Rogers will be making his first start for Miami in more than a month after he was sidelined with lower-back spasms. The southpaw was roughed up in his first three minor-league rehab starts, but everything clicked for him in his most recent outing Aug. 25 with Triple-A Jacksonville. In that outing, Rogers punched out 12 over six no-hit innings while tossing 58 of his 87 pitches for strikes. The jump from the majors from Triple-A is a significant one, but Rogers will look to build on the excellent showing with Jacksonville as he attempts to salvage something from what has been a highly disappointing season for the 2021 All-Star.

The Nationals placed Cavalli (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

The rookie's move to the IL was fully expected after manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday that Cavalli was diagnosed with inflammation in his right shoulder after experiencing discomfort while playing catch a few days ago. Cavalli will be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks, and if he fails to show much meaningful improvement during the idle period, his 2022 season could be over. Even if Cavalli is able to start ramping up again by mid-September, he likely won't have enough time to get stretched back out for a starting role and could end up pitching out of the Washington bullpen.

The Pirates reinstated Brubaker (personal) from the paternity list Wednesday.

Brubaker missed his scheduled start Monday after landing on the paternity list, but he should be ready to rejoin the Pirates' rotation for this weekend's series versus the Blue Jays once he completes a bullpen session. Pittsburgh optioned reliever Eric Stout to Triple-A Indianapolis to clear room on the 26-man active roster for Brubaker.

Alexander took a no-decision while giving up one earned run on three hits and a walk over five innings in a 4-2 loss to the Pirates on Tuesday. He struck out six.

Alexander took advantage of his start against the weak Pirates lineup to reach five innings in an outing for the first time since July 17. The rookie has been shuttling between the minors and the big leagues lately and had previously worked out of the bullpen this month before garnering the start Tuesday over Adrian Houser, who was roughed up last week in his return from the injured list. Alexander threw 59 pitches Tuesday and looked in control throughout the night. According to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, Milwaukee lists Alexander as its starting pitcher for Sunday's game in Arizona, so he'll get at least one more chance to build on the strong showing against Pittsburgh and make a case for a more permanent rotation spot.

Luzardo (3-6) took the loss Tuesday as the Marlins fell 7-2 to the Rays, giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out four.

The southpaw's own defensive miscue in the fifth inning allowed him to escape with his third straight quality start, but this might have been Luzardo's shakiest performance since he returned to the rotation at the beginning of August. Despite Tuesday's stumble, he still wraps up the month with a 2.97 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 32:9 K:BB through 36.1 innings.