MLB Player News

Steele will start Monday's series opener in San Diego, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Steele was initially projected to start Saturday against the Dodgers, but the Cubs altered their pitching plans after Friday's matchup was postponed. The southpaw will get a few extra days of rest before taking the mound on the road against the Padres. Over his first five starts in 2022, Steele has posted a 5.50 ERA and 1.89 WHIP in 18 innings.

Heaney (shoulder) has joined the Dodgers in Chicago and will start a throwing progression this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Heaney has been shut down since April 20 due to his shoulder injury, but he'll begin his throwing progression by playing catch this weekend. While the southpaw will still have to ramp up his workload before he's in the mix to return to game action, it's encouraging that he'll be able to throw off flat ground. Tyler Anderson should remain in the starting rotation while Heaney is sidelined.

Lodolo (back) was examined Friday night and it was determined he wasn't ready to rejoin the rotation, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

According to manager David Bell, there is no timetable for Lodolo's return. Back issues can be tricky, especially with tall pitchers like Lodolo, who is 6-foot-6. He was originally going to get a great matchup this weekend against the Pirates, but now it's unclear when he will be ready to rejoin the rotation. We should get a clearer idea whenever he resumes a throwing program.

Cobb didn't factor into the decision during Friday's 3-2 loss to St. Louis, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk with eight strikeouts in five innings.

Making his second start since returning from the IL, Cobb retired the first 10 Cardinals but slowed down from there with the outing ending in a two-run Harrison Bader home run. Manager Gabe Kapler opted to pull Cobb after the fifth despite a reasonable 74 pitches, meaning the 34-year-old has now failed to surpass five innings in each of his four starts. He'll carry a 4.80 ERA and 1.53 WHIP into his next start, tentatively slated to come Wednesday against Colorado.

Miley (elbow) will throw a bullpen session in the coming days and the next step is to be determined, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

He threw four shutout innings while allowing two hits and zero walks with three strikeouts Thursday at Triple-A, so it would seem things are progressing in the right direction. Miley could be nearing a return to the big-league rotation, or he could make another rehab start.

Smyly (personal) was activated from the bereavement list prior to Saturday's start against the Dodgers, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Smyly had been away from the team since Tuesday, but he'll start the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. The southpaw is officially serving as the 27th man for the twin bill but should remain in the rotation following Saturday's outing.

Alcantara (2-2) was handed the loss during Friday's 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Padres, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

Alcantara breezed through three innings after surrendering one run in the first, but he was tagged for two more runs in the fifth on three hits and an error. The 26-year-old has prevented runs well enough -- two or fewer permitted in five of six starts -- but efficiency has been an issue. He's gone fewer than six innings in half his starts after being one of four pitchers with 200 innings last season. He'll look to get back in the win column against Arizona next week.

Strider gave up four hits and struck out eight over four scoreless innings of relief but didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Brewers.

Entering the game after opener Jesse Chavez had coughed up two runs in the first inning, Strider shut down the Milwaukee offense and gave Atlanta a chance to tie the game up. Unfortunately, as soon as the rookie right-hander exited after firing 69 pitches (50 strikes), the Brewers' bats got rolling again. Strider battled some control issues in April, walking multiple batters in three straight appearances, but he appears to be tightening things up and has 13 strikeouts against only one walk over his last two outings and 7.2 innings. Atlanta has struggled to find a consistent fifth starter so far this season, but Strider could soon get a look in the rotation given his recent improvements. On the season, he sports a 2.16 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB through 16.2 innings.

Lauer (3-0) picked up the win Friday, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks over 6.1 innings in a 6-3 victory over Atlanta. He struck out eight.

The southpaw tossed 94 pitches (59 strikes) as he reeled off his fourth straight quality start. The three free passes were a season high for Lauer and he did serve up another homer, his fourth in 29.2 innings on the year, but it's hard to argue with the career-high 36.2 percent strikeout rate he's compiled so far. Lauer will take a 1.82 ERA and 0.94 WHIP into his next outing.

Darvish (3-1) recorded the win during Friday's 3-2 victory over Miami, allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts in seven innings.

Though Darvish didn't have his most dominant stuff, San Diego jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and a Jesus Aguilar home run was the only offense Miami could manage. Aside from a blow-up outing against San Francisco on April 12, the 35-year-old has registered five quality starts totaling 31.2 innings while permitting only six runs. San Diego is currently going with a six-man rotation, so Darvish tentatively lines up to face Atlanta on Friday.