MLB Player News

The Pirates placed Brubaker on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right thumb contusion, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Pittsburgh reinstated Bryse Wilson (arm) from the IL in a corresponding move, and he'll immediately join the rotation as a replacement for Brubaker to start Wednesday's series finale versus Arizona. Brubaker's injury isn't believed to be serious and shouldn't keep him out much longer that the minimum amount of time. The right-hander could probably benefit from a brief hiatus, given that he's posted a 7.88 ERA and 1.62 WHIP while allowing 10 home runs in 32.2 innings over his seven starts since the All-Star break.

DeGrom (elbow) played catch off flat ground Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

DeGrom was expected to remain idle for at least a few more days after he was sent in for an MRI earlier Wednesday, and although the results of his tests aren't yet known, he apparently received positive enough news to start throwing again for the first time since late July. While deGrom's activity Wednesday represents a step in the right direction, the two-time Cy Young winner still has several hurdles to clear in the recovery process from the right elbow injury before a target date for his return is established. Since the Mets moved deGrom to the 60-day injured list Friday, he won't be eligible to return to action until Sept. 13 at the earliest.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said Kim could be a candidate to start Sunday's game in Pittsburgh after Jack Flaherty (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

After Miles Mikolas (forearm) recently beat him back from the IL to fill the final opening in the rotation, Kim shifted to the bullpen upon being cleared to return from his bout with left elbow inflammation over the weekend. When Flaherty's strained shoulder forced him to exit Tuesday's loss to the Tigers after two innings, Kim was one of several relievers the Cardinals called upon to finish out the contest. Since he covered 2.2 innings and tossed 45 pitches in that outing, Kim should be reasonably stretched out if the Cardinals elect to give him the ball Sunday.

Urias (calf) (14-3) earned the win Tuesday against the Padres after tossing five scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while fanning four.

Urias was activated from the injured list just before Tuesday's outing and he delivered another strong showing, as he's now allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last six starts. The left-hander is having a career-best season but has been particularly effective following the All-Star break, posting a 1.88 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP across 38.1 innings in that span.

Marquez will start Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Cubs.

Marquez was initially slated to start Tuesday's game against Chicago before the contest was postponed due to inclement weather. Austin Gomber will take the mound in Wednesday's matinee before Marquez starts the second game.

Burnes didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Reds after allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks across six innings, striking out five.

Burnes has been excellent during most of the season, and while he didn't have his best stuff in this one, it's worth noting this is just the second time he allows more than three earned runs since June 25, a span of 10 outings and 64.1 innings. The right-hander owns a 2.18 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and a 52:11 K:BB through 45.1 innings since the All-Star break.

Lorenzen (0-1) was tagged with the loss in relief Tuesday against the Brewers after allowing four runs on three hits and a walk in one-third of an inning.

Lorenzen had logged 12 straight scoreless outings and hadn't allowed a single run before melting down in this one. He entered the game with a 4-1 lead, and by the time he departed the mound, the Brewers were up 5-4 and held the lead the rest of the way. As a result, his ERA spiked to 2.63 -- though given it was just the case of one bad outing, fantasy managers shouldn't be overly concerned and should continue trusting the seven-year veteran.

Mahle didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Brewers after tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and a walk while fanning eight.

Mahle has given up two or fewer runs in three of his last four starts and has fanned at least seven three times over that stretch as well, so he's been pitching well in recent weeks. He owns a 3.64 ERA while posting two quality starts across five appearances this month, a span in which he's also recorded an impressive 10.6 K/9.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said Flaherty is dealing with a strained right shoulder and will be placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

After missing two and a half months with an oblique strain, Flaherty returned from the IL on Aug. 13 and lasted three starts before going down with another injury. Fortunately for Flaherty, the tests he underwent after exiting Tuesday's loss to the Tigers revealed no structural damage to his shoulder, but the right-hander still looks like far from a safe bet to make it back from the IL in the minimum 10 days. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Flaherty had been nursing soreness in the shoulder heading into Tuesday's start and felt fine heading into the contest, only for the shoulder to stiffen up on him between the first and second inning. The Cardinals will likely keep him on a no-throw program for several days before re-evaluating him.

Brubaker (5-13) earned the win against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, firing five scoreless innings during which he allowed four hits and three walks while striking out six.

He struggled again with his efficiency, compiling 86 pitches (54 for strikes). The righty went to his slider (40.7 percent) more frequently than on average (34 percent), collecting his highest swinging-strikes total (14) since May. Considering his injury history and increase in year-over innings pitched -- he's totaled 121.1 IP after throwing 47.1 IP in 2020 -- it wouldn't be surprising to see the Pirates shut him down prior to season's end.