MLB Player News

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his flexor tendon and address UCL damage in his left elbow, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Counsell didn't go into specifics regarding the extent of the UCL damage, but if Steele requires a Tommy John surgery or internal brace procedure, his availability for the start of the 2026 season would also be affected. Steele was initially hopeful for a minimum-length stay on the 15-day injured list after he was deactivated Wednesday due to what the Cubs termed as left elbow tendinitis, but a more significant injury was detected after he received two medical opinions on his arm. With Steele now done for the rest of the 2025 season, the Cubs should have permanent spots in the rotation available for both Ben Brown and Colin Rea, at least until Javier Assad (oblique) is back from the IL.

Greene (2-1) earned the win against the Pirates on Sunday. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out eight across seven scoreless innings.

Greene got off to a bit of a rocky start after allowing a double and a walk in the first inning, but he was able to escape the frame without allowing a run. He yielded one more hit in the second inning, but he proceeded to retire the next 17 batters he faced and extended his scoreless streak to 18.2 innings in the process. Greene generated 18 first-pitch strikes and 16 whiffs across 98 pitches (71 strikes), and the 25-year-old right-hander has started the season with a 0.98 ERA and 0.58 WHIP across 27.2 innings, with his 31 strikeouts ranking second in the National League behind MacKenzie Gore (32). Greene is tentatively slated to face the Orioles on the road next weekend, when he'll look to earn his third straight win.

Sproat gave up one run on two hits and two walks over 4.1 innings in Saturday's start for Triple-A Syracuse.

After a bumpy first outing this season, Sproat has bounced back to post an 8:2 K:BB over his last two starts and 8.1 innings for Syracuse. The 24-year-old righty tossed 75 pitches (51 strikes) in Saturday's appearance, and while he'll need to be more efficient before he'll be a real option for a spot start with the Mets, he's making progress toward his big-league debut.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Bello (shoulder) will make at least one more rehab start for Triple-A Worcester, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Bello made a third rehab start Friday, reaching 64 pitches and four innings. "He was OK. He was good," Cora said of Bello, who allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out five batters Friday. "Now, we'll see how he recovers today. There's definitely one more. Definitely." There are some weather issues forecasted for Worcester's upcoming road trip, which could impact when Bello next takes the mound, but Boston's injury-ravaged rotation could use him as soon as possible with Richard Fitts (pectoral) being the latest starter to hit the IL on Sunday. Bello is tentatively scheduled to pitch Wednesday, which would put him on a path to return to the Red Sox during a series against the Mariners at Fenway Park from April 22-24.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Sunday that Festa will start Wednesday against the Mets, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Festa was called up from Triple-A St. Paul to start Friday with Pablo Lopez (hamstring) on the injured list. He performed well, allowing one unearned run in 4.2 innings with four strikeouts in a no-decision against the Tigers. The Twins had said they planned to give two starters extra rest this week ahead of a long stretch of consecutive games, so Festa could be in line for just one more start in the majors before returning to Triple-A. However, with the Twins possibly shaking up the roster after a sluggish start to the season, it's possible the right-hander could remain in the majors with another strong outing.

The Red Sox placed Fitts on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right pectoral strain, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Fitts was removed from Saturday's 3-2 loss to the White Sox in the sixth inning when he experienced pain in his shoulder. The Red Sox haven't provided a timeline for his return, but given the nature of his injury, Fitts will likely need more than the minimum 15 days. Boston selected the contract of right-hander Michael Fulmer from Triple-A Worcester to provide some bullpen depth in the short term, but long reliever Josh Winckowski or Triple-A starters Cooper Criswell or Hunter Dobbins would appear to be the most likely candidates to fill Fitts' spot in the rotation.

Schmidt (shoulder) will return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Royals, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The Yankees will wait until Wednesday to officially reinstate Schmidt from the IL, but he's been given the green light to make his 2025 debut after turning in a pair of strong rehab starts at Double-A Somerset. In his most recent outing Thursday, Schmidt struck out four over four scoreless innings while allowing three hits and and no walks. He tossed 61 pitches in that start, and while Schmidt will likely have his workload monitored closely Wednesday, he should be capable of reaching five innings if he's efficient.

Hill has a 2.45 ERA and 13:2 K:BB in 7.1 innings through his first two starts for Single-A Fort Myers. He reached 97.2 mph with his sinker during the outing, Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com reports.

Hill, the 69th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, had an aggressive placement at Single-A out of high school to begin the season, and the initial results are encouraging. If the velocity gains he's showed hold up, the 19-year-old could move up prospect lists quickly.

Atlanta optioned Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday.

Though Atlanta won't welcome Spencer Strider (elbow) back from the 15-day injured list until next week, Smith-Shawver will head to the minors now, with the team electing to proceed with Bryce Elder as its No. 5 starter. Smith-Shawver went 0-2 with a 4.61 ERA and 1.98 WHIP while issuing eight walks and striking out 17 over 13.2 innings, but an elevated .447 BABIP and 16.7 HR/FB% suggest that he likely would have been due for some positive regression. The 22-year-old could be back in the majors quickly if Elder struggles, or another rotation spot opens up due to injury.

Baz will no longer start Sunday's game against Atlanta as planned and will instead make his next turn through the rotation Monday versus the Red Sox in Tampa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays are in the midst of a busy period in their schedule, so the team has elected to temporarily add a sixth man to the rotation. Joe Boyle was recalled from Triple-A Durham and will take the hill Sunday, and he will either shift to the bullpen or head back to the minors after the game. Baz now lines up for two starts during the upcoming week, with his second turn potentially coming next Saturday at home versus the Yankees.