MLB Player News

Cortes (shoulder) will make a minor-league rehab appearance with Double-A Somerset on Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

This will be Cortes' second rehab outing after he pitched 2.1 innings for Somerset on Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and posting four strikeouts. Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated that the left-handed hurler will likely make one more rehab start after Friday before he's activated. That puts Cortes in line to possibly return to the big-league rotation during a road series against the White Sox that begins Aug. 7.

Mikolas was suspended for five games after throwing at Ian Happ on Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Mikolas threw back-to-back pitches at Happ after the Cubs outfielder hit Willson Contreras in the head on his backswing, leading to the right-hander's ejection. Mikolas is appealing the suspension.

The Rockies promoted Flexen from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday ahead of his start against the Athletics on Saturday, Suzie Hunter of TheDNVR.com reports.

Flexen holds a 7.71 ERA and 1.86 WHIP across 42 innings this season, but he will join a Rockies rotation that is desperate for healthy arms. Saturday will mark Flexen's fifth start of the season -- the first four came with Seattle -- and while his stats haven't been great and he will be pitching at Coors Field, he will have the benefit of facing the worst offense in the majors.

The Rockies placed Anderson on the 15-day injured list Friday with right shoulder inflammation.

Anderson holds a 6.08 ERA and 1.48 WHIP through 60.2 frames this season and will now be on the shelf for at least a couple weeks. Even with the return of Kyle Freeland (shoulder) from the injured list Friday, Colorado only has three healthy starters on its roster, meaning more moves are likely coming.

Tidwell has a 1.56 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 63.1 innings over his last 12 starts for High-A Brooklyn.

Tidwell had a couple shaky outings early in the year, but he has been a machine this summer, going at least five innings in each of his last seven starts including two seven-inning outings. His power fastball/slider combination is clearly too much for High-A hitters, so he should get a bump to Double-A before the end of the season.

Festa has a 5.15 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.44 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 62.2 innings for Double-A Wichita.

The 6-foot-6 righty has been very unlucky this year, as he has a 61.6 percent strand rate and a .360 BABIP against. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs reports that Festa has routinely touched 98 mph with his fastball this season while also showcasing an upper-80s slider and a potentially above-average changeup, and he gets good extension from his long, athletic frame to complement a deceptive short-arm delivery. He could be an option in the big-league rotation sometime next summer.

The Rockies reinstated Freeland (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Friday.

Freeland was placed on the injured list retroactive to July 13 and will now return after a minimum stay. The 30-year-old southpaw holds a 4.72 ERA through 103 innings on the season and will get to face an Oakland offense Friday that ranks last in team OPS (.655).

The Cubs recalled Wesneski from Triple-A Iowa ahead of his start Friday against St. Louis, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Wesneski has been so-so in the majors this season, posting a 4.75 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 60.2 frames. If he's able to impress against the Cardinals on Friday, there's a solid chance Wesneski remains in the Cubs' rotation long term, especially if the Cubs deal one of their top five starters ahead of the deadline. Michael Rucker was optioned to Iowa to clear a space for Wesneski.

The Cardinals recalled Liberatore from Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Liberatore holds a 6.75 ERA and 1.84 WHIP through 32 innings in the majors this season, and his stats for Memphis since being optioned July 6 haven't been much better. It's unclear whether Liberatore will work out of the bullpen or join the Cardinals' rotation, but the team seems poised to move veterans like Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty by the trade deadline, so there could be a starting role available for the 23-year-old lefty. Andrew Suarez was optioned to Memphis in a corresponding move.

Lynch received an injection in his shoulder Friday and will be shut down for 2-3 weeks, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

After suffering a setback during his bullpen session Monday, Lynch is now facing an extended absence. There is currently no timeline in place for his return, but one could come into focus once he's cleared to resume throwing in mid-August.