MLB Player News

Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner said Tuesday that Birdsell is scheduled to undergo season-ending right elbow surgery later this week, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The exact nature of the procedure and and a timeline for his recovery won't be revealed until the surgery is completed. A shoulder/lat injury had delayed Birdsell's season debut until the second June, and once he was healthy enough to join Triple-A Iowa, he produced a 3.38 ERA and 1.32 WHIP across 18.2 innings over four appearances before getting placed on the 7-day injured list Aug. 8 due to the elbow issue.

The Rockies announced Tuesday that Senzatela will work out of the bullpen moving forward, Christian Saez of TheDNVR.com reports.

Senzatela has struggled immensely as a starter this season, posting a career-worst 7.15 ERA through 112 innings. Even more alarming is the fact that his ERA jumps up to 7.38 while pitching away from Coors Field. The 30-year-old will now move into a long-relief role in an effort to get him back on track, or at the very least, minimize the amount of damage he's able to give up in a single outing. It's unclear who will take Senzatela's place in the rotation, which is due to come up again Thursday against the Astros.

The Angels will recall Kochanowicz from Triple-A Salt Lake to start Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Kochanowicz has given up nine runs (eight earned) in just 10 innings since being sent down to Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 11, but he'll be called upon nonetheless to start Wednesday's series finale. The 24-year-old has given up at least five earned runs in three of his last four starts in the majors, so fantasy managers who are looking for streaming options will likely be better off staying away from him.

Woods Richardson (illness) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Woods Richardson has missed most of the month while recovering from a procedure to remove a parasite from his digestive tract. He's made enough progress in his recovery to make two rehab appearances in the minors, with the right-hander giving up four runs (three earned) over 5.1 innings while striking out eight batters and walking two. Though the Twins saw enough from Woods Richardson to welcome him back into the rotation, he'll likely be on a limited workload after covering 3.1 innings and 64 pitches his last time out for Triple-A St. Paul this past Thursday.

Bassitt did not factor in the decision during Tuesday's loss to Minnesota, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 5.2 innings.

Bassitt worked through five shutout innings before yielding a two-run homer to Luke Keaschall in the sixth. Bassitt was in line for his first win since July 23 before Toronto's bullpen fumbled the lead. He's struggled with his command and control lately; Bassitt has walked multiple batters in five straight outings, registering a 27:14 K:BB over 27 frames during that span. In six starts since his last win, he's produced a 5.22 ERA, raising his season mark to 4.14 over 150 innings. Bassitt is lined up to start in Cincinnati next week.

Luzardo took a no-decision Tuesday against the Mets, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in four-plus innings. He struck out five.

Luzardo made it through four scoreless innings to begin his outing, but the Mets got to him for four runs in the fifth. It was the southpaw's shortest start since July 4 against the Reds, which also disrupted his streak of five consecutive appearances of at least six innings. Luzardo has a 4.23 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 175:51 K:BB over 149 innings, and he's next set to take the ball against an Atlanta team that's slugging a pitiful .333 versus left-handed pitching since the beginning of August.

Ober did not factor in the decision during Tuesday's win over Toronto, allowing four runs on 10 hits while striking out three over five innings. He did not issue a walk.

Ober struggled early Tuesday, coughing up three runs in the first two innings. He served up two solo homers to George Springer, including one in his fifth and final inning of work. Ober is still searching for his first win since May 3 and would've fallen to 4-8 if not for a late comeback by the Twins. Since that last victory, he's 0-6 with a 5.83 ERA across 80.1 frames. For the year, Ober owns a 5.14 ERA with a 96:25 K:BB in 22 starts. He's currently projected to face the White Sox at home next week.

Manaea took a no-decision Tuesday against the Phillies, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out eight.

Tuesday was a step in the right direction for Manaea, who had given up at least four runs in each of his prior four starts. The 33-year-old left-hander has not yet tossed at least six innings in any of his first nine outings this season, though he's fanned at least six on five occasions so far. Manaea will be looking to further improve on his 5.01 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 53:8 K:BB in his next appearance, which is tentatively scheduled for this weekend versus the division-rival Marlins.

Gore (5-13) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over five innings Tuesday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Yankees.

All the damage against Gore came in the third inning when Giancarlo Stanton cleared the bases with a three-run double. Outside of that frame, only one other Yankee reached scoring position against Gore. He took his first loss since Aug. 5, and he's now 1-5 over his last eight appearances. During that span, he's produced a 7.54 ERA over 37 innings, driving his season ERA up to 4.15. Gore has walked multiple batters in three straight starts and now owns a 173:55 K:BB across 147.1 innings. He's in line for a home matchup with the Marlins next week.

Gil (2-1) allowed a run on five hits and four walks over five innings Tuesday, striking out five and earning a win over the Nationals.

Gil gave up one run in the third inning but was otherwise able to work around some traffic on the bases. He continues to struggle with his command; since making his season debut Aug. 3, Gil has walked at least three batters in four of his five appearances. However, he's allowed two or fewer runs in four consecutive outings. He generated 12 whiffs Tuesday, marking the second time he's forced double-digit swinging strikes this season. Gil is now sporting a 3.75 ERA with a lackluster 22:17 K:BB through 24 frames. He's currently lined up to face the White Sox in Chicago this weekend.