MLB Player News

Cubs manager David Ross said Steele would be called up from Triple-A Iowa to start Tuesday's game against the Brewers at Wrigley Field, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Steele excelled across 11 relief appearances with the Cubs earlier this season (2.03 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 21:7 K:BB in 13.1 innings), but the organization still wants to develop the 26-year-old lefty as a starter in the long term. Since being reinstated from the injured list and optioned to Triple-A in early July, Steele has impressed in his five starts for Iowa, compiling an 0.87 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 11.8 K/9 across 20.2 innings. The Cubs haven't indicated whether Steele will receive any additional starts beyond Tuesday, so he may need to turn in a quality outing against the Brewers to ensure he sticks in the rotation.

Kluber (shoulder) threw 42 pitches in a simulated game Saturday, per MLB.com.

The veteran hurler tossed 22 pitches in live batting practice Monday, and he nearly doubled that pitch count in Saturday's sim game. Kluber included cutters and sliders in the throwing session and did not appear to encounter any setbacks. Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted that Kluber pitched well but may have begun to tire toward the end of the session, which serves as a reminder that he still has obstacles to clear before rejoining the big club.

Flexen didn't factor into the decision Saturday against the Yankees after allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk across five innings. He struck out seven.

Flexen wasn't involved in the decision for the first time since June 29. The veteran right-hander has had issues with home runs, though, and he has given up at least one blast in each of his last three outings. He owns a 3.51 ERA across 41 innings since the beginning of July.

Kaprielian (shoulder) was activated from the 10-day injured list and is starting Sunday against the Rangers.

Kaprielian was placed on the shelf in late July with right shoulder inflammation, but he'll rejoin the rotation after missing little more than the 10-day minimum. The 27-year-old had a 2.65 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 73:26 K:BB over 68 innings this season prior to surrendering six runs in his last start before landing on the injured list July 27.

Ray didn't factor into the decision in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Red Sox after tossing six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while fanning five.

Ray has given up two or fewer runs in six of his last seven outings, including three in a row, and he has posted six quality starts during that span as well. The veteran has an excellent 1.85 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP across 43.2 innings since the beginning of July.

Singer (shoulder) will return from the 10-day injured list to start Wednesday versus the Yankees, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

In two rehab starts with Triple-A Omaha, Singer allowed seven runs over 4.2 innings, but he's apparently physically well enough to return this week. Kansas City will go with a six-man rotation once Singer returns, which keeps Carlos Hernandez and Daniel Lynch in starting roles while allowing some extra rest for all of the rotation members.

The Giants reinstated Gausman (personal) from the paternity list Sunday.

After leaving the team following his six-inning start Wednesday in Arizona, Gausman missed the maximum three days before the Giants added him back to the active roster. Gausman didn't miss a turn through the rotation while he welcomed his second daughter into the world, and he'll remain on track to start during the Giants' two-game series with the Diamondbacks in San Francisco that begins Tuesday.

Watkins (2-3) allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and struck out four in six innings, taking the loss Saturday versus Tampa Bay.

While the right-hander avoided issuing a walk for the first time in his six starts, it ended up not being that great of an outing. Watkins gave up home runs to Yandy Diaz and Nelson Cruz to account for three of the five runs he yielded. After a promising start to his major-league career, Watkins has now given up at least four runs in each of his last three starts, losing all of them. He has a 4.22 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 22:11 K:BB across 32 innings. He lines up for another tough matchup in Boston during next weekend's three-game series.

Gil was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to start Sunday's game against Seattle.

The 23-year-old delivered six shutout frames in his major-league debut Tuesday and will rejoin the rotation for the series finale versus the Mariners. Gil was recalled as a replacement player since the Yankees had another player test positive for COVID-19 (Anthony Rizzo), so the right-hander may be headed back to the minors after the contest, regardless of how he pitches Sunday. However, he'd be eligible for another promotion for his next potential turn through the rotation due to the rules regarding COVID-related moves.

McClanahan improved to 6-4 while limiting the Orioles to three runs on five hits and a walk over seven innings in Saturday's 12-3 win. He struck out eight in the outing, matching his career high.

The quality start was the third in a row for McClanahan, who has been earned the trust from manager Kevin Cash to work deeper into games after he failed to push past 5.1 innings in each of his preceding three starts. With Rich Hill having been dealt to the Mets ahead of the trade deadline and with Tyler Glasnow (elbow) recently ruled out from making a late-season return after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Rays will likely count on McClanahan to be a stabilizing force near the top of the rotation as the team prepares for a potential playoff run.