MLB Player News

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said that Jones (elbow) made use of all of his pitches during his most recent live batting practice session April 6, MLB.com reports.

Jones has been conducting his rehab from UCL surgery at the Pirates' facility in Florida, but he has returned to Pittsburgh this week and is scheduled to throw a side session in front of the coaching and medical staffs Tuesday, per Chris Halicke of DKPittsburghSports.com. The Pirates haven't revealed a timeline for when Jones might be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment, but he could be ready to take that step soon since he's been able to face hitters in live BP for nearly two months. Jones won't be eligible for activation from the 60-day injured list until late May and will likely need close to the entire 30-day window to build up his pitch count during his rehab assignment.

Saggese is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Guardians.

Nathan Church will replace Saggese in the starting nine after the 24-year-old had been included in the lineup in nine of the previous 10 contests while seeing time at three different positions. Saggese owns a .614 OPS on the season, but he slashed .350/.381/.450 over his last six games.

Waldichuk, who was placed on the 15-day injured list earlier Monday, is set to receive a second medical opinion on his left forearm injury after a doctor recommended him for Tommy John surgery, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Waldichuk previously underwent the procedure in May 2024, resulting in him missing that entire season before he returned to action in the minors last June. The southpaw struggled at the Triple-A level in 2025 but was able to make enough of an impression in spring training to secure a spot in the Nationals' Opening Day bullpen, only to go down with the forearm injury during his appearance in Sunday's win over the Brewers. Given the lengthy recovery timeline for Tommy John surgery along with the murky track record of pitchers who have had the procedure twice, Waldichuk is likely eager to avoid another operation and hoping that treating the injury with rest and rehab is a feasible option. Regardless of what treatment plan he ultimately chooses, Waldichuk appears to be headed for an extended absence.

Ballesteros is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies.

After a string of five consecutive starts, the left-handed-hitting Ballesteros will take a seat while the Cubs face a tough lefty (Cristopher Sanchez) in the series opener in Philadelphia. Seiya Suzuki will get a day off from playing the outfield and will step in as the Cubs' designated hitter in place of Ballesteros.

Busch is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies.

Though Busch broke a 0-for-30 drought at the plate a pinch-hit RBI single in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Pirates, he'll open a second straight game on the bench. With southpaw Cristopher Sanchez on the bump for the Phillies, the Cubs will add an extra right-handed bat to the lineup and deploy Carson Kelly at first base in place of the left-handed-hitting Busch.

Pushard (knee) will head to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Pushed tossed a 20-pitch bullpen session Sunday and came out of it with no issues, clearing the way for him to pitch in rehab games. The rookie reliever is working his way back from right knee patellar tendinitis.

'Assad will start Monday's game against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Added to the rotation last week following the placements of Matthew Boyd (biceps) and Cade Horton (forearm) on the injured list, Assad acquitted himself well in his first start of 2026, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings while striking out three and allowing three baserunners in a win over the Rays. Boyd could be ready to return from the IL this weekend when first eligible, but if Assad can come through with another strong outing Monday, he may end up sticking in the rotation as the Cubs' No. 5 starter over Colin Rea.

House is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.

Over his last five starts, House has gone 2-for-20 with one walk and six strikeouts, so the Nationals will give him a chance to clear his head as the team opens a four-game set against the Pirates. Jorbit Vivas will fill in for House at third base.

Winn (shin) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Monday's game versus the Guardians.

Winn missed each of the previous two contests with a bruised shin, but he's made enough improvement to step back into the lineup for Monday's series opener. The slick-fielding shortstop has yet to get on track offensively this season, having registered a .154/.298/.205 batting line with no home runs, two steals and a 6:8 BB:K.

The Cardinals designated Shuster for assignment Monday.

Shuster made a couple mop-up appearances for St. Louis, allowing two runs with a 1:2 K:BB over 3.2 innings. The lefty has been outrighted previously, so if he passes through waivers -- which seems likely -- Shuster would have the ability to elect free agency.