MLB Player News

Assad is expected to move to the bullpen later this week with Jameson Taillon (groin) set to return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game in Atlanta, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Assad has made five starts for the Cubs this season after recovering from a strained oblique, turning in a 4.62 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 25.1 innings. However, Taillon's imminent return leaves Chicago with a full rotation that also includes Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea. Assad pitched well in a swingman role back in 2023, when he compiled a 3.05 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over 109.1 innings across 10 starts and 22 relief appearances. The righty will likely once again give the Cubs some length out of the bullpen, and he's capable of making a spot start if needed.

Watson, who was promoted to Double-A Binghamton on Aug. 25, has a 2.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 128:56 K:BB in 111.2 innings across three levels of the minors this season.

A seventh-round selection out of USC in 2024, Watson spent the bulk of the year dominating for High-A Brooklyn (1.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 18.9 K-BB%) before getting the late-season promotion to Double-A. He has given up seven earned runs on 11 hits and seven walks while striking out eight in 8.2 innings across his first two appearances at Double-A. Watson's velocity has jumped in pro ball, with his fastball now sitting 93-95 mph (touches 97 mph) and playing up due to the ride he gets out of a lower arm slot. His changeup is his best secondary offering while his slider is a fine third pitch. He worked as a reliever at times in college and it's still unclear if he'll throw enough strikes to make it as a starter in the big leagues, but Watson's run at High-A should buy him more developmental time in the rotation.

With Daniel Palencia (shoulder) landing on the injured list Monday, Kittredge is an option to see more high-leverage work at the end of games, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Sharma notes that Chicago manager Craig Counsell is likely to deploy a committee approach to the ninth inning with Palencia out, rather than settle on a single closer. Kittredge is in that mix, though fellow righty Brad Keller might be a bit ahead of him in the bullpen pecking order and is probably the favorite for saves at the moment. The Cubs also have Caleb Thielbar and Drew Pomeranz as options from the left side. Kittredge probably will get a bump in fantasy value with Palencia out, but it remains to be seen exactly what the former's role will be.

Ramirez is hitting .278 with eight home runs, 28 steals and a 15.2 percent strikeout rate in 127 games for Double-A Knoxville.

The switch-hitting infielder has split the year between second and third base for the Smokies, and while he hasn't hit for much power (.108 ISO, .386 SLG), Ramirez has still been 17 percent better than the average Southern League hitter while being the fifth-youngest qualified hitter in the league. He cut his groundball rate from 53.8 percent at High-A last year to 48.9 percent this year at Double-A, but that rate is still too high if Ramirez is to get the most out of his raw power. Ramirez may begin his big-league career as a reserve infielder, but his speed and contact skill make him worth tracking in dynasty leagues.

Koss went 2-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a double in Monday's 11-5 win over the Diamondbacks.

Koss did most of his damage in the sixth inning, hitting a two-run double to right field before coming around to score. The 27-year-old infielder drew the start at second base after going four consecutive games without a plate appearance, delivering his 10th multi-hit performance of the season. He's slashing .258/.299/.361 with 20 RBI, 19 runs scored, three home runs and three stolen bases across 170 plate appearances in 67 games during the 2025 campaign.

Betts went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Monday's 3-1 win against Colorado.

Betts didn't reach base in any of his first three plate appearances but came up big when most needed. The talented shortstop laced a single to center field with two outs in the seventh inning to plate two runs and break a 1-1 tie. Betts probably doesn't have enough time left in the regular season to avoid finishing with a career-worst OPS -- he's at .712 through Monday, far below the .803 mark he posted with Boston in 2017. With that said, Betts has been hitting well for over a month. Across his past 30 contests, he has a .328/.391/.504 slash line with five home runs, 19 RBI, 21 runs and a 12:8 BB:K.

Encarnacion (hamstring) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, going 0-for-4 as the designated hitter in a 2-1 extra-inning loss to Las Vegas.

Encarnacion was placed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 8 (retroactive to Aug. 7) due to a strained right hamstring, though he is seemingly nearing a return to the big leagues. The 27-year-old has appeared in two rehab games with Sacramento this month, batting 0-for-7 over that span. He has dealt with multiple injuries this season -- including a strained left oblique and a fractured left hand -- appearing in just 10 big-league outings. During that span, Encarnacion has recorded a .167/.167/.400 slash line with two home runs, a double and a stolen base across 30 plate appearances. He's expected to return to the majors before the end of the regular season.

Eagen has a 3.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 16:9 K:BB in 14.1 innings across three starts for Double-A Amarillo.

Eagen, a third-round pick in 2024, logged a 2.49 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 132:41 K:BB in 97.2 innings for High-A Hillsboro before getting promoted to Double-A on Aug. 19. He capped his run at High-A in impressive fashion, striking out 21 over 13 scoreless innings in his final two starts for the Hops. His performance at Double-A has been uneven, and his walk issues from earlier in the year have popped back up. The 6-foot-4 righty works in the low 90s with his four-seamer, but the pitch has excellent movement and plays better than its velocity. Eagen's low-80s curveball is his top put-away pitch, and he'll mix in a solid slider and seldom-used changeup. Eagen is up to 112 total innings in what has been a highly-successful debut season.

Montas will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

A full UCL repair had been considered likely, and now it's official. The operation will likely sideline Montas until the 2027 campaign. Montas proved to be a disastrous investment for the Mets, posting a 6.28 ERA in seven starts and two relief appearances, and he will now undoubtedly exercise a $17 million player option for 2026.

Davidson is hitting .305 with four home runs, two steals and a 20.3 percent strikeout rate over his last 13 games for Double-A Richmond.

A toolsy 23-year-old outfielder, Davidson comfortably handled High-A pitching to the tune of a .309/.412/.507 slash line, 10 homers and 12 steals in 72 games while being old for the level before getting promoted to Double-A on July 16. He got off to a slower start after the jump in competition, but he's closing the season strong. Davidson is on track to return to Double-A next year before spending the summer at Triple-A. He is flirting with a 20/20 season, sitting at 17 homers and 19 steals in 111 total games.