MLB Player News

The Pirates will activate Shugart (knee) from the 15-day injured list before Monday's game in Milwaukee, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Shugart has been shelved since early July with left knee inflammation but is ready to go after making three rehab appearances. He will likely fill a middle-relief role.

The Pirates will option Moreta to Triple-A Indianapolis prior to Monday's game in Milwaukee, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

He'll give up his spot in the bullpen and on the 26-man active roster to Chase Shugart (knee), who will be reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Moreta has pitched well during his five appearances with the Pirates this season, allowing two runs with a 7:1 K:BB over 4.2 innings.

Brown is slated to start Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Brown was moved to the bullpen after the Cubs acquired Michael Soroka ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, but Brown will temporarily move back into the rotation after Soroka strained his right shoulder in his team debut during last Monday's 3-2 loss to the Reds and landed on the injured list. In that same game, Brown came on in long relief and struck out five over four innings, so he should be stretched out enough to handle a typical starter's workload Tuesday. Brown may be in line for just one turn through the rotation, as Jameson Taillon (calf) and Javier Assad (oblique) are both in the midst of rehab assignments and could be ready to return from the IL the next time a fifth starter is needed.

Lodolo (finger) played catch Sunday, MLB.com reports.

After landing on the injured list Tuesday due to a blister on his left index finger, Lodolo has now resumed throwing. He's eligible for activation Aug. 20, but Lodolo still has multiple checkpoints to hit in his recovery from the blister before rejoining the Cincinnati rotation.

Hayes went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 14-8 win over the Pirates.

Hayes initiated the Reds' four-run third inning when he doubled and scored the club's first run. After an initial surge upon joining Cincinnati at the trade deadline, Hayes is slumping with just two hits in his last 19 at-bats.

Alexander went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 13-6 win over Colorado.

Alexander logged a third straight multi-hit game and has reached base safely in all nine contests since taking over as the primary starter at third base. He's gone 12-for-31 (.387) with two doubles, two home runs, five walks, seven RBI and five runs since the Diamondbacks traded Eugenio Suarez.

The Cardinals are considering using Leahy as part of piggyback starts down the stretch with Andre Pallante and/or Matthew Liberatore, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals already have plans for Leahy to prepare this offseason to enter spring training as a starting pitcher, and the righty could get a jump-start on that preparation if the team opts to employ him in a piggyback role during the final two months of this season. Manager Oliver Marmol said there are currently no plans for piggyback starts, but it's being discussed as the club seeks to keep the workloads of Pallante and Liberatore in check. Leahy has been used exclusively as a reliever so far at the major-league level, but he'll often pitch multiple innings at a time and has past experience as a starter in the minors.

Keller, who logged 1.1 scoreless innings in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals, has now recorded eight straight scoreless appearances.

Across those eight appearances, Keller has covered 9.1 innings and struck out 11 batters while allowing just one hit and two walks. It's been a great stretch for the veteran righty, who has been solid all season with a 2.63 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 8.9 K/9 across 51.1 innings out of the Chicago bullpen. Keller is firmly entrenched as one of the Cubs' top setup options ahead of closer Daniel Palencia.

Swanson went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Swanson extended his hitting streak to four games, and he has five hits across his last two contests. The Chicago shortstop is now slashing .252/.299/.416 with 18 home runs, 55 RBI and 66 runs scored across 115 games this season, which are in line with his stats from last year. Swanson has also swiped nine bases, though that's a step back at this point after he stole 19 bases in 2024.

Marte went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 13-6 win over the Rockies.

Marte singled home a run in the second inning and then contributed a two-run double as part of the Diamondbacks' eight-run fifth inning. Since returning from a personal leave following the All-Star break, Marte is slashing .292/.387/.446 with six extra-base hits, eight RBI and 11 runs scored over 17 games.