MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Kim (shoulder) could be cleared to take live batting practice by the end of the week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kim has resumed taking part in most baseball activities since landing on the injured list July 29 due to left shoulder bursitis, but facing live pitching is the final hurdle he'll need to clear before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. The rookie infielder appears to be tracking toward a return from the IL at some point in late August and could be in line for regular playing time at the keystone if he's able to beat Tommy Edman (ankle) back from the shelf.

Yates (back) is scheduled to face hitters in live batting practice Wednesday in Anaheim, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that if all goes well in Yates' upcoming live session, the right-handed reliever could be cleared to head out on a rehab assignment. Yates has been on the shelf since Aug. 1 due to lower back pain and will likely need just one or two rehab appearances to get ramped back up before he's deemed ready to return from the 15-day injured list.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Kopech (knee) will face hitters in live batting practice Monday in Anaheim, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

After making it out of his recent string of bullpen sessions no worse for the wear, Kopech is ready to move on to the next phase of his rehab program as he bounces back from a right knee meniscectomy. The right-hander will likely need to face hitters at least once more after Monday before the Dodgers map out a rehab assignment for him. Kopech is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list in late August and could be ready to rejoin the Los Angeles bullpen by that time if he steers clear of any setbacks over the next couple of weeks.

Suwinski went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk Sunday against the Reds.

Suwinski has earned playing time across all three outfield spots in the last week, starting six of seven games against right-handed pitchers. As pedestrian as his performance was, Sunday was one of his better games of the season and marked only his second multi-hit performance across 26 starts. Suwinski is hitting a miserable .126 for the campaign and has only a .092 ISO across 106 plate appearances.

Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Crow-Armstrong hit safely for just the third time in nine games in August. It's been a tough slump for the outfielder, who has also racked up 13 strikeouts and no walks so far this month. The slump has him down to a .259/.296/.527 slash line with 27 home runs, 30 steals, 78 RBI and 74 runs scored over 115 contests. Given the talent he's displayed for much of the season, he's likely to get back on track at some point.

The Rockies signed Curry to a minor-league contract Sunday and assigned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Curry briefly worked out of the Miami bullpen early in the season, but he was dropped from the 40-man roster April 14 before being released just under two months later. He then signed with Mexican League club Tigres de Quintana Roo on July 1 but was granted his release to pursue an opportunity with the Rockies. He'll likely serve as a swingman at Albuquerque and could earn a call-up to Colorado before season's end if the big club has a need for a spot starter or long man out of the bullpen.

Shaw went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Cardinals.

Shaw provided the Cubs' lone scoring play when he took Sonny Gray deep in the fifth inning. It's the second homer in as many days for Shaw, who has swatted seven of his nine homers this season over his last 19 games. He was hitting .198 entering the All-Star break but is now batting .228 with a .683 OPS, 30 RBI, 40 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 15 doubles and one triple over 83 contests. The rookie third baseman still hasn't reached his potential, but he's trending upward, which is a good sign as he continues to occupy a starting role on a team in the wild-card race.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said that Vargas (foot) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Reno, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Vargas will likely remain on assignment with Reno through the weekend before potentially returning from the 10-day injured list Aug. 18 for the start of Arizona's six-game homestand. Arizona may give Vargas to exposure to multiple infield spots during his time in the minors, but the 34-year-old could end up seeing most of his opportunities at third base once he's reinstated. Since Vargas landed on the IL on June 25 due to a fractured fifth metatarsal on his left foot, the Diamondbacks traded away Eugenio Suarez, which has opened the door for Blaze Alexander to see the bulk of the starts at the hot corner.

Imanaga (8-5) allowed three runs on four hits and struck out nine without walking a batter over 6.2 innings, taking the loss versus the Cardinals on Sunday.

While Imanaga was stingy with baserunners, the Cardinals took advantage of their limited chances. Pedro Pages tagged Imanaga for a two-run home run in the third inning and Nolan Gorman added the decisive hit, an RBI single, in the seventh. Imanaga has a pair of quality starts to begin August, allowing four runs over 13 innings with 16 strikeouts and no walks so far this month. He's at a 3.19 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 79:17 K:BB through 96 innings over 17 starts this season. The southpaw's next start is projected to be at home versus the Pirates.

Horwitz went 2-for-5 with a double, one run scored and one RBI on Sunday against the Reds.

Horwitz has had an inconsistent season as Pittsburgh's primary first baseman, but he's delivered throughout the early portions of August. He has gone 12-for-35 with two homers, nine RBI and eight runs scored across 10 starts in the month. Horwitz is now hitting .266 for the season, though he's provided very little pop with only a .124 ISO.