MLB Player News

The Cubs recalled Wicks from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The left-hander will join the 26-man active roster in place of Jameson Taillon, who landed on the injured list Friday due to a calf strain. Wicks is a candidate to step into Chicago's rotation with Taillon out, though veteran Chris Flexen may be the favorite to fill the spot, per Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com.

Stanek struck out three in 1.1 perfect innings of relief Thursday to record his seventh hold of the season in a win over the Brewers.

The right-hander fired 12 of 15 pitches for strikes in a dominant performance. Stanek has picked up holds in back-to-back appearances, and while he remains prone to meltdowns he's been dialed in over the last couple weeks, posting a 0.00 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB in his last six innings. He's tied for third on the Mets in holds, behind Reed Garrett's 14 and Huascar Brazoban's 10, but Stanek could get bumped further down the pecking order for setup work if the team makes significant bullpen additions at the trade deadline.

Winker (oblique) has gone 2-for-6 with a home run and a 2:1 BB:K in two games since his rehab assignment was shifted to Double-A Binghamton.

The veteran outfielder played nine innings as the DH both Wednesday (in the first game of a doubleheader) and Thursday, and while the Mets will likely want to get him some defensive reps before activating him, Winker's bat appears to be just about ready to face big-league pitching. He's been sidelined since May 4, and Winker should slot into the strong side of a platoon at DH once he comes off the IL while seeing occasional action in an outfield corner.

Blackburn (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing until early next week, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

The veteran right-hander landed on the injured list Thursday due to a shoulder impingement, but the Mets don't seem concerned about the severity of the issue. Blackburn could be ready to rejoin the roster in late July, but he may not have a rotation spot waiting for him if Kodai Senga (hamstring) and Sean Manaea (elbow/oblique) beat him back from the IL.

Nunez (elbow) may require Tommy john surgery, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

While the Mets initially labeled Nunez's injury as a right elbow sprain when he was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday, an MRI revealed more significant issues with his ligament. If he does end up needing Tommy John surgery, it would be the second such procedure in the 29-year-old right-hander's career. Given his history of arm trouble, expect the Mets to be cautious with Nunez's recovery, even if he avoids a worst-case scenario.

Faucher gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless eighth inning Thursday to record his fifth hold of the season in a win over the Twins.

Ronny Henriquez has picked up the Marlins' last three saves, and four of the team's last five, as he stakes a claim to the closer role. Faucher remains in the high-leverage mix, and the ninth-inning situation for Miami has been volatile all season, but for now it appears as though the 29-year-old righty has been bumped to setup duty. Through 32.1 innings this year, Faucher has compiled a 4.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 30:15 K:BB along with three wins and eight saves against four blown saves.

Perez (1-2) picked up the win Thursday, allowing one hit and one walk over six scoreless innings in a 4-1 victory over the Twins. He struck out seven.

The 22-year-old right-hander didn't make his 2025 debut until June 9 as he completed his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and while he had a bumpy beginning to his season, Perez appeared to turn a corner Thursday. He tossed 51 of 80 pitches for strikes, including a massive 20 swinging strikes, and he topped out at 99.5 mph with his fastball. It was Perez's first MLB win since June 25, 2023, and he'll look to build on this success in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road early next week in Cincinnati.

The Cubs placed Taillon on the 15-day injured list Friday due to a right calf strain, and manager Craig Counsell said the right-hander is expected to be sidelined over a month, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

It's unclear when exactly Taillon sustained the injury, but he surrendered 15 runs, including six homers, over his last three starts and failed to last five innings in any of them. The 33-year-old will be unavailable through at least the end of July but could be out longer, depending how his rehab progresses. Jordan Wicks was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move and should be in the mix to enter Chicago's starting rotation, as is Chris Flexen.

Hagenman is slated to start Friday's game against the Yankees at Citi Field, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old right-hander will be making his first MLB start Friday, after his prior two appearances with the Mets came in relief. Before he was recalled Thursday, Hagenman had been making regular turns in the Triple-A Syracuse rotation, posting a 6.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 46:9 K:BB in 42 innings. With a decent showing Friday, Hagenman could get another start next week, but he won't have much longevity in the big-league rotation with Sean Manaea (oblique/elbow) and Kodai Senga (hamstring) both nearing returns from the injured list.

Arenado (finger) is starting at third base and batting sixth Friday against the Cubs.

The third baseman has been sidelined all week due to a sprained right index finger, but he'll rejoin the starting nine for Friday's series opener in Chicago. Arenado batted .275 (28-for-102) with three doubles, four homers, 14 RBI and 14 runs over 27 contests in June.