MLB Player News

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said that Strider (hamstring) advanced to long-toss throwing Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The activity marks a small step forward for Strider, who had been limited to playing catch from shorter distances since straining his right hamstring Monday. Snitker noted, however, that Strider hasn't yet been cleared for mound work, so the right-hander is most likely at least a couple weeks away from coming off the 15-day injured list. AJ Smith-Shawver should continue to maintain a spot in Atlanta's rotation until Strider is ready for activation.

Hill (wrist) has been going through full baseball activities, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.

Hill has been sidelined for the last two-plus weeks with a left wrist sprain but appears to have made significant progress. It seems likely that he will need some rehab games before returning, and he should be ready for game action soon.

Berti is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Giants.

Nicky Lopez will get the start at the hot corner and will bat ninth while Berti heads to the bench for the series opener. Berti has been serving as the Cubs' primary starter at third base since mid-April, but he's viewed as more of a stopgap solution and is expected to eventually transition into more of a utility role once prospect Matt Shaw is deemed ready to return from Triple-A Iowa.

The Cubs recalled Hollowell from Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Chicago placed ace Shota Imanaga (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move, but Hollowell won't be a candidate to replace him in the rotation and will instead slot into a low-leverage role in the bullpen. Hollowell made one relief appearance for Chicago earlier this season, tossing two scoreless frames April 22 against the Dodgers.

The Cubs placed Imanaga (hamstring) on the 15-day injured list Monday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Imanaga will hit the shelf after straining his left hamstring in his start during Sunday's loss to the Brewers. Though he underwent an MRI on Monday that confirmed the injury, the severity of the hamstring strain isn't known, making it uncertain whether Imanaga will have a chance at being ready to return from the IL when first eligible May 20. The Cubs haven't named an immediate replacement in the rotation for Imanaga, but Chris Flexen could be moved from the bullpen into a starting role, or prospect Cade Horton could be called up from Triple-A Iowa to fill the void.

Sanoja will start at second base and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Dodgers.

Sanoja finds himself in the lineup for the third game in a row and looks like he'll get the chance to serve as Miami's primary option at the keystone while Otto Lopez (ankle) is on the injured list. In his limited opportunities so far this season, Sanoja has slashed .290/.318/.387 across 67 plate appearances while providing one home run and one stolen base.

Winn (ankle) is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Pirates.

Winn had to depart the second game of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Mets with a sprained left ankle. The injury is considered minor, but Winn will need to miss at least one start. Jose Barrero is at shortstop and batting ninth for the Cardinals in Monday's series opener.

Mervis is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers are opening the game with a left-handed pitcher (Jack Dreyer), so the left-handed-hitting Mervis will begin the contest on the bench. He could end up replacing Eric Wagaman at first base or Connor Norby at designated hitter once right-hander Ben Casparius enters the contest to serve as the Dodgers' bulk reliever.

Casparius is in line to serve as the bulk reliever for the Dodgers on Monday in Miami behind opening pitcher Jack Dreyer, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Casparius hasn't pitched in more than a week, having struck out five over 3.2 scoreless innings on April 27 against the Pirates. He threw a season-high 54 pitches in that outing but has been used primarily as a starter throughout his minor-league career. Casparius could earn additional bulk relief outings and/or traditional starts as the Dodgers navigate injuries to Clayton Kershaw (toe), Blake Snell (shoulder), and Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) and continue to wait on Shohei Ohtani being available to pitch.

Dreyer will serve as the Dodgers' opening pitcher in Monday's game against the Marlins, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ben Casparius is expected to eat the bulk of the innings in relief, but he'll be preceded by Dreyer. The left-handed Dreyer has been excellent on the whole this season but has struggled lately, allowing six runs over his last four appearances.