MLB Player News

Vasquez didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Phillies, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out three.

A two-run homer by Bryce Harper in the fourth inning accounted for all the damage off Vasquez, but the right-hander left the mound after 80 pitches (46 strikes) with the score tied 2-2. Vasquez has been taken deep five times in his last three outings and eight times in his last seven, producing a 4.42 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 20:10 K:BB in 36.2 innings over that stretch. He'll try to keep the ball in the park in his next start, which lines up to come at home this weekend against the Mets.

Shaw (back) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, going hitless in three plate appearances.

Shaw started the game in center field in what was his first game action in over two weeks. He should not require many more, if any, rehab at-bats before returning to the Cubs' active roster. Shaw is working his way back from mid-back tightness.

The Mets re-signed Arroyo to a minor-league contract Tuesday.

Arroyo exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league deal Monday but quickly agreed to a new contract a day later. The 31-year-old infielder has slashed .304/.333/.446 with five home runs at Triple-A Syracuse this season.

Steer went 2-for-4 with two solo homers and three runs scored in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Royals.

Both of Steer's homers came against lefties, as he took starter Noah Cameron deep in the fifth inning before tagging reliever Matt Strahm for a solo blast in the eighth. It was Steer's first multi-homer game of the season and snapped an 18-game homer drought. Since the beginning May, Steer is hitting .312 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 24 runs scored and an .848 OPS. For the season, Steer is slashing .277/.351/.461 with nine home runs, 23 RBI, 37 runs scored, three stolen bases and a 21:48 BB:K across 231 plate appearances.

Abbott didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against the Royals, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts across six innings.

Abbott logged his second straight quality start and fourth in his last seven outings while also generating 12 swinging strikes, his second most in a start this season. However, the left-hander did walk a season-high four batters and dealt with some traffic on the bases. All three runs allowed came in the top of the fourth inning via four singles and a pair of bases on balls. After a rough month of April, Abbott has steadied of late, yielding just 10 runs over his last 40 innings (2.25 ERA) with a 28:18 K:BB in that span. His ERA for the season is now 4.06 with a 47:31 K:BB across 68.2 innings. Abbott's strikeout rate (15.8 percent) has dipped a full six percentage points from last season.

Lowder (shoulder) allowed three runs on six hits while striking out eight with no walks over five innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.

After appearing in a simulated game last week, Lowder kicked off a rehab assignment in impressive fashion, throwing 70 pitches (50 strikes). It's unclear what the right-hander's next step is, but the innings and the pitch count set him up for a possible return to Cincinnati's rotation in five days.

Ashcraft (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

Ashcraft got the injection after a second opinion confirmed he's dealing with a UCL sprain. The right-hander was immediately placed on the 60-day injured list following the injury last Friday and is not expected back until some point after the All-Star break.

Smith is expected to take on the designated hitter spot most of the time against right-handers, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

That was Smith's job Monday, when he was activated off the 60-day injured list. He was on the bench for Tuesday's game against Dodgers lefty Eric Lauer but entered as a pinch hitter against a right-handed reliever. Smith's return mostly affects Adrian Del Castillo but could also eat into Ildemaro Vargas's playing time at first base.

McCann (quad) has started taking machine batting practice and doing catching drills, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

McCann is rehabbing a quad strain that landed him on the 10-day injured list May 19. At that time, the club estimated a 4-to-6 week timeline for his return.

Lawlar (wrist) could move his rehab to Triple-A Reno by the end of the week, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Lawlar had a third rehab outing and second in as many days Tuesday for the ACL D-backs. The outfielder has gone 2-for-8 with a stolen base and two runs scored while playing center field, left field and designated hitter. Lawlar, who is eligible to return this week, has been out since April 3 with a broken right wrist. His return will create an outfield logjam, and Lourdes Gurriel (hamstring) is also working his way back.