MLB Player News

Mlodzinski (1-2) took the loss against the Reds on Sunday. He allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four over 4.1 innings.

Mlodzinski got through the first two innings without issue, but he gave up a two-run single to Santiago Espinal in the third frame. Mlodzinski found himself in trouble again in the fifth frame and was tagged for two more runs, and he wasn't able to get enough run support to avoid his second loss of the season. The 26-year-old right-hander generated only eight whiffs and has started the season with a 6.23 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB across 13 innings. Mlodzinski will look to get back in the win column in his next start, which is slated for next weekend at home against the Guardians.

Rea will start Sunday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

After covering 5.1 scoreless innings across his three relief appearances to begin the season, Rea will pick up his first start of the season Sunday and could be in line for an extended stay in the rotation. Manager Craig Counsell announced Sunday that Justin Steele -- who was placed on the injured list earlier in the week -- would require season-ending elbow surgery, creating a permanent opening in the rotation that will at least temporarily fall to Rea until Javier Assad (oblique) completes his rehab assignment and is activated from the IL. Since Rea maxed out at 65 pitches over his three relief appearances and three Cactus League appearances, he'll likely be slightly limited from a workload perspective Sunday, but he should be capable of handling a traditional starting role in any additional outings that follow.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his flexor tendon and address UCL damage in his left elbow, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Counsell didn't go into specifics regarding the extent of the UCL damage, but if Steele requires a Tommy John surgery or internal brace procedure, his availability for the start of the 2026 season would also be affected. Steele was initially hopeful for a minimum-length stay on the 15-day injured list after he was deactivated Wednesday due to what the Cubs termed as left elbow tendinitis, but a more significant injury was detected after he received two medical opinions on his arm. With Steele now done for the rest of the 2025 season, the Cubs should have permanent spots in the rotation available for both Ben Brown and Colin Rea, at least until Javier Assad (oblique) is back from the IL.

Espinal went 2-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's 4-0 win over the Pirates.

Espinal got the scoring started Sunday with a two-run single in the third inning that brought home Austin Wynns and TJ Friedl. It was Espinal's first RBI of the season, and he's gone 5-for-15 over his last four starts.

Greene (2-1) earned the win against the Pirates on Sunday. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out eight across seven scoreless innings.

Greene got off to a bit of a rocky start after allowing a double and a walk in the first inning, but he was able to escape the frame without allowing a run. He yielded one more hit in the second inning, but he proceeded to retire the next 17 batters he faced and extended his scoreless streak to 18.2 innings in the process. Greene generated 18 first-pitch strikes and 16 whiffs across 98 pitches (71 strikes), and the 25-year-old right-hander has started the season with a 0.98 ERA and 0.58 WHIP across 27.2 innings, with his 31 strikeouts ranking second in the National League behind MacKenzie Gore (32). Greene is tentatively slated to face the Orioles on the road next weekend, when he'll look to earn his third straight win.

Megill is set to receive a second opinion on his knee this week after recently undergoing an MRI, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Megill got his knee checked out a few days earlier, but he wasn't shut down after the MRI came back clean, and he proceeded to pitch in both of the Brewers' first two games of their series in Arizona this weekend. Though he struck out two and allowed one walk in a scoreless inning in Friday's 7-0 win, Megill unraveled in Saturday's 5-4 loss, blowing a save chance and recording just one out while giving up three earned runs on two hits and three walks. After the disastrous performance, Megill is getting examined again as a precaution, but the right-hander didn't use the injury as an excuse for the blown save while speaking to the media Sunday. He'll presumably remain available for Sunday's series finale, though the Brewers will probably look to stay away from him after he tossed 37 pitches over the past two days.

Rojas will start at second base and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Cubs.

With Andy Pages getting the day off and Tommy Edman filling in as the Dodgers' starting center fielder, Rojas will draw into the lineup for the ninth time in 17 games on the season, covering Edman's usual spot at the keystone. Three of Rojas' starts came during the first three games of the season when Mookie Betts was battling an illness, but Rojas' playing time will likely be more sporadic now that Los Angeles is at full strength in both the infield and outfield.

Herrera will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Brewers.

He'll pick up his sixth start of the season while top backstop Gabriel Moreno rests for the day game after a night game. Herrera enters Sunday's contest with a .214 average and one home run over 14 at-bats on the season.

Suzuki (wrist) is not in the Cubs' starting lineup against the Dodgers on Sunday.

Suzuki left in the fifth inning of Saturday's contest after experiencing pain in his right wrist, which he originally injured against the Rangers this past Monday. Justin Turner will serve as the designated hitter and bat third against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow in the series finale.

Iglesias will start at second base and bat seventh in Sunday's game against the Rockies.

Iglesias will pick up his fifth straight start Sunday, including his fourth in a row at the keystone. He looks set to serve as the Padres' everyday second baseman until Jake Cronenworth (rib) returns from the 10-day injured list.