MLB Player News

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman reiterated Wednesday that the Dodgers expect Ohtani to pitch again this season, with Friedman noting that the two-way player's right biceps soreness is a lesser concern than his inflamed left knee, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. "If it weren't for the knee, [Ohtani] would be pitching right now," Friedman said.

Per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports, Ohtani is throwing plyometric balls to limit the force on his left knee, after the Dodgers decided to postpone his scheduled bullpen session over the weekend. The Dodgers are confident that the four-time MVP will start playing catch again soon, which would put him on track to be ready to pitch by season's end. Ohtani hasn't made a start as a pitcher since July 3 but has continued to handle an everyday role at designated hitter while he recovers from the knee issue.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Glasnow (back) will begin a rehab assignment after completing Wednesday's live batting practice session, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Glasnow has been shelved since May 8 due to lower back spasms, but assuming he checks out fine following Wednesday's live session, he'll move on to the final stage of the recovery process. Given the length of his absence, Glasnow will likely require at least three rehab starts to build up his pitch count before he's deemed ready to rejoin the Dodgers rotation. Prior to landing on the shelf, Glasnow turned in a 2.72 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 49:13 K:BB across 39.2 innings over seven starts.

The Dodgers activated Diaz (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Diaz has been on the shelf since April 20 after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. He was cleared to embark on a rehab assignment right before the All-Star break, and across seven minor-league games he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out 11 over 5.2 innings. The Dodgers should ease Diaz back into the fold, but if all goes well, the veteran right-hander could reclaim the closer role from Tanner Scott in the near future.

Littell did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Blue Jays, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out two over 4.2 scoreless innings.

Littell threw 50 of his 81 pitches for strikes on his way to recording his first scoreless outing since May 15. The veteran right-hander has now held opponents to one run or fewer in four of his last five starts, though the lone exception was an eight-run outing against the Athletics. Despite the recent run prevention, Littell has struggled to miss bats throughout 2026, ranking in the fifth percentile of qualified pitchers in expected batting average and whiff rate. He owns a 4.94 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 68:34 K:BB across 105.2 innings this season and is tentatively scheduled to face the Phillies early next week.

Keller underwent right elbow UCL reconstruction surgery with internal brace and flexor tendon repair Tuesday, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Keller was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow just after the All-Star break and has now officially gone under the knife. He's expected to be sidelined 13-to-16 months from Tuesday's surgery, so the earliest that he could return to action will be late in the 2027 season, though it's more likely that he'll be aiming toward being fully healthy for the start of the 2028 campaign. Keller will finish the 2026 regular season with a 4.02 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 13 holds, three saves and a 32:13 K:BB across 31.1 innings.

Barco could be used as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Yohan Ramirez in Thursday's game in Cincinnati, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

The Pirates recalled Barco from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, but he went unused in relief during the team's 3-0 loss to the Diamondbacks. With Ramirez likely to be limited to one or two innings Thursday in his first big-league start, Barco will be the freshest arm in the Pittsburgh bullpen and is one of the few options who's capable of covering multiple frames. Barco has handled a swingman role at Triple-A for most of the season, posting a 4.87 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 49:23 K:BB in 44.1 innings.

Jones (2-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out five over six innings.

Jones was perfect through the first three innings on just 29 pitches before Arizona finally broke through. A leadoff double in the fourth was followed by Gabriel Moreno's two-run homer, and Jones later surrendered another run in the sixth. The three runs matched the combined total he had allowed over his previous four starts. After failing to complete six frames in any of his first seven outings this season, Jones has now reached that mark in three of his last four outings. He'll carry a 3.81 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 58:15 K:BB into his next start, scheduled tentatively for Tuesday against the Brewers.

Treinen (elbow) will face live hitters Wednesday, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Treinen landed on the injured list in late June due to right elbow inflammation, but the good news was that an MRI did not show signs of structural damage. He was cleared to play catch before the All-Star break and is ready to take the next step in his rehab by throwing off a mound. The Dodgers should have a better sense of Treinen's recovery timeline once the veteran right-hander is cleared to embark on a rehab assignment.

The Cubs selected Woodford's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday.

Woodford elected to enter free agency July 17 after being DFA'd by the Cubs six days earlier, but he opted to remain in the organization on a minor-league contract. He's now back with the big club, with the Cubs designating Andrew Wantz for assignment in a corresponding move. Woodford has appeared in 17 games between the Cubs and Brewers this season and has a 7.46 ERA, 1.82 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB across 25.1 innings.

Rodriguez (10-3) earned the win Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out two over eight scoreless innings.

Rodriguez never faced more than four batters in an inning and retired nine straight hitters at one point during his dominant outing. He generated 15 whiffs despite recording just two strikeouts and limited Pittsburgh to only five hard-hit balls. Wednesday's outing marked the second time this season he has completed eight innings. Rodriguez has now won five of his last six decisions and will carry a 2.48 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 88:45 K:BB into his next scheduled start Tuesday against the Padres.