MLB Player News

Lowder (oblique/forearm) will make his next rehab start Friday for Triple-A Louisville, MLB.com reports.

Lowder began a rehab assignment Saturday, throwing 34 pitches over two innings and allowing one run for Louisville. Per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Reds manager Terry Francona has been non-committal about Lowder returning from the 60-day injured list before the end of the regular season to aid the team in its bid for a wild-card spot, but that could change if he performs well in his upcoming rehab start. Even if he comes off the IL for the final week of the season, Lowder would likely be deployed out of the bullpen.

Vargas replaced Blaze Alexander (elbow) at second base in the fourth inning Sunday and went 1-for-3 in a 6-4 win over Minnesota.

Alexander was removed from the game after getting hit by a pitch in the elbow/forearm area. Testing came back negative, but the elbow showed significant swelling, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Vargas could benefit from any time Alexander misses, but second base is typically Ketel Marte's realm.

Lawlar started at third base and went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Twins.

Lawlar lined a double to left field and scored in the Diamondbacks' three-run fourth inning. Following an initial 0-for-11 run upon being called up in late August, Lawlar is batting .304 (7-for-23) with five doubles, three RBI, two steals and four runs scored over last eight contests. He hasn't been an everyday member of the starting lineup, but that could change in the short term after Blaze Alexander (elbow) was removed from Sunday's game. Testing on Alexander's elbow came back negative, but it was very swollen postgame, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. He'll undergo further testing Monday and is day-to-day heading into that night's series opener against the Giants. Lawlar stands to benefit from any time Alexander misses, as those two have shared third base since the beginning of the month.

Kittredge earned the save in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Rays, striking out three and walking one in a scoreless ninth inning.

Kittredge was brought in to protect a one-run lead and worked around a two-out walk to Yandy Diaz by fanning Junior Caminero to shut the door against his former team. It marked the right-hander's third straight outing with a save and extended his scoreless streak to eight appearances. The veteran reliever now owns five saves on the year while continuing to provide the Cubs with steady late-inning work.

Conforto went 3-for-4 with three RBI in Sunday's 10-3 win against the Giants.

The veteran outfielder entered as a pinch hitter for Alex Call in the fifth inning and made the most of his opportunity, collecting three singles and tying his season high with three RBI. The effort lifted his season average to .200 -- the first time it's reached that mark since June 20. Conforto has struggled mightily at the plate over the last two-plus months, slashing just .218/.307/.361 with eight RBI, 12 runs, eight doubles and 37 strikeouts across 137 plate appearances since that date.

Ray (11-7) took the loss against the Dodgers on Sunday, surrendering five runs on six hits and four walks over four innings. He struck out five.

Ray opened with a flourish, striking out Shohei Ohtani on a 96 mph fastball to begin a clean first inning, but he quickly found himself laboring against a patient Los Angeles lineup. The southpaw issued four walks and needed 98 pitches (58 strikes) to get through just four frames, with his night ending in the fifth after giving up a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts followed by back-to-back hits from Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman. Over his last seven outings, the 33-year-old has struggled to a 6.06 ERA and 28:12 K:BB across 35.2 innings, and he'll look to steady things in his next scheduled start, a rematch against the Dodgers.

Glasnow (3-3) picked up the win over the Giants on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and four walks while striking out four over 6.2 innings.

Glasnow battled through some early control issues, issuing four walks and a hit batter in his first three frames, but found a groove from there and retired the next nine consecutive batters. The right-hander came within one out of logging his third straight seven-inning start, following up his best outing of the season, when he held the Rockies hitless with 11 strikeouts over seven innings. Glasnow will carry a 3.06 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 96:38 K:BB into his next scheduled start, a rematch with the Giants.

Lodolo (8-8) took the loss against the Athletics on Sunday, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out five over 5.1 innings.

The left-hander was sharp early, giving up just one hit across his first three frames before losing control in the middle innings, where he was tagged for three home runs -- the first time he's surrendered that many in a game since 2023. Lodolo also gave up eight hits for just the second time this season, marking Sunday as one of his rougher outings after a dominant stretch in which he posted a 1.86 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 39 strikeouts over his previous seven starts (38.2 innings). The 27-year-old will look to bounce back in his next scheduled outing against the Cubs.

The Giants are expected to call up Eldridge from Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

One of the Giants' top position prospects, Eldridge will move up to the big leagues after he produced a .260/.333/.510 slash line with 25 home runs, a 9.7 percent walk rate and a 29.3 percent strikeout rate in 433 plate appearances this season between Double-A Richmond and Sacramento. With Dominic Smith dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and likely to be out through the rest of the regular season, the left-handed-hitting Eldridge projects to occupy the strong side of a platoon at first base with Wilmer Flores over the final two weeks of the campaign.

Hoerner went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Rays.

The infielder came up clutch for Chicago, driving in three of the team's four runs, beginning with an RBI single in the first inning to score leadoff-man Michael Busch. Hoerner later delivered the decisive blow in the seventh, lacing a two-run double that gave the Cubs a lead they wouldn't surrender. The 28-year-old has been a steady force at the plate of late, recording hits in 18 of his last 21 games, including 10 multi-hit efforts. Over that span, Hoerner is batting .354 with 10 RBI, 16 runs scored, nine doubles and four stolen bases across 91 plate appearances.