MLB Player News

Donovan (groin) will take live batting practice Monday and, if that goes well, will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The 28-year-old has been sidelined since mid-August with a left groin strain but is almost game-ready. The Cardinals begin their final homestand Sept. 15, and it's likely that's when they're targeting Donovan's return from the 10-day injured list.

Gray (elbow) struck out a batter and allowed no hits and two walks over 1.1 scoreless innings in a rehab start Sunday with High-A Wilmington. He also hit a batter.

Gray returned to the mound for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery with an internal brace last July and handled a light workload, tossing 34 pitches (18 strikes) before departing. He'll likely continue to get stretched out over the course of two or three more rehab starts, though he likely doesn't have enough time left in the season to get built up to handle a typical starter's workload. Even so, Gray still looks to be a candidate to return from the Nationals' 60-day injured list by the end of September to serve as a reliever or as a piggyback starter.

Ragans (shoulder) struck out seven and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk across three innings in a rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Omaha.

Pitching in a game setting for the first time since June 5, Ragans had been expected to cover just two frames Sunday, but he ended up tacking on an extra inning to his workload after retiring six of the first seven batters he faced. Ultimately, Ragans tossed 45 pitches (34 strikes) in the rehab start, inducing 12 swings and misses while flashing a fastball that sat around 95 miles per hour. Ragans will likely need two more rehab outings to build his pitch count up to a typical starter's workload, though it's possible the Royals pull him off the minor-league assignment earlier than that if they're content with him making an abbreviated start or two in the big leagues upon his return from the 60-day injured list.

O'Neill (wrist) went 1-for-3 with a single in his first rehab game with Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday.

O'Neill played in his first game in more than a month as he works his way back from right wrist inflammation. He served as Chesapeake's designated hitter Sunday and will be eased back into the corner outfield in the coming days. O'Neill should be ready for activation from the 10-day injured list within the next week or so.

Svanson struck out three over 1.2 scoreless innings to pick up a hold in Sunday's win over the Giants.

Svanson has quietly had a terrific rookie season in the Cardinals' bullpen and has been particularly dominant in the second half, collecting a 0.74 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB over 24.1 innings. The 26-year-old is earning more and more high-leverage opportunities, having picked up four holds over his last seven appearances.

Topa was removed from his relief appearance in Sunday's 5-1 win over Kansas City in the ninth inning due to left knee discomfort, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. "I had the doctor look at it and he said that structurally, everything looks good," said Topa.

Topa was in line for a save chance but exited with two outs in the ninth with the Twins holding a four-run lead, paving the way for Genesis Cabrera to record the game's final out. While Topa said that his knee is fine, he may need a few days off for any soreness to subside. Topa previously missed most of the 2024 season due to patellar tendinitis and a small tear in the patellar tendon in his left knee.

Vazquez (shoulder) resumed taking part in baseball activities over the weekend and hopes to return from the 10-day injured list by the end of the season, the Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Vazquez has been on the shelf since Aug. 8 due to a left shoulder infection, which he had surgically removed a couple weeks later. He hopes to return for a final few games of the season so that he can show he's healthy as he heads into free agency this winter.

Sheets went 2-for-5 with a solo home run during Sunday's 8-1 win over the Rockies.

Sheets came into the contest hitless with five strikeouts in his last 11 at-bats, but he broke out of the brief skid with a pair of hits, including a home run. Since the start of August, Sheets is 23-for-67 (.343) with four homers and eight doubles. He is now one long ball away from hitting the 20-homer milestone for the first time in his career.

Machado went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an RBI walk and a double during Sunday's 8-1 win over the Rockies.

After going 0-for-9 in the first two games of the series, Machado delivered a pair of hits and three total RBI in Sunday's finale, highlighted by a two-run home run off Tanner Gordon in the first inning. The 33-year-old is slashing .280/.320/.389 with 23 home runs this season. He ranks fourth among third basemen in round trippers.

Merrill went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run scored during Sunday's 8-1 win over the Rockies.

The Padres reinstated Merrill from the 10-day injured list Monday, and the center fielder went 1-for-13 with four strikeouts in his first five games. He broke out of the slump in a major way Sunday, delivering a pair of extra-base hits, including a second-inning home run off Tanner Gordon. The long ball was Merrill's 10th in 406 plate appearances this season, which falls well short of his 2024 pace of 24 home runs in 593 plate appearances.