MLB Player News

Kirk is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Red Sox.

Kirk started at catcher each of the last two days, so he'll get a breather during Thursday's afternoon tilt. Brandon Valenzuela is behind the dish and batting seventh for the Blue Jays.

Black struck out a batter and allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks across three innings of relief in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Dodgers.

For the second time since he was recalled from Triple-A Omaha last Friday, Black pitched in long relief behind starter Daniel Lynch, who is getting gradually stretched out as he transitions from the bullpen to the rotation. After tossing five innings Friday against the Cubs, Black wasn't needed to provide as much length Wednesday, with Lynch building up to 2.1 innings and 39 pitches. Unless he's incredibly economical with his pitch count in his next projected start Tuesday versus the Athletics, Lynch is unlikely to reach five innings, so Black could have decent odds of picking up a win in that game if he's available to pitch behind Lynch.

Wells is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mariners.

Wells had started each of the previous nine contests, so he's earned a day off for Thursday's matinee. Ali Sanchez will fill in for Wells behind the dish.

The Pirates optioned Sisk to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Sisk was scored upon in three of four appearances since coming off the injured list last week. Isaac Mattson was called up from Triple-A to take over Sisk's spot on the active roster and in the bullpen.

Cabrera (hamstring) struck out seven and allowed no hits and one walk over five innings Tuesday in a rehab start with Double-A Knoxville.

Cabrera now has three rehab starts under his belt and has been lights out between his last two outings at Knoxville and Triple-A Iowa, giving up just one unearned run on one hit while ringing up a 15:1 K:BB in nine innings. The right-hander built up to 64 pitches during Tuesday's outing, so the Cubs may want him to get a little bit more stretched out before re-entering the big-league rotation. Per MLB.com, manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that the Cubs are still weighing the next step for Cabrera, who would be operating with a restricted workload if he ends up making his next start in the majors.

The Pirates recalled Mattson from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Mattson was sent down earlier this month after posting a 4.93 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 33:16 K:BB over 34.2 innings. He'll aim for more consistency with the Pirates this time around.

Springs (hip) completed a bullpen session Tuesday, MLB.com reports.

Springs came out of the session feeling healthy, with the Athletics still determining the next step in his recovery. The veteran southpaw landed on the injured list Aug. 4 due to right hip discomfort. Before hitting the shelf, Springs struggled to a 3-11 record with a 6.17 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 88:44 K:BB across 108 innings (22 starts) this season.

The Pirates recalled Brannigan from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Brannigan struck out in his lone plate appearance with the Pirates this season and has slashed only .205/.305/.352 during his time with Indianapolis. The 25-year-old should serve as a reserve infielder.

The Pirates placed Rodriguez on the 10-day injured list Thursday with left hip inflammation.

Rodriguez hasn't played in almost a week, and he was unable to show enough progress over that time to avoid a stint on the IL. He will be eligible to return late next week, but it's unclear whether Rodriguez might be ready for activation at that time. Henry Davis and Rafael Flores will handle the catching duties for the Pirates while Rodriguez is shelved.

Greene (elbow) will be out for 12-to-18 months after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds had previously disclosed that Greene would require another operation on his elbow, and he ended up needing a full Tommy John repair. The right-hander's first Tommy John surgery came back in 2019, and he also had a procedure on his elbow earlier this year to remove bone chips. Greene will be out through the end of the 2027 season.