MLB Player News

The Cubs reinstated Shaw (back) from the injured list Tuesday, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Shaw has been on the shelf since late May due to back tightness, but he's been cleared to return after going 4-for-14 with an RBI, two runs and a steal in four rehab games at Triple-A Iowa. The 24-year-old has slashed just .242/.291/.400 across 104 plate appearances this season, though he could still receive an uptick in playing time with Nico Hoerner, Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson all struggling offensively as of late. Kevin Alcantara was optioned to Iowa in a corresponding move.

Cruz (hand) was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.

Cruz hasn't played since Saturday due to a cut on his hand, and although he was originally expected to return to the starting nine Tuesday, the Pirates have decided to instead keep him on the bench for another game. Jake Mangum will fill in as Pittsburgh's center fielder and bat seventh.

Cruz (hand) is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.

Cruz was held out of Sunday's lineup due to a cut on his hand that he suffered when he slid into home plate during Saturday's matchup against Atlanta. The 27-year-old has slashed .264/.350/.472 with 14 homers, 44 RBI and 21 steals on the campaign. Cruz will play center field and bat sixth Tuesday.

Harris (back) is in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox.

After not starting the previous two games, Harris will bat second and play center field Tuesday. The 25-year-old had been battling back tightness, which was deemed not particularly serious, allowing Harris to pinch hit during Sunday's series finale against Pittsburgh and contribute the game-winning three-run double for Atlanta.

The Cardinals activated Church (shoulder) from the injured list Tuesday, Jim Hayes of FanDuel Sports Network Midwest reports.

After landing on the IL on May 22, Church will return to St. Louis having missed over two weeks of action. Before hitting the injured list, the 25-year-old slashed .247/.282/.390 with five homers and 18 RBI. St. Louis optioned Victor Scott in order to make room for Church, who will play center field and bat ninth for the Cardinals on Tuesday.

The Brewers agreed to a seven-year, $31 million contract extension with Lara on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal includes three club options, potentially locking Lara up through the 2035 season, and it can max out at $79 million. It's another pre-arbitration contract extension completed by the Brewers after they inked Cooper Pratt to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract extension in April. Lara entered the 2026 season without much hype but has particularly broken through from a power perspective, slashing .338/.447/.500 with seven home runs, 18 stolen bases and a 39:32 BB:K over 56 games with Triple-A Nashville. The 21-year-old will need to be added to the 40-man roster once the extension is official, which clears a potential hurdle to Lara being promoted to the majors. Lara could take over as the Brewers' primary center fielder at some point this summer.

George hasn't played for Double-A Tulsa since suffering an injury to his left patellar tendon in a May 25 game versus Northwest Arkansas, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Shortly after crossing home plate to score a run in the game, George sustained the injury while jumping out of the way to avoid Tulsa's bat dog, who ran on to the field to retrieve the bat. Fortunately for George, an MRI revealed no ligament damage to his knee, and the Dodgers are optimistic that he'll avoid surgery. Even so, George still appears to be headed for an extended absence due to the knee injury, especially as a player heavily reliant on speed. Over 43 games with Tulsa this season, the 21-year-old outfielder has slashed .333/.417/.397 with 26 stolen bases in 29 attempts across 200 plate appearances.

Bowen went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and two stolen bases in Monday's 6-2 win against Cincinnati.

Bowen logged his second straight start in right field, with Fernando Tatis again handling the keystone. The Padres got a lot of production from the bottom of their order, including from Bowen, who notched his first multi-hit game as a big-leaguer and reached base three times. He also stole his first two bases, flashing the above-average speed that is a big part of his skill set. Bowen has swiped 20-plus bags in the minors every year since 2022, so he could be an asset in that regard if he plays often enough and is able to consistently reach base.

Lee went 4-for-5 with two runs scored in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals.

Lee recorded four singles Monday, scoring in the sixth and eighth innings. The 27-year-old outfielder has been scorching hot of late, batting .587 with 12 runs scored, five RBI and two stolen bases across 47 plate appearances in 11 outings since returning from the injured list. He's recorded a hit in 16 straight games dating back to May 14 and is now slashing .333/.367/.453 with 32 runs scored, 22 RBI, three home runs and two stolen bases in 240 plate appearances this season.

The Cardinals optioned Scott to Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

Scott remains an elite defensive center fielder, but his bat has become untenable, as he's slashing just .194/.276/.258 across 61 games this season. Nathan Church (shoulder) will be activated from the 10-day injured list to grab Scott's roster spot and is also the favorite to see the bulk of the playing time in center field.