MLB Player News

The Cubs acquired Taylor and right-hander Clay Holmes (fibula) from the Mets on Monday in exchange for infielder Jefferson Rojas, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Taylor -- who will reach free agency after the season -- will likely see most of his playing time for Cubs against left-handed pitching. The right-handed-hitting outfielder boasts a .900 OPS versus southpaws this season.

Lara is out of the lineup for Monday's game versus the Pirates.

Lara has been in a quasi-platoon with Andrew Vaughn lately, getting starts in right field on days that Jake Bauers is at first base. For Monday's series opener, Vaughn will cover first base, while Bauers mans right field.

The Brewers traded Ragsdale and Alexander Frias to the Cardinals on Monday in exchange for Dustin May and JoJo Romero, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Ragsdale has been one of the breakout prospects of the year, particularly since mid-June. In 36 games since June 17, Ragsdale is slashing .333/.459/.783 with 17 home runs, nine doubles, nine steals, an 18.2 percent walk rate and a 24.7 percent strikeout rate. A seventh-round pick in 2025 out of Boston College, Ragsdale not only controls the strike zone, but 76.7 percent of his balls in play at Double-A were either line drives or flyballs. On the season, he has 19 home runs and 31 steals (on 34 attempts) in 86 games across High-A and Double-A.

The Brewers traded Frias and Josiah Ragsdale to the Cardinals on Monday in exchange for Dustin May and JoJo Romero, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Frias is the latest Brewers international signee to break out in a big way, as he has already registered elite exit velocities as an 18-year-old with a projectable 6-foot-2, 177-pound frame. The lefty-hitting Frias won't turn 19 until March and slashed .342/.427/.553 with eight home runs, 19 steals and a 17.6 percent strikeout rate in 60 games across the Arizona Complex League and Single-A. It's worth noting that he was significantly more productive in complex ball (189 wRC+) than after his promotion to the Carolina League (93 wRC+), but his upside is undeniable. His 20 percent strikeout rate at Single-A hasn't been a problem, but his 57.3 percent groundball rate is a poor mark.

Lee went 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Padres. He was also hit by a pitch.

Lee singled in the second inning before stealing second base, and he added a double in the eighth. The 27-year-old outfielder has recorded at least one hit in six of his last seven appearances, batting .333 with six RBI, three runs scored, a home run and a stolen base in 31 plate appearances during that span. Overall, he's slashing .301/.338/.434 with 53 runs scored, 40 RBI, seven stolen bases and six long balls across 411 plate appearances this season.

Yastrzemski went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's win over the Nationals.

The veteran slugger took Cade Cavalli deep for a solo shot in the third inning to get Atlanta on the board, before adding a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Yastrzemski has four hits in his last three games, and all four have gone for extra bases (two doubles and two homers). As long as he's providing some thump, he'll continue to be a regular part of the lineup against right-handed pitching while manning one of the corner outfield spots, with occasional action at DH as well.

Tawa went 1-for-4 in Sunday's 5-0 loss to Cleveland.

Tawa had one of the two hits Arizona could muster on the day. His sixth-inning single snapped a perfect game bid by Cleveland starter Gavin Williams, who had set down the first 15 batters, including nine by strikeout. The hit came after Tawa fouled off a bunt attempt earlier in the at-bat, which goes against an unwritten rule in baseball, angered the Guardians and eventually led to a benches-clearing situation.

Pages went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Sunday's 8-4 loss to Boston.

Pages punched a two-RBI single into right field in the second inning before driving in another run with a double down the left-field line in the seventh frame. The center fielder is riding a modest six-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 12 straight games. On the year, he's slashing .270/.336/.459 with 18 homers, 74 RBI, 64 runs and 10 stolen bases across 111 contests.

Merrill went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, a stolen base and a walk in Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants.

Merrill took an elevated fastball from Landen Roupp and sent it over the fence in right-center field for a two-run homer to open the scoring in the second inning. The 23-year-old center fielder has flipped a switch at the plate, slashing .302/.333/.534 with eight homers, 21 RBI, 18 runs and five stolen bases over his past 30 games. Overall, he's hitting .237/.289/.398 with 16 homers, 52 RBI, 53 runs and 22 stolen bases across 109 contests.

Frelick (shoulder) began a hitting progression early last week and started a throwing progression Friday, MLB.com reports.

Frelick didn't travel with the Brewers for their West Coast road trip, but he appears to have made some good progress in his recovery from a right shoulder strain while remaining back in Milwaukee. He'll look to increase the intensity and frequency of his activities during the upcoming week and will likely require a brief rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day injured list.