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  • No longer starting Friday
    Taillon won't start Friday in Pittsburgh, as the Cubs list Javier Assad as the starter for the series opener versus the Pirates, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

    Advice: The Cubs had previously listed Taillon as their probable starter for Friday, so the late change perhaps hints that the right-hander may be tending to an injury. The change to Assad for the series opener wouldn't seem to be the result of any dissatisfaction with Taillon's performance, as the 32-year-old has opened his second season with the Cubs with a 3-0 record, 1.13 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over 24 innings. Justin Steele will take the hill on four days' rest to start Saturday, while the Cubs are listing their starter for Sunday's series finale as "TBA." More clarity on the Cubs' plans for Sunday -- as well as when Taillon might next pitch -- should come prior to Friday's contest when manager Craig Counsell meets with the media. Rotowire.com 9 minutes ago
     
  • Homer, three RBI in win
    Pasquantino went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's win over the Angels.

    Advice: Pasquantino jumped on a hanging four-seamer with two outs in the top of the third and crushed it into the stands for his fifth home run of the season, and his first this month. The first baseman would also add a sacrifice fly in the contest, marking the third time in his last five games in which he's tallied multiple RBI. Pasquantino is on an absolute tear right now, registering three multi-hit games in a row, with at least one extra-base hit in each of those performances. He's now batting .429 in May with 11 RBI, six runs scored and six extra-base hits. Rotowire.com 12 minutes ago
     
  • Big day at plate
    Blanco went 3-for-3 with a double, a two-run home run and four runs scored in Thursday's win over the Angels.

    Advice: Blanco kicked off a four-run inning for Kansas City with his first home run of the season and then led off the fifth with an infield single before eventually coming around to score a second time. The outfielder reached base four times in the contest while also swiping two bags and scoring a season-high four runs. Furthermore, it marked Blanco's first three-hit performance of the campaign and he's now batting .500 through six games in May with two RBI, six runs scored and five stolen bases. Rotowire.com 14 minutes ago
     
  • Showing improvement
    Rodgers went 1-for-4 with a run scored Thursday against the Giants.

    Advice: Rodgers played his part in a seven-run fourth inning for Colorado by reaching base on a single and coming around to score. It was an otherwise unremarkable game, but he has at least one hit in 11 of his last 13 starts. He's hit .313 with five RBI and six runs scored in that span. Rodgers still has a poor .632 OPS for the season, but he has shown signs of life at the plate of late. Rotowire.com 22 minutes ago
     
  • Two extra-base hits
    Tovar went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, an RBI and a run scored Thursday against the Giants.

    Advice: Tovar has been struggling to hit for power across the last few weeks, as he had only three extra-base hits (all doubles) across his last 21 starts entering Thursday's game. He managed to end that drought against the Giants, as he tallied both a double and a triple in the fourth inning when the Rockies batted around. For the season, Tovar has a decent .714 OPS, though that's come with a relatively empty three homers and three stolen bases. Rotowire.com 28 minutes ago
     
  • Heads back to minors
    The Rangers optioned Leiter to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.

    Advice: Leiter was up as the 27th man during Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Athletics and got rocked for six runs (four earned) over four innings. Because he was the designated 27th man, the 15-day rule doesn't apply to Leiter, who remains an option to make a start next week versus the Guardians. Rotowire.com 29 minutes ago
     
  • Another dreadful outing
    Detmers (3-4) was hit with the loss against the Royals on Thursday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings.

    Advice: Detmers cruised through the first two innings before failing to retire either of the first four batters to open the third, eventually leading to four runs coming across for Kansas City. He was touched up again in the fifth for another two runs, marking his third consecutive outing in which he's allowed at least five runs. Surprisingly, the lefty has still managed to get through at least five innings in all eight of his starts this season despite his recent struggles, though he's now lost each of his last four decisions (spanning four starts). Rotowire.com 31 minutes ago
     
  • Picks up second win
    Wacha (2-4) picked up the win over the Angels on Thursday, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and five walks over six innings. He struck out six.

    Advice: Wacha produced three 1-2-3 innings and mostly avoided trouble up until the seventh when he allowed three runs to come across for the Angels. The right-hander issued a season-high five walks on the night, with the latter two sending runs home for Los Angeles. However, Wacha was still able to get through six innings for the first time in his last four starts while recording his first win since April 6 against the White Sox. He now carries an 8.38 ERA in May (two starts), posting a 9:6 K:BB over that stretch. Rotowire.com 38 minutes ago
     
  • Two RBI in loss
    Steer went 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Arizona.

    Advice: Steer delivered two runs on a two-out single in the bottom the seventh inning to tie the game before the Diamondbacks went ahead an inning later. He continues to produce with runners in scoring position, posting a .359 average and 1.022 OPS in such situations. Rotowire.com Today, 5:44 am
    Spencer SteerCIN - 1B,2B,3B,OF
    7:15 pm @SF
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