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  • Hits IL with strained forearm
    The Cubs placed Assad on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right forearm extensor strain, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

    Advice: It's not clear how long Assad's forearm has been bothering him, but he's stumbled in June with a 5.49 ERA after entering the month with a 2.27 mark. Assad had been slated to get a start this weekend in Milwaukee, but the Cubs will need to find a substitute to fill in for that outing and at least one additional start next week, as well. Rotowire.com 11 minutes ago
  • Getting spot start Thursday
    Kuhl will start Thursday's game against Atlanta at Guaranteed Rate Field.

    Advice: Kuhl had started in 11 of his 13 appearances at Triple-A Charlotte prior to being called up June 14, but his first three outings with the big club have come out of the bullpen. However, Kuhl covered 4.1 innings and 99 pitches in long relief while mopping up in Sunday's 11-2 loss to the Tigers, so even though he'll be pitching on three days' rest, he should be able to provide the White Sox with a decent amount of length in a starting role. Unless he impresses against Atlanta to earn himself a longer stay in the rotation, Kuhl will likely be moved back to the bullpen or sent to the minors after Thursday's start. Rotowire.com 21 minutes ago
    Chad KuhlCWS - SP,RP
    1:10 pm vs ATL
    New Player Note
  • Imaging comes out clean
    Darvish had imaging on his right elbow that came out clean, though he'll likely get additional imaging "for peace of mind," Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press reports.

    Advice: Darvish has recovered from a groin injury and was originally expected to come off the injured list to start Tuesday, but that plan was scrapped when he developed inflammation in his right elbow. Initial indications suggested that the issue is minor, and the clean imaging seems to support that, though San Diego will likely be cautious with the veteran hurler's return. It's not yet clear when Darvish will return to action or if he'll need to make any rehab starts given the extension of his absence. Rotowire.com 25 minutes ago
  • Making progress in throwing program
    Blackburn (foot) threw a bullpen session Tuesday at Angel Stadium and is set to complete another one Saturday, MLB.com reports.

    Advice: The right-hander has been making steady progress over the last week-plus, as he's already thrown two bullpen sessions and seemingly come away from that activity without setbacks. If Saturday's session also goes off without a hitch, Blackburn could progress to facing hitters as the next step in his recovery. Rotowire.com 27 minutes ago
  • Sent back to Triple-A
    Atlanta optioned Elder to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.

    Advice: As expected, Elder was returned to the minors after he was designated as Atlanta's 27th man for Wednesday's doubleheader with the Cardinals. He picked up the start in the second game and was dealt a loss after giving up two earned runs on four hits and no walks while striking out four over six innings. Rotowire.com Today, 8:26 am
  • George Kirby changed his curve grip in last start
    George Kirby debuted a new curveball grip in Tuesday’s start, making the change “on the fly” before the game.

    Advice: Kirby didn’t like how his curveball was performing against right-handed batters this season, so he decided to try a new grip before Tuesday’s start in order to “find something that has a little more depth and [he] can stay on the plate with it.” It seemed to work on Tuesday as Kirby threw just six curveballs but got five swings and two whiffs. The other swings resulted in foul balls and one groundout. Kirby mentioned that it’s a grip he’s used in the past and one he knows Zac Gallen uses. “I throw it a little bit harder, but it just kind of eliminates the horizontal movement, which, especially to righties, I kind of had a hard time with.” After a successful first attempt at the new grip, the modification may stay around, giving Kirby a little more fantasy upside in what is already a good season. Rotoworld Today, 8:05 am
  • Not making start this week
    Jones isn't listed among the Pirates' probable starting pitchers for this weekend's series in Atlanta, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

    Advice: Jones will thus go the entire week without making a start, much to the chagrin of fantasy managers in weekly leagues who chose to keep him active. Gorman notes that general manager Ben Cherington has previously said that while the Pirates don't intend to shut Jones or fellow rookie phenom Paul Skenes down at any point this season, both pitchers will have their respective workloads managed to some degree as the campaign unfolds. Jones isn't dealing with any sort of injury, so the Pirates appear to have simply chosen this week as an opportunity to build in more recovery for the right-hander, who has logged 86 innings through his first 15 big-league starts. Jones now appears to be in line to make his next start at some point during next week's series versus the Cardinals. Rotowire.com Today, 7:30 am
  • Cleared to start Friday
    Perez (groin) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Friday in Atlanta, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

    Advice: The Pirates will push back Jared Jones' next turn through the rotation in order to make room for Perez, whose last outing before he landed on the IL in late May coincidentally came against Atlanta. Perez needed just one rehab start to convince the Pirates he was ready to rejoin the big club, as he allowed two runs (one earned) over five innings while tossing 65 pitches for Triple-A Indianapolis last weekend. Perez shouldn't face any sort of major restriction with his workload Friday. Rotowire.com Today, 7:24 am
  • Fans seven for Jacksonville
    Cabrera (shoulder) threw four scoreless, no-hit innings for Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, striking out seven and walking two.

    Advice: The right-hander built up to 60 pitches (37 strikes) as he closes in on a return to the big-league rotation. The Marlins moved Cabrera to the 60-day IL over the weekend, which will prevent him from being activated until early July, but he should be ready to rejoin the team's staff as soon as he's eligible. Through five MLB starts this season, Cabrera has a 7.17 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 31:14 K:BB through 21.1 innings. Rotowire.com Today, 7:17 am