Astros vs Cubs

After missing the first month of the season with an oblique injury, Sousa is now set to sit out another couple of weeks due to an elbow issue, though it remains unknown whether he'll require more than a minimum stay. Jayden Murray was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill the void in Houston's bullpen.

The transaction was merely a formality after Correa told media members earlier Wednesday that he would require season-ending surgery after tearing a tendon in his left ankle during batting practice prior to Tuesday's game against the Dodgers. Correa will face an expected recovering timeline of 6-to-8 months, which should put him on track to be ready for the start of spring training. Houston recalled Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding transaction, but Isaac Paredes should step in as the Astros' everyday third baseman in Correa's absence. In the short term, Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake are likely to share the shortstop position until Jeremy Pena (hamstring) is activated from the IL.

Javier had been shut down from throwing since landing on the shelf April 10 with a Grade 2 shoulder strain. Fellow starter Hunter Brown was placed on the injured list with the same injury April 7, but he appears to be much further along in the recovery process, as he's been able to throw off flat ground out to 120 feet and could throw his first bullpen session later this week. Given that general manager Dana Brown recently said that the Astros are hoping to get Brown back from the IL around early to mid-June, it's fair to expect Javier's absence to stretch into the latter half of June, if not July.

Brown was given roughly a two-month return timeline when he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain in early April, so moving to the 60-day IL doesn't affect his timeline much. The right-hander began throwing bullpen sessions Friday and will likely do so several more times before getting the green light to throw live batting practice and eventually head out on a rehab assignment. Rhylan Thomas was claimed off waivers from Seattle in a corresponding move.

Meyers had been shut down after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 right oblique strain over three weeks ago. He will eventually need a rehab assignment once he gets sufficiently ramped up and should be able to return from the injured list before the end of May if all goes well.

The shortstop has been on the shelf nearly four weeks due to a strained hamstring, but he's close to being cleared for game action. Pena shouldn't require a lengthy rehab assignment before rejoining Houston's active roster, so a return in mid-May remains on the table.

Manager Joe Espada previously said on April 20 that Loperfido had been cleared for baseball activity, and though the outfielder appears to have since added some running work to the mix, he's not been able to take any other meaningful steps forward in his recovery from a right quad strain. The Astros are expected to turn to Zach Cole and Dustin Harris to serve as their primary options in left field while Loperfido remains on the shelf.

If Imai is kept on a schedule of five days of rest in between starts, he's be in line to start Monday's series opener. He made his second rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowing one run on one hit with a 3:5 K:BB over three innings. Imai -- who is coming back from fatigue in his pitching arm -- threw 63 pitches Tuesday, so he will not be ready for a full workload in his first start back with the big club.

Trammell is working his way back from a left groin strain, which sent him to the 10-day injured list April 21. He looks like he has a few more boxes to check in the recovery process before advancing to a minor-league rehab assignment and a return to the Astros' active roster. Trammell opened the season as a non-roster player for the Astros but reached the big leagues April 10 when Houston's outfield depth was tested by injuries. Before getting hurt himself, Trammell acquitted himself well over his 10 games with the big club, slashing .345/.424/.448 over 33 plate appearances.

A left oblique strain caused Diaz to be scratched from the lineup ahead of Monday's contest and will now also prevent him from playing for another 10 days. Christian Vazquez will presumably take over as the Astros' primary catcher while Diaz is on the shelf, and Nick Allen (back) will come off the injured list to claim the open roster spot.

McCullers was visited on the mound by manager Joe Espada and a team trainer at one point during his start, and though he was able to stay in the game, he continued to struggle with his control before the Astros pulled him from the contest. In addition to issuing three free passes, McCullers threw three wild pitches and found the strike zone on just 39 of his 70 pitches overall. Even if McCullers checks out fine on the health front and is ready to make his next start, the Astros may have to begin considering moving him out of the rotation. After his disastrous outing Wednesday, McCullers's ERA now sits at 7.41 over 34 innings on the season.

Horton will miss roughly 16 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery Thursday, so the Cubs will stash him away on the 60-day IL for the rest of the year. Corbin Martin was selected from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.

Thielbar had to come out of Thursday's game against the Phillies early after suffering an injury on the mound, and he'll now be forced to sit out at least another 15 days. The 39-year-old had been serving as Chicago's closer with Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, but that responsibility could be passed on to Ben Brown for the time being. Vince Velasquez was selected from Triple-A Iowa to fill the open spot in the Cubs' bullpen.

Roberts was placed on the 15-day injured list April 14 due to a right middle finger laceration but was cleared to head out on a rehab assignment a week and a half later. Through his five appearances, Roberts has permitted one run while posting a 5:4 K:BB across five innings. He could be a candidate to return from the IL this weekend during the Cubs' three-game series versus the Rangers.

Harvey had progressed to throwing off a mound while working his way back from ticeps inflammation, but he reported soreness after Thursday's session. An MRI revealed a stress reaction Friday, which will keep the 31-year-old shut down for the next month. A clearer timeline for his return may begin to emerge once he's cleared to restart his throwing program.

Boyd did not need a full repair of his meniscus, with Cubs manager Craig Counsell saying the surgery was "minor" and the club hopes to get the left-hander back in around six weeks. Jordan Wicks (elbow) and Javier Assad are candidates to grab Boyd's spot in the Cubs' rotation.

Hodge will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery Tuesday, so the Cubs will stash him away on the 60-day IL and give his 40-man roster spot to Nicky Lopez.

Martin was placed on the 15-day injured list over the weekend due to left elbow inflammation, but it's since been reported that he'll need more than the minimum to return to full strength. The Cubs are weathering quite the injury storm in the bullpen, as Daniel Palencia (lat), Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) and Hunter Harvey (triceps) are also on the shelf.

Merryweather has been shelved since spring training with a left hamstring strain, but he's finally ready for game action. The veteran reliever is signed to a minor-league contract with the Twins and will eventually move up to Triple-A St. Paul.