The Cubs selected Bethancourt's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Bethancourt will absorb the roster spot vacated by Tomas Nido (knee) and could share catching duties with Miguel Amaya while Nido recuperates. The 32-year-old slashed just .159/.198/.268 across 88 plate appearances with the Marlins earlier this season.

The Cubs placed Nido on the 10-day injured list Friday with a right knee sprain, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Nido will be eligible to return in early August, but it seems unlikely given the nature of the injury that he'll be ready by then. Miguel Amaya and Christian Bethancourt will handle the catching duties for the Cubs.

Higashioka is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Orioles.

Higashioka is absent from the starting lineup for a second straight contest, yielding to Luis Campusano behind the dish. Higashioka is 5-for-15 with two doubles and a homer since the All-Star break.

Murphy is absent from the lineup for Friday's contest versus the Mets.

Travis d'Arnaud has started each of the first two games of the series against the Mets and has made four starts to Murphy's three since the start of the second half. Murphy had two hits in his last start Wednesday but before that had been hitless across his last five contests.

Rortvedt is out of the lineup for Friday's game against Cincinnati.

Rortvedt is absent from the starting nine for a second consecutive game, avoiding a matchup with lefty Nick Lodolo on Friday. Alex Jackson will bat ninth and catch in Rortvedt's place.

Jeffers is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers.

Jeffers will give way to Christian Vazquez behind the dish for Friday's series opener. Jeffers is 3-for-16 with a double since the All-Star break and holds a .773 OPS on the year.

Joe is absent from the starting nine for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.

After falling into a short-side platoon role, Joe started in four of the Pirates' six games following the All-Star break. However, he will be idle Friday against right-hander Zac Gallen. With Bryan Reynolds on the bereavement list, Joe could see a minor bump in playing time in the short-term. In 317 plate appearances, Joe is slashing .243/.328/.389 with seven home runs.

Wade is not in the Giants' starting lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

With the Giants facing a southpaw for the second straight game, Wade will begin Friday's game in the dugout. David Villar will once again start at first base and bat fifth against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland.

Freeman (personal) has been scratched from the Dodgers' lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Freeman was originally slated to start at first base and bat third Friday, but he is flying back home to be with his family with his son in the hospital, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. There is no timeline on when Freeman may return to the club. Cavan Biggio will slide to first base Friday while Gavin Lux enters the lineup at second base, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies.

Naylor started the previous 10 games but will sit Friday after he went 5-for-34 with one extra-base hit during that stretch. Jhonkensy Noel will start at first base against Philadelphia lefty Cristopher Sanchez.

Smith is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Smith will hand first-base duties over to Romy Gonzalez on Friday with southpaw Nestor Cortes on the mound for the Yankees. Since the All-Star break, Smith is 3-for-14 with three walks and three strikeouts.

Mountcastle went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Marlins.

Mountcastle plated the winning run in the 10th inning, as his line drive knocked in initial runner Jordan Westburg. Mountcastle was then thrown out trying to take second base when Cedric Mullins was also thrown out at home on the same play. Over his last 10 games, Mountcastle is 12-for-38 (.316) with just two extra-base hits and two RBI. The first baseman is slashing .271/.310/.441 on the year, adding 12 home runs, 44 RBI, 45 runs scored, 23 doubles and three stolen bases through 93 contests.

The Giants placed Estrada on the 10-day injured list Friday with a sprained left wrist.

Estrada landed on the injured list in late June due to a left wrist sprain, and the same injury will now force him back onto the IL roughly one month later. He was able to return to the active roster after 11 days during his previous stay, though it's unclear if he'll require a longer absence this time around. Casey Schmitt was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to replenish San Francisco's infield depth, and he'll likely split reps at second base with Brett Wisely until Estrada returns.

The Rays acquired Horvath, Jackson Baumeister and Matthew Etzel from the Orioles on Friday in exchange for starting pitcher Zach Eflin, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Horvath was selected 53rd overall by the Orioles in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft and got his first taste of professional action last year with a 1.058 OPS in 22 games across rookie ball, Single-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen. The 22-year-old is back at the High-A level this year and has a .232/.328/.417 slash line in 71 games.

Lopez is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Mariners.

Despite right-hander George Kirby being on the mound for Seattle, Lopez will take a seat Friday. Brooks Baldwin will play second base while Paul DeJong fills in at shortstop.

Kiner-Falefa (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kiner-Falefa is slated to be at third base Saturday, designated hitter Sunday and shortstop Tuesday, with a return to the Blue Jays coming after that if all goes well. He's been out since early July with a left knee sprain and has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate. Players can be traded while on the IL, so the fact that Kiner-Falefa isn't scheduled to return until after the deadline wouldn't necessarily preclude a trade.

Lux is not in the lineup for Friday's contest in Houston, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

The left-handed hitting Lux is getting a day off as the Astros send lefty Framber Valdez to the bump. Cavan Biggio -- who also bats left-handed -- will be at second base for the Dodgers.

Gorman is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Nationals, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Gorman will avoid a matchup with southpaw MacKenzie Gore on Friday. Brendan Donovan will fill Gorman's spot at second base.

Urshela is starting at third base and batting eighth in Friday's game against the Twins.

Urshela will return to the starting lineup Friday after sitting Thursday against the Guardians. Since July 1, Urshela has slashed .273/.301/.424 with two home runs and 11 RBI over 70 plate appearances.

Morel isn't in the Cubs' lineup for Friday's game against the Royals.

Morel will get a day to clear his head Friday after going 0-for-6 with four strikeouts during Chicago's previous series against the Brewers. Miles Mastrobuoni will start at the hot corner instead while batting seventh.

Miranda (back) will not be activate prior to Friday's game in Detroit but could return Saturday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Miranda has rejoined the Twins following a brief rehab assignment and will go through a workout pregame Friday. As long as that goes well, it sounds like he'll be back in the lineup Saturday. Miranda has yet to play during the second half due to a lower-back strain.

LeMahieu is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox.

LeMahieu has stumbled to a .499 OPS in 154 plate appearances this season and is at risk of losing his everyday spot at third base. Oswaldo Cabrera will bat ninth and play third base Friday.

Garcia is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.

Garcia started each of the Royals' first six games coming out of the All-Star break and will get the night off Friday. Nick Loftin will bat seventh and man the hot corner in Garcia's place.

Smith is not in the lineup for Friday's contest in Toronto.

The left-handed hitting Smith will get the day off as the Blue Jays send southpaw Yusei Kikuchi to the hill. Righty-hitting Jonathan Ornelas will handle third base duties.

Wisely is not in the Giants' starting lineup Friday against the Dodgers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Wisely will begin Friday's contest in the dugout with the Rockies sending southpaw Kyle Freeland to the mound. With Thairo Estrada (wrist) on the 10-day injured list, Casey Schmitt will start at second base and bat eighth.

The Giants recalled Schmitt from Triple-A Sacramento. Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, Schmitt will bat eighth and play second base Friday against Colorado.

With Thairo Estrada (wrist) being placed on the 10-day IL, Schmitt will join the Giants' active roster and provide additional assistance in the middle infield. In 12 big-league games this season, Schmitt is slashing .220/.238/.390 with a pair of homers.

Neto went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base in a loss to Oakland on Thursday.

All of Neto's production came in the second inning, when he singled home a run, stole a base and scored. The shortstop has recorded an RBI in four of his past seven contests and is slashing .348/.423/.522 with a homer, four RBI, six runs and four thefts during that span. Neto is slashing .257/.311/.439 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI, 43 runs and 18 thefts through 100 contests on the campaign.

Hamilton is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Hamilton will avoid a matchup with southpaw Nestor Cortes on Friday, yielding to Jamie Westbrook at second base. Hamilton owns a .723 OPS with five homers and 25 stolen bases this season.

Schuemann went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run in a win over the Angels on Thursday.

Several other teammates delivered bigger hits, but Schuemann was productive from the bottom of the order. The rookie now has authored five multi-hit efforts in the last 12 games, and he's reached safely in 11 of those contests on his way to a blistering .400 batting average and 1.003 OPS over his last 46 plate appearances.

Edwards went 2-for-4 with a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Thurday's extra-inning loss to the Orioles.

Batting second against ace right-hander Corbin Burnes, Edwards delivered his ninth multi-hit performance in the last 15 games while stealing his fifth bag of the year. The 24-year-old shortstop is slashing a blistering .431/.500/.471 over that stretch with seven RBI, nine runs and a 9:7 BB:K, and the move to the top of the order is likely to stick as long as he keeps raking. If the trade rumors circling Jazz Chisholm pan out, Edwards seems likely to become the Marlins' leadoff hitter in August.

Cave isn't in the Rockies' lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.

The Rockies will face left-hander Kyle Harrison in Friday's series opener, so the left-handed Cave will take a seat on the bench. While he rests, Hunter Goodman, Brenton Doyle and Kris Bryant will start across the Rockies' outfield.

Conforto is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Rockies, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

With the Rockies sending southpaw Kyle Freeland to the mound Friday, Conforto will retreat to the dugout to begin the contest. Conforto sat Thursday against the Dodgers with Clayton Kershaw on the mound, but the former did pinch hit for Derek Hill in the sixth inning and went 1-for-2 with an RBI double in the eighth inning. Hill will start in left field Friday and bat ninth.

Harris (hamstring) said Friday that he is confident that he will be able to return by Aug. 14, which is when he is eligible to reinstated from the 60-day injured list, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Harris was transferred to the 60-day IL on Wednesday due to his slow rehab progress for his strained left hamstring. He's been on the injured list since June 15, and while he hasn't been cleared to do full sprints, he has been running in short bursts, per David O'Brien of The Athletic. Prior to his injury, Harris was slashing .250/.295/.358 with eight stolen bases, five home runs and 20 RBI across 278 plate appearances.

Mitchell isn't in the Brewers' lineup for Friday's game against the Marlins.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers will take the mound Friday for Miami, meaning the lefty-hitting Mitchell will stay put in the dugout while Blake Perkins gets the starting nod in center field.

Trout told reporters Friday that the MRI on his left knee came back clean, and he expects to start running again soon, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Trout added that scar tissue broke up in his left knee, which caused discomfort and his eventual pull from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Salt Lake. Once he resumes running and barring any setbacks, he is expected to return to his rehab assignment before coming off the injured list, which he has been on since April 30 after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee. Prior to the injury, Trout was slashing .220/.325/.541 with 10 home runs, 14 RBI and an .866 OPS across 126 plate appearances.

The Blue Jays optioned Clase to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday.

Clase was acquired by Toronto on Friday as part of a package that sent Yimi Garcia to Seattle, and the 22-year-old Clase will now return to Triple-A to begin his tenure with the Blue Jays organization. He has slashed .274/.373/.483 with 10 homers and 34 RBI through 280 plate appearances in the minors this season and could earn a spot in Toronto's outfield unit if he continues to produce with Buffalo. Zach Pop was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Cobb (hip/shoulder) is scheduled to throw five innings for Triple-A Sacramento on Friday in what is expected to be his final rehab start, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Friday's rehab start will be Cobb's sixth as part of his recovery from an offseason hip surgery and midseason shoulder soreness. If all goes well in the outing, Cobb would be in line to pitch Wednesday against the Athletics, a move that would push Jordan Hicks to the bullpen. Cobb has yielded five runs with a 20:5 K:BB across 16.1 minor-league innings.

Winn is scheduled for an ulnar nerve transposition procedure on his right elbow Monday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Winn was initially placed on the 15-day injured list June 22 due to a nerve issue in his right elbow. He began his rehab program by throwing bullpen sessions in early July, but he was shut down from throwing Monday after experiencing additional discomfort in his right elbow. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, and with his surgery scheduled for Monday, the 26-year-old right-hander's season is officially over. He started in 12 games for the Giants before landing on the IL, going 3-8 with a 7.16 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 48:20 K:BB across 55.1 innings. Winn will now shift his attention to returning to the mound for the 2025 season.

Alcantara (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Alcantara threw off a mound Wednesday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last October and will toss another bullpen Saturday. The expectation remains that Alcantara won't pitch until 2025, but he's been progressing well.

Rodriguez (shoulder) threw two innings in a simulated game Friday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Rodriguez began throwing off a mound July 9, and Friday marks the first time he has pitched in a simulated game. He's slated to throw another bullpen session Monday and could be closing in on a rehab assignment, though the Diamondbacks have yet to confirm any plans for a stint in the minors.

Kelly (shoulder) threw two innings of a simulated game Thursday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Kelly tossed his first simulated game since being placed on the injured list in late April with a strained right shoulder. The 35-year-old is slated to throw again Sunday and looks to be nearing a minor-league rehab assignment. Kelly has only made four starts this season, and will likely require multiple rehab starts before being cleared.

The Athletics reinstated Blackburn (foot) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start Friday against the Angels.

Blackburn has been out since May 10 after suffering a stress reaction in his right foot. He has since made three rehab appearances in the minor leagues, giving up eight earned runs in just four total innings of work. He managed to reach only 49 pitches in 2.2 frames during his latest outing Saturday, and manager Mark Kotsay said the right-hander will be limited to roughly 65-to-70 pitches during his first MLB start in over two months. Hogan Harris was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move.

The Mariners traded Stanek to the Mets on Friday for Rhylan Thomas, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Stanek's spot in Seattle's bullpen was in jeopardy after the Mariners acquired Yimi Garcia from the Blue Jays earlier Friday, and the former will now call New York his new home. Stanek has struggled in his eight outings in July, allowing five runs on five hits and six walks and striking out eight over 5.2 innings while registering two blown saves and a loss. Across his 46 outings for the season, Stanek has a 4.38 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 15 holds and seven saves across 39 innings. The 33-year-old right-hander will provide depth out of the Mets' bullpen and figures to be the second closer behind Edwin Diaz.

Walston (elbow) threw live batting practice Friday, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Walston touched 94 miles per hour during the session, a very encouraging sign considering he hovered between 91 and 92 miles per hour during his three appearances this season. The 23-year-old southpaw is expected to be activated from the injured list sometime in August but may not have a spot on the 26-man roster. It's unclear how far along Walston is in being stretched out for a starter's workload.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said Friday that the results of Santos' MRI on his right knee "came back OK," Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

It's not as promising as hearing that the MRI came back clean, but it appears Santos will avoid a stint on the IL and could be available as soon as Saturday. Santos was removed in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game against the Angels after being called for a balk. Before exiting Wednesday, he allowed two runs on two hits while striking out one over 0.2 innings.

Simpson (elbow) will throw a live bullpen Saturday with Single-A Jupiter, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Simpson has been cleared to face batters after completing a pair of bullpen sessions in the last week. While he threw 35 pitches in his previous bullpen, Simpson is expected to throw 25 in Saturday's session. He's ahead of schedule, with the initial expectation being that he required two more bullpens before facing hitters.

The Pirates paused Borucki's (wrist) rehab assignment Friday and he's currently with the team being re-assessed, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Borucki has made 10 rehab appearances, yielding seven runs across 9.2 innings. However, his rehab stint was put on pause Friday after seemingly suffering a setback in his recovery from carpal tunnel syndrome. There isn't a timetable for Borucki to return to Triple-A Indianapolis.

The Rays recalled Zuber from Triple-A Durham on Friday.

Zuber pitched out of the Rays' bullpen Monday against the Yankees, when he allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out two across 1.1 innings before being sent back down to Durham the next day. Across 18 outings in the Triple-A this season, Zuber has a 2.49 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 29:6 K:BB across 21.2 innings.

Blackmon isn't in Colorado's lineup Friday versus the Giants.

With southpaw Kyle Harrison set to start on the bump for San Francisco, the lefty-hitting Blackmon will take a seat to begin Friday's contest. His absence will move Elias Diaz into the DH role, allowing Jacob Stallings to start behind the dish.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Stanton (hamstring) is aiming to return for Monday's series opener against the Phillies, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Stanton has been on the injured list since June 23 due to a left hamstring strain. He wasn't assigned to any minor-league games as part of his rehab program, and the 34-year-old slugger appears poised to join the Yankees following the weekend series against the Red Sox. Stanton was slashing .304/.377/.551 with five home runs, 16 RBI and a .927 OPS in June before going on the IL.

Soler went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 6-4 loss to the Dodgers.

Soler is batting just .208 over seven games since the All-Star break, but he's also drawn eight walks in that span. Those on-base skills have helped him keep hold of the leadoff spot for the Giants, and he even picked up his first steal of the year Thursday. The slugger is likely miscast atop the order, but he hasn't hit consistently or for enough power to occupy a more natural spot in the middle of the order. Soler is slashing .224/.314/.393 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, 50 runs scored and 20 doubles over 373 plate appearances.

Grossman started at designated hitter and went 2-for-4 in Thursday's 2-1 win over the White Sox.

Grossman got the start at DH, which has been a revolving door for the Rangers in 2024. Justin Foscue was given a four-game run after being called up last weekend, but he went 1-for-13 with seven strikeouts and hasn't been seen since Tuesday. It's been Grossman and Travis Jankowski the last two days. Eventually, when third baseman Josh Jung (wrist) is ready to return, Josh Smith will likely settle in as the primary DH.

Madris went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Guardians.

Madris was just recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, and after going hitless in his first six at-bats with the Tigers, he broke out Thursday. The 28-year-old appeared in 51 total games over the previous two seasons with the Pirates and Astros, offering little fantasy production in the process. He is unlikely to be much more than a depth option for Detroit.

Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run during Thursday's 6-4 win over the Giants.

Ohtani and Nick Ahmed hit back-to-back homers in the eighth inning off Tyler Rogers to put the Dodgers ahead. The long ball was Ohtani's 31st of the season, a total that trails only Aaron Judge in MLB. Since the start of July, Ohtani has gone 22-for-74 (.297) with five home runs, 12 RBI and 12 runs scored.