Bonifacio will start at shortstop and bat eighth Saturday against the Nationals.

The last of Bonifacio's 81 career starts at short came back in 2011, but the Braves will be forced to turn to him to man the position Saturday with Andrelton Simmons battling an ankle injury. Simmons is facing the possibility of a DL stint, but it sounds like the team could bring up prospect Jose Peraza to play short in his absence, meaning Bonifacio would remain in a utility role.

Bonifacio played left field and hit leadoff for the Braves on Wednesday, going 1-for-5 with a run against the Mariners.

He brings a .319 OBP to the table, which dwarfs that of B.J. Upton (.281 OBP), who is the Braves typical leadoff hitter (eighth in the lineup Wednesday). The snag here is that Bonifacio was able to play left field Wednesday because the Braves were playing in Seattle, so Justin Upton was able to slot in at designated hitter. Once the Braves go back to playing National League parks, it's quite possible Bonifacio could move to a utility role.

Bonifacio is in the lineup Friday against the Padres.

Bonifacio will play right field for the Braves Friday in the place of the injured Jason Heyward and bat eighth. It is unclear yet what role he will have with the team for the remainder of the season, but he could contribute in both the outfield and infield, giving the Braves a versatile player off the bench who could take time away from B.J. Upton in center if he continues to perform poorly at the plate.

The Cubs traded Bonifacio to the Braves on Thursday along with James Russell in exchange for catching prospect Victor Caratini.

A deal for Bonifacio was clearly in the works, as the Cubs held him out of the lineup both Wednesday and Thursday as a precaution, and Atlanta is his landing spot. Bonifacio's production has fallen off after a hot April, but he is still batting .279/.318/.373 and may eat significantly into B.J. Upton's playing time in center.

Bonifacio is out of the Cubs' lineup again Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reports.

Although Bonifacio is listed on the lineup card as a reserve, the decision to hold him out for a second straight day suggests a trade could be imminent. There has been no word of an injury to Bonifacio, who is batting .279/.318/.373 with two homers and 14 steals this season.

A source tells Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star that the Royals aren't close to a deal for Emilio Bonifacio.

Bonifacio was on hug watch after his name was absent from a delayed Cubs starting lineup, and the Royals were reported as his expected destination. It still could happen, but right now there doesn't seem to be a ton of fire there. Bonifacio and his .279/.318/.373 line remain likely to be moved before Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline.

Bonifacio is out of the Cubs' lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Junior Lake will take over in center field Wednesday, as Arismendy Alcantara leads off against left-hander Brett Anderson. Bonifacio's absence has fueled trade speculation, and while nothing has been announced, it seems the Cubs may have found a suitor for the 29-year-old.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Orioles and Giants are interested in Emilio Bonifacio.

Both clubs are looking for help against left-handed pitching, and Bonifacio is sporting an OPS over 1.000 from the right side of the plate this season. He's being paid $3.5 million this year and will be a free agent this winter and shouldn't cost a whole lot.

Bonifacio had a fine night at the dish in a marathon game against the Rockies Tuesday, as he went 4-for-7 with two RBI and two runs scored, while hitting hitting his second home run of the year and also adding a double.

Bonifacio has been scorching hot ever since coming off the DL on July 22, going 14-for-35 with one home run, four doubles, two RBI and six runs scored. He has been known to be streaky, as he started the season batting .435 in his first 46 at-bats this year, only to go ice cold before getting hurt. With a .279/.318/.373 slash line and 14 stolen bases in 276 at-bats, Bonifacio still holds some value.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that Emilio Bonifacio is "drawing interest."

It makes sense, as Bonifacio isn't part of the Cubs' long-term plans and he could be valuable on a contending team as a utility player. The speedster is batting .271/.312/.353 with 14 steals over 68 games this season. Heyman says that the Cubs also figure to shop left-handed relievers James Russell and Wesley Wright.

Cubs activated INF/OF Emilio Bonifacio from the 15-day disabled list.

Darwin Barney has been designated for assignment in a corresponding roster move. Bonifacio has been sidelined since mid-June with a strained right oblique and will return to a .261/.307/.340 batting line to go along with 13 steals and 29 runs scored over 61 games.

Emilio Bonifacio (oblique) has transferred his minor league rehab assignment to Double-A Tennessee.

Bonifacio went 3-for-10 with a walk and a run scored in three rehab games with the Arizona League Cubs. He should be ready to rejoin Chicago's active roster next week. The speedster has been on the disabled list since June 13 because of a strained right oblique.

Emilio Bonifacio (oblique) has gone 3-for-6 at the plate in his first two rehab games with the Arizona League Cubs.

He was the DH on Friday before playing second base Saturday. Cubs manager Rick Renteria wouldn't reveal a timetable for Bonifacio's return, but it shouldn't be long provided that he feels good. ``That's something that we need to make sure that we're mindful of because intercostals and all those types of injuries can be chronic over the long haul - they can reoccur,'' Renteria said. ``We're going to take it as slowly as we have to or as quickly as we have to. It just depends on how he's moving along.''

Emilio Bonifacio (oblique) has yet to resume baseball activities.

Bonifacio has been on the disabled list for a week and a half due to a strained right oblique, and it appears that he hasn't made much progress. Obviously, a return when he's first eligible on Saturday isn't going to happen.

There is no timetable for the return of Emilio Bonifacio after an MRI exam revealed a strained oblique.

The speedy utility man is likely to miss more than the minimum of 15 days as oblique strains can tend to linger. Junior Lake and Ryan Sweeney will continue to see increased playing time in his absence.

Cubs placed OF Emilio Bonifacio on the 15-day disabled list with a right rib cage injury.

Bonifacio suffered the ailment in his first at-bat during Thursday's game. It's not clear at this point how long the speedster will be sidelined. Ryan Sweeney has been activated from the DL to take his spot on the roster and should see the bulk of the starts in center field.

Emilio Bonifacio left Thursday's game against the Pirates with a right rib cage injury.

Bonifacio grounded out to shortstop leading off the game but got just one step out of the batter's box before collapsing to the ground in pain. The outfielder had to be helped off the field and was clearly uncomfortable. It's looking like a trip to the disabled list might be in order, but the Cubs will know more after they re-evaluate Bonifacio on Friday.

Emilio Bonifacio left Thursday's game versus the Pirates in the first inning with an apparent foot injury.

Bonifacio grounded out to shortstop leading off the game but got just one step out of the batter's box before collapsing in pain. He had to be helped off the field while sporting a noticeable limp. Bonifacio likely has some sort of ankle or foot ailment, but we'll know more when the Cubs provide an update on his condition shortly.

Emilio Bonifacio went 3-for-4 in Sunday's loss to the Marlins.

Bonifacio was also caught stealing for the fifth time in 18 attempts. The 29-year-old has struggled to keep up his torrid start, as Sunday's three-hit game was his first since he had four hits on May 12. Propped up by his hot hitting out of the gate, Bonifacio is still hitting .274/.321/.357 on the year.

Emilio Bonifacio went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Tuesday's win over the Mets.

The stolen base was Bonifacio's 13th of the season, good for fourth-best in the National League. He's fallen well off his pace after a ridiculous first month -- after hitting .214 in May, Bonifacio's overall line sits at .270/.319/.346.