MLB Player News

After a seemingly normal first inning, Hence began the second inning with a groundout but threw four of the last six pitches in the dirt. He was met on the mound by the Springfield infield, his manager, and an athletic trainer before walking off the mound with the trainer. The Cardinals have not yet revealed any more information about the nature of his injury, but Cardinals’ fans and fantasy managers are holding their breath for good news on the Cardinals’ top pitching prospect.

Teheran was scratched just moments from first pitch of Colombia’s matchup against Canada after suffering the injury while warming up. Rangers minor leaguer Austin Bergner took the ball in his place. The 35-year-old veteran is probably done for the rest of the World Baseball Classic.

Gonzalez has been held out of baseball activities this spring and won’t be ready for Opening Day. He received a PRP injection last month and hasn’t been progressing to the point where he can resume hitting again. There should be a definitive update on his status at some point later this week. He would be facing a lengthy absence if he winds up requiring a shoulder procedure.

It’s a significant step for Sandlin as he ramps up his throwing program. The 29-year-old righty is in Angels camp as a non-roster invitee this spring and has a decent shot at making their season-opening bullpen, if healthy. He boasts a respectable 3.19 ERA — 3.81 xERA — across 211 2/3 innings in the majors since 2021.

San Diego is going to slow-play it with Pivetta after he experienced some minor arm fatigue following his latest spring start earlier this week. The 33-year-old’s velocity was in line with last year’s baseline so there doesn’t appear to be a significant injury concern. It’s a situation worth monitoring with just under three weeks left until Opening Day.

There was some back-and-forth earlier this spring regarding Woodruff’s uncertain availability for Milwaukee’s season opener but it sounds like he’s on track to avoid a trip to the injured list. The 33-year-old veteran was excellent upon returning from shoulder surgery last year before a lat injury knocked him out for the postseason. There could be some workload limitations in the early portion of the year, but Woodruff appears ready to go.

Kudrna and Zobac were added to Kansas City’s 40-man roster last November and will open the year back in the upper minors. Kudrna was hit hard during a brief stint at Triple-A after a strong season at the Double-A level last year. He’s one of the better pitching prospects in the Royals’ system.

Nikhazy made two appearances for Cleveland, allowing six runs over four innings of work last season. The 26-year-old lefty will open the year back in the minors as organizational depth. He posted an underwhelming 5.02 ERA across 86 innings at the Triple-A level last year.

Curet came over in an offseason trade with the Rays and offers enough strikeout upside to envision a back-end rotation or multi-inning relief role down the road. He’ll need to iron out some control issues to reach that potential. Chace and Cabrera are among the better pitching prospects in Philadelphia’s system and should ascend to the majors later this year.

Holliday is racing against a ticking clock to be ready for Baltimore’s season opener in late March, but he’s trending towards a return to game action before Grapefruit League play concludes. The 22-year-old second baseman is recovering from surgery to address a hamate injury in his right wrist. He’s resumed swinging a bat and should be ready to face live pitching at some point in the next week or two.

With Peña sidelined for at least a couple weeks while recovering from a fractured right ring finger, Correa is the logical choice to move back to his long-time defensive home with Isaac Paredes taking over at the hit corner on a temporary basis. Peña is hoping to be ready for Opening Day on March 26 against the Angels. However, his availability for Houston’s season-opener won’t become clearer until he’s re-evaluated in late March. The biggest takeaway for fantasy managers here is that Paredes appears unlikely to be on the move before Opening Day after it seemed like the odds of his finding a new home were increasing.