MLB Player News

Castano (shoulder) has made two Grapefruit League appearances to date, covering four innings while striking out three and allowing one earned run on four hits and no walks.

Castano didn't make any appearances after July 28 of last season after taking a line drive off the head and suffering a concussion, but he looked on tap to rejoin the Marlins in September before he developed a left shoulder strain while ramping back up once he was cleared for the head injury. The southpaw has since moved past the shoulder issue and looks healthy for spring training, but he was pushed off the Marlins' 40-man roster in January and will face an uphill battle to win an Opening Day role with the big club.

McArthur (elbow) has made three Grapefruit League appearances to date, striking out two and walking one and giving up one hit over three scoreless frames.

McArthur concluded the 2022 season on the Phillies' 60-day injured list after developing a right elbow stress reaction coming out of his final minor-league appearance at Double-A Reading on June 21. The 26-year-old right-hander has since been added back to the Phillies' 40-man roster, but he doesn't appear to be a serious candidate to win a rotation spot for the big club coming out of camp and will most likely be headed back to Reading or to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Fulmer has yet to allow a run across three Cactus League appearances. He's struck out three.

Fulmer has been steady so far in spring training action, and he should be able to carry that over into the regular season after posting strong numbers out of the bullpen in 2021 and 2022. The veteran righty should have a high-leverage role with the Cubs, possibly even closing out games, though Brandon Hughes and Brad Boxberger are also in the mix at the end of games. Fulmer's fantasy value would obviously increase if he's seeing regular save opportunities.

Pallante has allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three over two innings in Grapefruit League play.

Katie Woo of The Athletic reports manager Oliver Marmol was pleased with Pallante's uptick in velocity in his second appearance. Pallante will pitch for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, and continued strong showings there should solidify his already favorable position as part of the setup mix in the Cardinals' bullpen. He pitched to a 3.17 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 73:40 K:BB across 108 innings, making 10 of his 47 appearances as a starter in 2022.

Jarvis made adjustments to his delivery during the offseason, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Specifically, Jarvis is getting more extension on his fastball, which averaged 5.2 feet of extension last season, one of the lowest marks in organized baseball (average is 6.3 feet). That means his fastball has farther to travel to home plate than that of the average pitcher, giving hitters more time to react. He possesses a 95 mph heater, but it was hit hard in 2022, and the right-hander believes it was due to his short extension. He reached 5.8 feet last week and has reached 6.1 to 6.3 feet of range in mound sessions this spring. Jarvis is also working on better pitch deception so that hitters have less time to adjust to what he's throwing. The first-round pick in 2020 posted an 8.27 ERA and gave up 27 home runs (2.3 HR/9) over 25 starts (106.2 IP) at Double-A Amarillo in 2022. The results this spring are encouraging, as Jarvis has allowed one run on four hits while striking out three batters over four innings.

Chafin allowed two runs on three walks and two hits while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning in Saturday's spring game against the Padres.

Chafin's off to a rocky start in the Cactus League. The left-hander has allowed four runs on four hits and walked five batters over 2.2 innings. He's part of the fluid mix of relievers that could get save opportunities. Others in that group are Kevin Ginkel, Joe Mantiply and Mark Melancon.

The Cubs are building up Thompson slowly this spring as he adjusts to a new role as a reliever, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Thompson made his Cactus League debut Saturday and logged a scoreless inning with a strikeout. The team wanted to see how the righty responded to throwing bullpen sessions more frequently to begin spring training as they transition him into a relief role. Thompson made 17 starts and 12 relief appearances last season, recording a strong 3.76 ERA across 115 total innings. He figures to be a multi-inning bullpen option in 2023, though he's capable of making spot starts when needed.

The Cubs are easing Hughes into Cactus League action after the lefty set a career high in innings pitched last season, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Hughes has yet to appear in a spring contest, which is by design after he logged 57.2 innings in relief last season. That's not a particularly high number, but the converted outfielder tossed only 17 innings in the minors the year before, which was his first time on the mound as a professional. The lefty should once again be a key bullpen weapon for the Cubs, possibly closing out games, though Rowan Wick along with newcomers Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger could factor into the mix as well.

Zuniga was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Zuniga signed an MLB contract in December, but has options remaining, so the right-hander will open the season in the International League rather than with the Cards. He could be a bullpen option for St. Louis at some point in 2023.

Pacheco (elbow) was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Pacheco has been slowed by arm trouble in the Grapefruit League, but was always unlikely to make the Cardinals' roster to open the season anyway. He'll provide depth for the St. Louis pitching staff in Triple-A.