MLB Player News

Waites (lat) will begin a throwing program in a week, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Waites sustained a right lat injury in early February, but his MRI showed no major damage. The right-hander will still be delayed for a bit in camp, and a stint on the injured list to begin the regular season hasn't been ruled out yet.

Stephenson is dealing with minor right elbow discomfort and is going through a modified throwing program at this stage of spring training, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Stephenson doesn't look as though he'll be ready to pitch during the first week of Grapefruit League play, but the Pirates are still seemingly optimistic that his elbow issue won't be anything that threatens his availability for Opening Day. He could resume throwing off a mound early next week if he responds well to playing catch over the next few days.

Rockies manager Bud Black said Wednesday that Bird is expected to be sidelined for the next 4-to-6 weeks due to a left oblique strain, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Since the Rockies are scheduled to begin their season March 30 in San Diego, Black acknowledged that "it will be close" for Bird to make a full recovery from the injury in time for Opening Day. Even if Bird's recovery from the oblique injury veers closer to the short end of the timetable, he may not have sufficient time to complete a throwing progression in advance of the regular season. As a rookie last season, Bird made 38 appearances out of the Colorado bullpen and logged a 4.91 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 47.2 innings.

Rockies manager Bud Black said Wednesday that Pint is dealing with a mild oblique strain, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Pint apparently sustained the injury during a workout Tuesday, though because the right-hander was able to finish the session despite some discomfort, Black is hopeful he won't miss too much time during camp. Pint was added to the Rockies' 40-man roster over the winter, but since he's made just three career appearances above the Double-A level, he doesn't appear to be a serious candidate to make Colorado's Opening Day roster even if he quickly moves past the injury.

Updating a previous report, Hudson (knee/ankle) isn't scheduled to pitch in the Dodgers' Cactus League opener Saturday versus the Brewers, according to David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Vassegh had previously reported that Hudson was scheduled to appear in relief behind starter Michael Grove, but instead, non-roster invitee Bryan Hudson is the Hudson in question who will work out of the bullpen. Daniel Hudson missed the final four months of the 2022 season after undergoing surgery in late June to address a torn ACL in his left knee, so the Dodgers may prefer to take a cautious approach with his usage this spring, especially after he dealt with right ankle tendinitis before reporting to camp. The Dodgers haven't suggested that Hudson is dramatically behind the team's other relief candidates, so the 35-year-old right-hander still seemingly has a good chance of securing a spot on the Opening Day roster. He should be in the mix for a high-leverage role after notching five saves and nine holds while delivering a 2.22 ERA and 30:5 K:BB across 24.1 innings in his injury-shortened 2022 campaign.

Hudson (knee/ankle) is expected to make an appearance in relief in Saturday's Cactus League opener versus the Brewers, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Before suffering an ACL tear of his left knee in late June and undergoing season-ending surgery, Hudson had settled into a key role in the late innings for the Dodgers, as he concluded the campaign with a 2.22 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 30:5 K:BB in 24.1 innings while bagging five saves and nine holds. The fact that he's already on track to appear in relief in the Dodgers' spring opener suggests that Hudson is well on his way to being included on the Opening Day roster, even though he experienced some tendinitis in his right ankle earlier in camp in addition to making his return from the ACL tear. Manager Dave Roberts has yet to name a closer for the start of the season and could take a committee approach to the ninth inning, but expect Hudson to be a factor in some capacity so long as he steers clear of any setbacks with his knee.

Bird suffered a left oblique strain while throwing a bullpen session Monday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Bird will have to bow out of an invitation from Team Israel for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and he's probably also going to be unavailable for the start of the 2023 regular season. The 27-year-old reliever posted a 4.91 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 42:23 K:BB over his first 47.2 major-league innings in 2022.

Martinez will start the Padres' Cactus League opener Friday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Martinez logged 10 starts and 37 relief appearances last season with San Diego, but he's expected to have more of a permanent rotation spot steering into 2023. The 32-year-old right-hander is coming off an overall 3.47 ERA and 95:41 K:BB across 106.1 innings, and he's probably worthy of a late-round dart throw in most standard fantasy formats.

Weathers has revamped his delivery for the upcoming season, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Weathers now has added an overhead delivery to his mechanics, and Scanlan reports that the left-hander has done "lots of work" in the offseason. The left-hander showed flashes of brilliance in the first-half of 2021, but he has struggled since, making just one appearance for the Padres in 2022 and registering a 6.73 ERA over 123 innings for Triple-A El Paso. There's more risk than reward in Weathers' profile at this stage, but keep in mind he's only 23 years old, and there's still the potential for long-term success.

Rainey (elbow) is currently throwing from 60 feet away as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Rainey is currently in the third week of his throwing program. The right-hander's goal is to return to the diamond by Aug. 3, which is the 12-month mark from when he underwent the surgery. When Rainey returns to the Nationals, it's possible he could see save opportunities, but he can safely be ignored in redraft fantasy formats at this point.