MLB Player News

Williams is working on a slider or cutter this spring, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Williams threw a slider in the minors but hasn't used it much in the majors. His elite changeup is the pitch that carries his profile, but an additional secondary could give him an unexpected additional weapon and could make his changeup even better if hitters aren't able to sit on it quite as much.

Reyes underwent an MRI on his sore right shoulder Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Reyes finally had a healthy season last year and wound up with 29 saves and a 3.24 ERA, but it looks as though he may not be so lucky this season. For now, he and the Cardinals are treating his issue as merely lingering soreness from last season, but the results of the MRI could potentially reveal a more serious injury.

Martin agreed Tuesday with the Cubs on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports. The deal contains $500,000 in performance bonuses.

Martin is expected to slot into a setup role for Chicago, though he could be in the mix for closing chances if the presumptive favorite for the job, Rowan Wick, falters at any point. The 35-year-old right-hander has been effective between stops in Texas and Atlanta over the last three seasons, generating a 3.23 ERA and 25.5 K% over 123 relief appearances during that stretch.

Alzolay's shoulder injury has been diagnosed as a lat strain and will keep him out for at least two months, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Alzolay's injury was previously referred to as merely tightness, but it's now clear that it's a significant issue and will keep him out for an extended period. The righty dealt with the same injury back in 2018. Assuming he'll be able to reclaim a starting role once healthy, he could be a productive pitcher for the final four months of the season, as his mediocre 4.58 ERA last season came with a promising set of peripherals. His 24.7 percent strikeout rate, 6.6 percent walk rate and 45.3 percent groundball rate were all better than league average. In leagues without an injured list, however, he's unlikely to move the needle enough to be worth blocking a bench spot for the first two months of the year.

Nelson (elbow) returned to the Dodgers on Tuesday, Pedro Moura of Fox Sports reports.

Nelson's contract is a major-league one and comes with a team option for 2023, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The 32-year-old recorded an excellent 1.86 ERA and a 37.9 percent strikeout rate last season, but that came in just 29 innings, as he hit the injured list three times and missed almost all of the last two months of the season with an elbow issue that eventually required surgery.

Cabrera (visa issues) arrived at the Cardinals' spring training complex Tuesday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session later in the day, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Cabrera missed only a few days of camp while he waited to acquire a visa, so he shouldn't need much time to catch up to the Cardinals' other relief pitchers. The 25-year-old lefty was an integral part of the bullpen in 2021, making 71 appearances and delivering a 3.73 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 70 innings.

The Pirates placed Mears on the 60-day injured list Tuesday while he continues to recover from arthroscopic surgery for his right elbow, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Biertempfel relays that Mears had the procedure Feb. 9 for the purpose of cleaning up scar tissue in his right elbow. Since his surgery wasn't a reconstructive one, Mears should have a chance at being available to rejoin the Pirates in June once the 60-day window ends. The Pirates signed veteran reliever Heath Hembree to take Mears' spot on the 40-man roster and in Pittsburgh's bullpen.

Kahnle (elbow) probably won't be ready to pitch in a game by Opening Day, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Kahnle and Caleb Ferguson -- both of whom are coming off 2020 Tommy John surgery -- are unlikely to be ready for the start of the big-league season. Kahnle has yet to make his Dodgers debut and has pitched only one inning (for the Yankees) since the 2019 campaign. When he is ready to return to the big-league mound, Kahnle will likely be used in a low-leverage role out the gate.

Ferguson (elbow) is unlikely to be ready to pitch by Opening Day, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ferguson underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2020 but doesn't appear to be fully ready to return. The left-hander was a key part of the Dodgers' bullpen during the abbreviated 2020 season, posting a 2.89 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 27:3 K:BB across 18.2 innings. He could claim a middle-relief role for Los Angeles at some point this season, but the organization will likely play it safe with Ferguson and give him plenty of time to ease his arm back into action.

Diaz has yet to arrive at camp due to visa issues, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Diaz is one of several players around the league facing similar problems. As long as he arrives soon, he'll have plenty of time to build up for Opening Day, though he's not a favorite to spend that day on the active roster.