MLB Player News

Pivetta tossed 2.2 scoreless innings in a Cactus League contest against San Francisco on Tuesday, issuing one walk and striking out four batters.

Pivetta took the mound in a Padres uniform for the first time after signing with the team in mid-February. The veteran righty looked great in his 2.2 frames, holding the Giants without a hit and punching out four batters while throwing 47 pitches and topping out at 94.6 mph on the radar gun. Pivetta is a big addition to San Diego's rotation, and he's penciled in as the team's fourth starter as the regular-season approaches.

Graveman (back) underwent imaging Monday which came back clean, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Graveman will receive treatment for what manager Torey Lovullo described as mid-back tightness. There's still plenty of time left in camp for relievers to be ready for the regular season. Graveman, who racked up 24 saves during a three-year stretch from 2021 to 2023, will be a depth piece in Arizona's bullpen.

Almonte (shoulder) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Almonte had a 3.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB across 15.2 innings with Chicago last season before requiring season-ending shoulder surgery in July, and he's now back with the organization after he elected free agency in November. It's unclear where the right-hander currently stands in his recovery and rehab, but he was initially expected to return midseason in 2025.

The Mets placed Reid-Foley on outright waivers Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Reid-Foley got off to a promising start last year, posting a 1.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 21.2 innings, but his season was cut short in late June due to a shoulder injury. The Mets will now look to create space on their 40-man roster by outrighting him to Triple-A Syracuse. The waivers are irrevocable, however, so if one of the other 29 clubs puts in a claim on the 29-year-old righty, he will no longer be a Met.

Pallante permitted one hit and struck out a pair over three scoreless frames in Tuesday's Grapefruit League outing against the Mets.

The bottom line was much improved from Pallante's first spring start when he allowed four runs and walked two in an inning of work. However, Pallante has yet to find the pep on his fastball this spring, with the velocity on his four-seamer down 1.7 mph from last year and the velocity on his sinker down 2.4 mph. It's not overly worrisome yet in early March, but it's something to keep an eye on.

Morgan may get squeezed from the Cubs' Opening Day roster and start the season at Triple-A Iowa instead , Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Morgan was effective last year for Cleveland, posting a 1.93 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 42 regular-season innings, though he still has a minor-league option remaining and could be the odd man out as a result. Even if the righty begins the year in the minors, he has enough talent to be a valuable addition to the Cubs' bullpen at some point, but he likely won't see save opportunities with Ryan Pressly and Porter Hodge around.

Diaz has been held out of Cactus League play after tweaking his hamstring during pitchers' fielding practice about a week ago, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Diaz said Monday that he feels "great" now and expects to be ready for his Cactus League debut this weekend. If he is indeed ready to pitch later this week and can avoid setbacks, Diaz should have enough time to be ready for Opening Day. The righty is expected to open the 2025 season as Cincinnati's closer, though he could be on a relatively short leash after posting a 3.99 ERA and just a 22.7 percent strikeout rate in 2024.

Lopez threw 44 pitches (25 strikes) in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, allowing one hit and two walks over 1.2 scoreless innings. He struck out one.

The right-hander has yet to give up a run this spring, posting a 3:3 K:BB over 3.2 scoreless innings in two starts. Lopez had a breakout 2024 in his return to a starting role, delivering a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 148:42 K:BB in 135.2 innings for Atlanta, and he's aiming to handle a 200-inning workload in 2025.

The Pirates claimed Lawrence off waivers from the Rockies on Monday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Lawrence posted a 6.49 ERA and saw his strikeout rate dip to just 16.1 percent and sinker velocity fall to 94.6 mph on average in 2024. However, he had an above-average 24.4 percent strikeout rate from 2022 to 2023 and his sweeper has been a very effective pitch at times. Lawrence is under team control through 2028 and the Pirates felt he was worth a roll of the dice.

Miami reassigned Tarnok (ankle) to minor-league camp Monday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Tarnok had been attending big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee, but he never made a serious run for a spot on Miami's season-opening roster after injuring his left ankle last week. Once healthy, the right-hander will likely serve as a swingman for Triple-A Jacksonville.