MLB Player News

Holmes will be on the mound for the Mets' Grapefruit League opener Saturday against the Astros, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 31-year-old right-hander hasn't started a big-league game since 2018, making 195 relief appearances over the last three seasons while serving primarily as a closer for the Yankees, but Holmes is attempting to convert to the rotation this season after signing a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets in December. It's not clear what kind of workload he'll handle in his spring debut, but Holmes projects to slot third in the Mets' rotation to begin the campaign behind Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.

Romero (forearm) threw a live batting practice session Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Romero closed the 2024 season on the injured list due to right forearm inflammation, but he began a throwing program in late October and appears to be facing no limitations in spring training. The 28-year-old southpaw should remain a key setup option in front of closer Ryan Helsley in 2025 after logging a 3.36 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 51:16 K:BB while gathering 30 holds, seven wins and one save over 59 innings a season ago.

Helsley appeared to make use of a cutter as part of his arsenal while throwing his first live batting practice of the spring Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Helsley already looks to be fully ramped up in the early stages of the spring; the hard-throwing righty uncorked fastballs clocked at 98 mph for his first three pitches of Thursday's session. He also utilized his curveball and slider as part of his core three-pitch mix and complemented those offerings with a cutter, a pitch he's thrown just six total times during his six-year MLB career, per FanGraphs.com. Helsley will likely continue to experiment with his cutter throughout the spring before determining if he can command the pitch well enough to make it a consistent part of his repertoire heading into the regular season. Whether or not he ultimately expands his arsenal, Hesley shapes up as an upper-tier fantasy closer, coming off a brilliant 2024 season in which he recorded an MLB-leading 49 saves to go with seven wins and a 2.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 21.1 K-BB%).

Vodnik is a candidate for saves in the Rockies' bullpen to begin the season, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Vodnik tied for second on the team with nine saves in 2024, though both his surface and peripheral stats left plenty to be desired. He had a 1.48 WHIP primarily due to an 11.6 percent walk rate and paired that with a modest 20.3 percent strikeout rate. Seth Halvorsen and Tyler Kinley are the other primary candidates for save chances.

Halvorsen is among the candidates to open the season as the Rockies' closer, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Halvorsen made his big-league debut in 2024 after striking out 56 batters across 44.1 innings combined between Double and Triple-A. He converted two saves and two holds across 12 appearances with the Rockies, while also maintaining an impressive 13:2 K:BB. Tyler Kinley could get the first save chances due to his veteran status, but his inconsistent track record should keep the door open for Halvorsen and/or others.

The Marlins claimed Martinez off waivers from Arizona on Thursday.

The 30-year-old righty was pushed off the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster Monday to make room for Kendall Graveman (shoulder). Martinez spent all of last season with the Astros, turning in a 3.59 ERA and 1.27 WHIP alongside a 36:18 K:BB over 52.2 regular-season innings. Assuming he keeps a similar level of production during spring training, he'll have a good chance of winning a spot in Miami's Opening Day bullpen. Eury Perez (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Bukauskas underwent an MRI on his right arm after suffering an injury during a live batting practice session Wednesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

McCalvy is referring to the injury as a "setback," which could indicate Bukauskas is again having issues with his right triceps, which is an injury that sidelined him for a bit last season. He's in Brewers camp as a non-roster invitee, and this development could erase any chance he might have had to make the Opening Day roster.

Manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Assad (oblique) has resumed playing catch, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Assad was diagnosed with a mild oblique strain early on in camp but appears to be making strides. It's not clear when he might be ready for mound work and a game appearance, however. Assad is in a competition for the final spot in the Cubs' rotation, so he can't afford too long of a delay.

Kinley (elbow) isn't expected to be operating with any restrictions in spring training after having a normal offseason, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Kinley finished last season on the injured list after developing right elbow inflammation in September, but he needed only a brief period of down time before he was able to resume throwing. With Colorado making no major additions to its bullpen during the offseason, Kinley should factor into the team's unsettled closer picture in 2025, just as he had last season before getting shut down due to the minor elbow issue. Over his 64 innings, Kinley turned in poor ratios (6.19 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 13.7 K-BB%), but the 34-year-old got the job done when called upon in save situations, converting 12 of his 13 opportunities.

Go was diagnosed with a fractured right index finger Thursday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

He will be re-evaluated in a couple weeks. Go spent all of the 2024 season in the minors, holding a 6.54 ERA and 52:22 K:BB over 52.1 innings and the Double- and Triple-A levels. He was removed from the Marlins' 40-man roster last June.