MLB Player News

Rockies manager Bud Black said Thursday that Gilbreath (shoulder) has been fully cleared for spring training, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Gilbreath didn't make his 2024 debut for the Rockies until mid-August after he completed his recovery from his March 2023 Tommy John surgery, and he made just three appearances before going back on the injured list Aug. 26 due to left shoulder inflammation. The southpaw seems to have moved past the injury over the offseason and will now work to solidify his spot in the Rockies' Opening Day bullpen during spring training. Gilbreath is likely to serve in a middle-relief role if he makes the club.

Pallante will receive a $2.1 million salary for 2025 after winning his arbitration hearing against the Cardinals on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Cardinals had filed for a $1.925 million salary for Pallante, who was arbitration-eligible for the first time. Pallante submitted a weak 9.0 K-BB% over 121.1 innings across his 29 appearances (20 starts) in 2024, but thanks to his ability to keep the ball on the ground and generate weak contact, most of his ERA estimators (4.15 SIERA, 3.89 xFIP, 3.46 xERA) were roughly in line with his actual ERA (3.78). He should have a firm grasp on a full-time rotation spot in 2025, though his poor strikeout rate will likely make him less valuable in fantasy leagues than in real life.

Uribe will go slow as he comes back from right knee surgery, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

He underwent surgery to repair a lateral miniscus tear in mid-June of 2024. This is a vague report, but it sounds like Uribe's status is questionable for Opening Day. Brewers closer Trevor Megill is dealing with an undisclosed injury, so if Uribe can get up to speed and Megill's injury lingers, Uribe could figure into the ninth-inning mix.

Megill has been pushed back at the outset of spring training due to some minor health issues in recent throwing sessions, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Manager Pat Murphy said Megill seems "fine," per McCalvy, but Megill is dealing with something that is preventing him from ramping up on a normal schedule this spring. While Megill's delayed schedule could end up being a non-issue, fantasy managers should still view him as a higher-risk option than he was prior to pitchers and catchers reporting. Abner Uribe (knee) is being brought along slowly, so 30-year-old Joel Payamps may be best suited to step up in the ninth inning if Megill is unable to get up to speed by Opening Day.

The Brewers signed Alexander to a one-year contract Wednesday.

Alexander was non-tendered by the Rays earlier this offseason but has managed to land on his feet with a major-league deal in Milwaukee. The left-hander split time between the rotation and bullpen last season with Tampa Bay, finishing with a 5.10 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 90:24 K:BB across 107.2 innings. The Brewers will have a vacancy in their rotation if Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) isn't ready to start the season, but it seems likelier that Alexander will wind up in the bullpen or perhaps a swingman role.

Hoeing will remain in the Padres' bullpen rather than being stretched out as a rotation option, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Hoeing has plenty of past starting experience and San Diego had given consideration to building him back up. However, the club has ultimately decided he'll provide more value by staying in the bullpen. Hoeing made 32 relief appearances and two starts between the Marlins and Padres in 2024, collecting a 2.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 43:14 K:BB over 53.2 innings.

Kolek will be stretched out as a starting pitcher this spring, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

All 42 of Kolek's appearances with the Padres last season came in relief and he was a full-time reliever in the minors in 2023, as well. However, the 27-year-old made 25-plus starts on two occasions during his time in the minors, so starting is not completely foreign to him. Stretching Kolek out makes sense for a Padres team that lacks rotation depth, but he's a long shot to break camp as one of the team's starting five. Kolek missed the final two months of last season with a forearm issue but appears to be healthy as camp opens.

Smith (elbow) agreed Wednesday with the Mets on a one-year deal that includes a club option for 2026, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Smith will earn $1 million in 2025, and the 2026 club option is for $2 million, with the potential to climb if he achieves performance-based incentives. Smith is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season after he underwent a Tommy John and internal brace hybrid procedure on his right elbow this past July, but he'll be able to conduct his rehab within a team setting after re-signing with the Mets. Before getting the second Tommy John surgery of his career during the summer and then becoming a free agent in November, Smith turned in a 3.06 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 23:9 K:BB across 17.2 innings over 19 appearances out of the Mets bullpen in 2024.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Wednesday that Hall is recovering from a lat strain and won't throw for two weeks before being re-evaluated, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hall had been expected to compete for a rotation spot in spring training after he worked out of the bullpen toward the end of his first season in Milwaukee, but the lat injury looks as though it could foil those plans. Even if the southpaw is cleared to resume throwing by the end of February, he would likely need at least a few weeks to get stretched out for starting duty before the season gets underway March 27. With that in mind, a relief role may represent Hall's clearest path to making the Opening Day roster, if he doesn't instead require a stint on the injured list.

Hicks said Wednesday that he added 14 pounds this offseason and is ready to "take the training wheels off" in 2025, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Hicks got off to a nice start last season in his move from the bullpen to the rotation, but he hit a wall and finished with a 4.10 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 96:47 K:BB over 109.2 frames covering 20 starts and nine relief appearances. The 28-year-old should be better prepared to handle a starter's workload in 2025, but Hicks is a bit of a wild card in terms of his expected performance.