MLB Player News

Cousins (forearm) will resume a throwing program Monday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Cousins reported to camp earlier this month with a right forearm strain but got his arm re-imaged recently and the results were "really good," the pitcher said Wednesday, adding that he's "ready to go." The reliever will have been shut down for nearly five weeks and will not be ready for Opening Day, but the hope is he will not have to miss much time.

Gage, who signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Dec. 20, gave up two earned runs on one hit and two walks while striking out one batter in one inning of relief Friday in the Tigers' 7-6 loss to the Phillies in Grapefruit League play.

Gage previously saw big-league action in 2022 and 2023 with the Blue Jays and Astros, respectively, but he spent the entire 2024 campaign at the Triple-A level between stops with the Dodgers and Mets organizations, logging a 4.10 ERA and 51:22 K:BB in 41.2 innings. Though he's getting a chance to compete for a spot in the Tigers' Opening Day bullpen during spring training, the 32-year-old southpaw will most likely be headed to Triple-A Toledo to begin the campaign.

Lopez said this week that his goal is to make 30-to-35 starts and pitch 200 innings in 2025, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Lopez, who threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his spring debut Tuesday against the Red Sox, made 26 appearances (25 starts) and threw 135.2 frames in 2024 in his move from the bullpen to the rotation, which he said through an interpreter "was a good opportunity to establish a base." That was more innings than he threw combined between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, but Lopez has topped 180 innings twice in his career, doing so in back-to-back seasons with the White Sox in 2018 and 2019. The righty dealt with forearm and shoulder trouble in the second half last season but reported to camp healthy and is aiming to take a big step forward with his workload in 2025. Per David O'Brien of The Athletic, Lopez also got better results last season on a normal schedule, posting a 1.52 ERA and 0.97 WHIP during his five starts on four days' rest.

Ragans gave up two hits and a walk while collecting two strikeouts over two scoreless innings during his Cactus League debut against the Athletics on Monday.

In his first appearance since signing a contract extension to remain with the Royals through 2027, Ragans looked as sharp as ever Monday. He threw 25 of his 34 pitches for strikes and averaged 96.9 mph on his fastball (compared to 95.5 mph during the 2024 regular season). The 27-year-old southpaw figures to be one of the leading candidates to start Opening Day against the Guardians on March 27, though the Royals haven't made an official announcement yet.

Aleman had an appointment Tuesday to evaluate what may be an inguinal hernia.

Aleman hasn't yet received an official diagnosis, but a hernia and the ensuing procedure to address it would sideline him for an extended period of time and all but eliminate his chances at making the Guardians' Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old righty posted a 1.99 ERA and 1.08 WHIP at Triple-A Columbus last season, but he was limited to just 24 appearances after a lat injury kept him out for three months. He's likely to spend more time in the minors once healthy, though he's a candidate to be called up at some point this summer.

Ginkel struck out two over a scoreless second inning in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

Ginkel was the first of Arizona's potential closers to throw in Tuesday's game. He was followed by A.J. Puk in the third inning then Justin Martinez in the fourth. Ginkel has experience closing for the Diamondbacks but appears to be behind the other two.

Puk struck out two over a scoreless third inning in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo trotted out his three potential closers Tuesday, with Puk's inning sandwiched by Kevin Ginkel (second inning) and Justin Martinez (fourth). All three pitched scoreless frames. Martinez was the primary closer over the final two months last season but had a shaky September and walked more than four batters per nine innings. Meanwhile, Puk was electric after being acquired at the trade deadline, posting a 1.32 ERA and 0.73 WHIP with two saves over 30 outings with Arizona.

Martinez walked one and struck out one over a scoreless fourth inning in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

It was a bullpen day for the Diamondbacks, which gave manager Torey Lovullo a chance to see his three potential closers pitch early enough in the game to see the other team's regulars. Martinez followed Kevin Ginkel (second inning) and A.J. Puk (third inning). Martinez had the toughest task of the three, facing the second, third and four batters in Chicago's order. All three relievers threw scoreless innings, compounding the difficulty of the decision for the manager. Martinez and Puk appear to be the leading candidates, but all three are expected to work high-leverage innings at the back end of the bullpen.

Bielak signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Bielak gave up 17 earned runs over 29.2 innings in the majors between the Astros and Athletics last season. Most of his time was spent in the minors, however, where he still struggled with a 6.08 ERA and 1.60 WHIP over 66.2 frames. He'll now attempt to bounce back during spring camp with the Diamondbacks, though his recent performance will most likely keep him in an organizational depth role.

Atlanta reassigned Paredes to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Paredes appeared in one spring training game before being reassigned, giving up one run on three hits over one inning. However, he posted a 1.66 ERA over 21.2 regular-season frames between the Cubs and Brewers last year, so there's still a solid chance he'll pitch for Atlanta in 2025 if his performance holds up in the minors.