MLB Player News

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 Blue Jays signed Yarbrough to a minor-league contract Thursday with an invite to spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Yarbrough made his first appearances with the Blue Jays in August after being dealt by the Dodgers in late July. With Toronto, he recorded a 2.01 ERA across 31.1 innings in 12 games. The southpaw was used out of the bullpen in all 12 of his appearances and will presumably fill a piggyback or long-relief role if he gets onto the MLB roster this year.

Hamilton (calf) threw a live batting practice session Thursday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

The right-hander faced off against Austin Wells, Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez and Cody Bellinger in the live session. The 29-year-old reliever didn't make any appearances after injuring his calf in Game 3 of the Yankees' loss to the Guardians in the ALDS last fall, but his ability to face hitters early on during spring training suggests he's fully healthy.

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.

Hader worked this offseason on limiting his movements before his windup in an effort to not tip his pitches, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Houston failed to make the ALCS for the first time in eight years, with Hader giving up a three-run double to Andy Ibanez as the Tigers were able to break open Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series and eliminate the Astros early. During the regular season, Hader logged a 3.80 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 105 strikeouts and 34 saves in 71 innings. In addition to trying to cut down on any pre-windup tells, Hader said he is working on making his changeup a bigger part of his arsenal, although that's something he's wanted to do for years, by his own admission, so it's too early to say this will actually be the year he can rely on anything besides his sinker and slider. Regardless of whether he has a more reliable third pitch, Hader should once again rank near the top of the majors in saves and strikeouts among relievers.

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.

The Red Sox signed Moore to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

The Red Sox were looking for some left-handed relief depth with Zach Penrod going down with an elbow injury. Moore is coming back from an injury of his own, having missed the final month of last season with a left forearm strain. However, the southpaw has been throwing this offseason without any apparent issues, per Bradford. Moore held a 5.03 ERA and 41:26 over 48.1 frames with the Angels in 2024, but he was very effective from 2022 to 2023 with a 2.20 ERA and 27.4 percent strikeout rate. If heathy, the 35-year-old should have a good shot to make Boston's 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.