MLB Player News

Brentz (elbow) signed a two-year deal with the Royals on Thursday.

Brentz underwent Tommy John surgery in the middle of July, so he's likely to miss the entire 2023 season. Prior to going down with the arm issue in 2022, he made only a few appearances with the Royals and allowed 14 earned runs across 5.1 innings with nine strikeouts and 10 walks.

Giles will hold a showcase for teams Friday at Arizona State University, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Giles did the same thing in early February and nothing came of it, but maybe he's throwing with more juice here in mid-March. The 32-year-old right-hander has logged only eight major-league innings since the beginning of the 2020 season because of various upper and lower arm injuries, though he's said to be fully healthy now.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that Strahm would be stretched into a multi-inning reliever, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Strahm initially figured to slide into a setup role after he signed with the Phillies during the offseason, but now he appears in line to give the team multiple innings out of the bullpen. He has experience as a starter, making up to 16 starts for the Padres in 2019, so he's certainly up to the task of going multiple innings in relief. It now is just a matter of getting him re-acclimated to doing so.

Melancon was diagnosed with a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder Thursday and will begin the season on the injured list, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The news keeps getting worse regarding Melancon's shoulder. He will receive a PRP injection Thursday and is expected to miss the first few months of the season. Expect Andrew Chafin and Kevin Ginkel to pick up an increased share of save opportunities while Melancon is out.

Stephenson (elbow) felt good after throwing live batting practice Wednesday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Stephenson is likely to log one more live BP session before potentially making his Grapefruit League debut. The 30-year-old right-hander is still hoping to be ready for Opening Day as he works past a bout of minor elbow discomfort.

Garcia was diagnosed Thursday with an injury to the nerves in his left biceps and will be shut down from throwing for at least the next month, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Garcia has undergone a range of different tests since leaving a Grapefruit League game back on March 4 due to tightness in his upper left arm. It sounds like the Pirates might have found the root of the issue, but there is no exact timetable for when he might be ready again to take the mound. Given the length of the initial shutdown, the 30-year-old shouldn't be expected back until at least late May.

Hall (back) is throwing a two-inning simulated game Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Hall is probably not going to be an option for the Orioles at the beginning of the 2023 regular season as he recovers from a lower-back injury, but he continues to work through his rehab program without issue. The 24-year-old left-hander could make his Grapefruit League debut sometime next week and will get stretched out from there.

Baker is a virtual lock to break camp with the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Baker was viewed as an option to close earlier in spring training, but with Felix Bautista on track to avoid the injured list, that is now unlikely. The 28-year-old Baker hasn't exactly done himself any favors, allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits and four walks over 4.2 innings through five Grapefruit League appearances. He was an effective middle reliever in 2022 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 76:26 K:BB over 69.2 innings, though he could see more setup work this year with Dillon Tate (elbow) out for the first month of the campaign.

Mets general manager Billy Eppler announced Thursday that Diaz (knee) will undergo surgery and is likely to miss the entire 2023 season, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Diaz suffered a complete tear of his right patellar tendon while celebrating Puerto Rico's big win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night. Eppler suggested that a return in six months would be the best-case scenario and that the usual timeline calls for eight full months of rest and rehab. David Robertson, Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley are among the options to step in at closer for the Mets.

Diaz's initial diagnosis Thursday is that of a right patellar tendon injury, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.

There should be more information soon about the overall scope and severity of the injury, as Diaz was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday afternoon. He injured his right knee late Wednesday night while celebrating Puerto Rico's win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. It's an ugly situation for the Mets, and for fantasy managers who already selected Diaz high in drafts.