MLB Player News

Winder is behind schedule in Twins camp due to right shoulder soreness, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Winder first started feeling soreness in the shoulder back in December, so the Twins are easing him into things. He's only about a week behind schedule, however, and there doesn't seem to be real worry at this point about Winder's availability for the start of the season. The righty is expected to be used as a starter this spring but projects to be on the outside looking in to the Twins' Opening Day rotation.

Santa (undisclosed) was spotted throwing off a mound in mid-January, Kenny Van Doren of the Astros Future Podcast reports.

Santa was forced to miss the majority of the 2022 campaign while dealing with an undisclosed injury, but it appears he's back on track after having time to get healthy over the offseason. The young hurler figures to begin the 2023 season with either Single-A Fayetteville or High-A Asheville.

Barlow (wrist) is working on adding a split-finger fastball, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

The pitch isn't totally new, as Barlow toyed with it in 2018, when the Rangers had former closer Bryan Harvey in camp to teach the pitch to some of the team's young hurlers. Barlow only threw about five back then, but the right-hander's picking it up again to give him a pitch that moves arm side. It's still a work in progress, which will be deployed this spring with a fastball, slider and curveball repertoire. That Barlow is throwing means he's over the November surgery to correct Linburg-Comstock syndrome, a condition that prevents the thumb and index finger from working independently.

Weathers has revamped his delivery for the upcoming season, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Weathers now has added an overhead delivery to his mechanics, and Scanlan reports that the left-hander has done "lots of work" in the offseason. The left-hander showed flashes of brilliance in the first-half of 2021, but he has struggled since, making just one appearance for the Padres in 2022 and registering a 6.73 ERA over 123 innings for Triple-A El Paso. There's more risk than reward in Weathers' profile at this stage, but keep in mind he's only 23 years old, and there's still the potential for long-term success.

King (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session of the spring Saturday and doesn't appear to have any limitations during camp, Randy Miller of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

King was sidelined for the final two and a half months of the 2022 season after fracturing his right elbow and undergoing surgery, but since he was fortunate enough to avoid any UCL damage, he was able to make a swifter recovery than if he would have required a Tommy John procedure. The Yankees could still opt to use him conservatively in spring training, but assuming he escapes the Grapefruit League slate unscathed, he should settle back in as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen. He dazzled over his 51 frames with the big club last season, submitting a 2.29 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 66:16 K:BB while capturing six wins, one save and 16 holds.

Marinaccio (shin) faced Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo on Monday during his second live batting practice session of spring training, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander was sidelined late in the 2022 season due to a stress reaction in his right shin and wasn't able to pitch during the Yankees' postseason run, but his ability to face hitters on two occasions this early in spring training suggests he's back to full health or close to it. When available in 2022, Marinaccio was effective, as he finished his rookie campaign with a 2.05 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 56 strikeouts across 44 innings. He'll likely settle back into a middle-relief or setup role for the Yankees to begin the 2023 season.

Rainey (elbow) is currently throwing from 60 feet away as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Rainey is currently in the third week of his throwing program. The right-hander's goal is to return to the diamond by Aug. 3, which is the 12-month mark from when he underwent the surgery. When Rainey returns to the Nationals, it's possible he could see save opportunities, but he can safely be ignored in redraft fantasy formats at this point.

Blach, who re-signed with the Rockies on Jan. 11 on a minor-league deal, threw his first live batting practice session of the spring Monday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The soft-tossing southpaw had elected free agency following the 2022 season, but after assessing his options on the open market for two months, he ultimately chose to stick around in Colorado. He's attending big-league camp this spring and will be looking to compete for a long-relief role out of the Rockies bullpen. Blach tossed 44.1 innings for the big club in 2022, logging a 5.89 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 29:11 K:BB.

Lambert (elbow) will have his innings capped to begin the 2023 season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Lambert told Harding that this is the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020 that he feels ready to contribute to the pitching staff. He's expected to receive a normal workload during the Cactus League, but then will be on strict limits for the beginning of 2023. Lambert showed promise as a prospect, but there's too much volatility to consider him a potential fantasy option to begin the year.

The Cubs placed Heuer (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Heuer was already expected to be sidelined until around mid-season while he recovers from March 2022 Tommy John surgery, so his move to the 60-day IL is merely a formality that opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for newly signed reliever Michael Fulmer. If Heuer is able to regain velocity and command once he concludes what will likely be an extended rehab assignment in the minors, he could emerge as a key late-inning arm for the big club in the second half of the season. At this stage of Heuer's rehab, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times relays that the right-hander is throwing bullpen sessions, but he's not yet been cleared to face hitters.