MLB Player News

Blackburn (wrist) is fully healthy heading into 2018 and will be looking to secure a spot in the rotation, Martin Gallegos of The Mercury News reports.

Blackburn was able to toss his first bullpen session of the spring camp Friday, and felt no ill effects from a right wrist injury that caused him to end last year prematurely. The right-hander was struck by a line drive against the Orioles in August, and was forced to shut down instead of rushing through a recovery since the team was well out of playoff contention. In 10 starts, he posted a 3.22 ERA and 1.26 WHIP and a 22:16 K:BB over 58.2 innings. Moving forward, he will be competing with a bunch of others for one of three spots left in the rotation behind Sean Manaea and Kendall Graveman. Even if he's able to secure a spot in the rotation, Blackburn's inability to strike batters out significantly limits any upside in the fantasy realm.

Bundy (hamstring) is fully healthy heading into the 2018 season and was able to throw another bullpen Friday at spring camp, Rich Dubroff of PressBoxonline.com reports.

Bundy dealt with a hamstring issue near the end of the 2017 season, and although it didn't appear to be anything of major concern, it's a good sign that the right-hander is fully participating in all drills at the club's spring camp. Over 28 starts last year, he posted a 4.24 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with a 152:51 K:BB in 169.2 innings.

Bridwell will compete for the sixth spot in the Angels' rotation with JC Ramirez and Nick Tropeano, MLB.com's Maria Guardado reports.

Bridwell started 20 games for the Angels in 2017, posting a 3.64 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with just 73 strikeouts over 121 innings. He did well to limit home runs, allowing just 19, and recorded a solid walk rate of just 2.2 BB/9 but his FIP (4.88) suggested that his ERA should have been far worse. Fortunately, the Angels have decided to move forward with a six-man rotation at the onset of the 2018 campaign, which will grant Bridwell another opportunity to remain near the back-end of the staff if he's able to preform well this spring.

Meyer (shoulder) has remained on schedule with his rehab and should be ready for spring training in 2019 barring any significant setbacks, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Meyer underwent a procedure to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder back in September and has been progressing on a 12-month rehab schedule since that time. The right-hander is hoping that he will be able to return at some point in 2018 but that's highly unlikely and wouldn't make sense from either party to rush him back into action.

Gibson lost his arbitration hearing Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

With the Twins emerging victorious, Gibson will now earn $4.2 million in 2018 rather than the $4.55 million figure he filed for. The 30-year-old posted an unremarkable 5.07 ERA last season (identical to his 2016 ERA), but he went 10-3 with a much more respectable 3.76 ERA in 13 second-half starts. His second-half success can likely be attributed to his improved walk and strikeout rates following the All-Star break (4.6 BB/9 to 2.6 BB/9 and 5.6 K/9 to 8.2 K/9). Gibson should enter the season in the Twins' rotation, and he could pick up where he left off in 2017 if his gains are legitimate.

Stroman announced on his personal Twitter account that he lost his arbitration hearing.

As a result of this decision, the right-hander will make $6.5 million rather than the $6.9 million figure that he requested. Ultimately, it doesn't make much of a difference from a fantasy perspective, but it could "fuel the fire" as Stroman put it in his Tweet. He'll look to build off a stellar 2017 campaign in which he posted a 3.09 ERA and a 164:62 K:BB in 33 starts.

Odorizzi will make $6.35 million in 2018 after winning his arbitration case, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays came in at $6.05 million but will be forced to cough up some extra cash after losing their arbitration battle with Odorizzi for a second-straight season. In 2017, the right-hander started 28 games, posting a 4.14 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with a 127:61 K:BB over 143.1 innings.

Rodon (shoulder) was able to throw on back-to-back days, marking the first time since he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in September, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports.

Rodon continues to make positive strides although it remains likely that the southpaw will miss a little time at the beginning of the season. There should be a more concrete timetable in the near future, but as of late January, pitching coach Don Cooper said that he wasn't anticipating Rodon being ready until a few weeks into the season, at the earliest, according to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. More should be known in the coming weeks once he's able to ramp up his activity.

Garcia will undergo Tommy John surgery Thursday after being diagnosed with a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The pitching prospect was examined by Dr. James Andrews and ultimately received the worst news possible. Garcia will now put his focus on rehabbing his elbow for a return sometime during the 2019 season. Once he gets back on the mound, he'll look to build off the strong 2017 campaign he produced, in which he jumped all the way from High-A to Triple-A over the course of the season.

Montas will be stretched out as a starter during spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Montas appeared in 23 games out of the bullpen for the A's in 2017, posting a 7.03 ERA and 1.84 WHIP over 32 innings. The greatest area of concern was his erratic nature that saw the right-hander allow 10 home runs and 20 walks during that time, but he does have the ability to strike batters out, as he recorded a 10.1 K/9. Although he will get an opportunity to try his hand as a starter, expect Montas to wind up back in the bullpen, barring a strong spring performance.