MLB Player News

Ashcraft (toe) will be ready for the start of Cactus League play, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Ashcraft had said Tuesday that his toe was still not quite at 100 percent following his surgery in September, but it appears the 26-year-old has made significant progress since then. Ashcraft will look to cement himself in Cincinnati's rotation during the spring after posting a 4.76 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 145.2 innings last season.

Sanchez is out of minor-league options, but the right-hander isn't guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

He's thrown only one inning since 2020 due to a pair of shoulder surgeries, and the upside he displayed prior to that is a distant memory. The Marlins have a vacancy in their rotation this season with Sandy Alcantara (elbow) out, but Sanchez might be a long shot just to win a low-leverage relief job. He threw a bullpen session Thursday and at least appears to be healthy to begin camp, but the 25-year-old has a lot to prove. "That's the reality," manager Skip Schumaker said Thursday. "He's in big-league camp. He's got a chance just like anybody else, but he's gonna have to show something."

Anderson signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Saturday and received an invitation to big-league spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Anderson logged a 5.42 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 86.1 innings between the Rays and Rockies last season. The 36-year-old right-hander hasn't turned in a season with an ERA below 5.00 since 2019 (4.21), making him an unreliable fantasy option even if he were to make the Pirates' roster out of spring training.

Meyer is fully recovered from his elbow injury, but the Marlins won't push him too hard to begin spring training, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

"It's probably more mental than the physical," manager Skip Schumaker said Thursday about a group of pitchers that also includes Trevor Rogers and Anthony Bender. "They are healthy physically and trying to get over that mental hurdle of what if they throw too hard or throw too much [or] it's just gonna happen again. It's more of a mental hurdle than anything." Meyer, the third overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2022 and didn't pitch at all last season after the Marlins elected not to send him to the Arizona Fall League. The 24-year-old right-hander displayed an ace-level arsenal prior to the surgery, and a strong showing in camp could land Meyer in the Opening Day rotation as the team looks to fill the hole left by Sandy Alcantara (elbow).

Rogers is healthy to begin spring training, but the Marlins intend to bring him along slowly during the early part of camp, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

"It's probably more mental than the physical," manager Skip Schumaker said Thursday about a group of pitchers that also includes Max Meyer and Anthony Bender. "They are healthy physically and trying to get over that mental hurdle of what if they throw too hard or throw too much [or] it's just gonna happen again. It's more of a mental hurdle than anything." Rogers made only four big-league starts last year, getting shut down in April with a bicep strain and then having his recovery derailed in June by a lat tear. With Sandy Alcantara (elbow) set to miss all of 2024, Miami's counting on Rogers to stay healthy and take a regular turn in the rotation, so getting the southpaw to Opening Day in one piece will be the priority.

Marquez (elbow) threw off a mound Friday, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Marquez is ramping up his throwing program after he underwent Tommy John surgery last May. The hope is that the veteran right-hander will be ready to rejoin the Rockies' rotation at some point after the All-Star break.

Garrett is being brought along slowly in Marlins camp due to soreness in his left shoulder, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Garrett was still allowed to throw each of the last two days, so there doesn't appear to be any major concern on the team's part. The southpaw collected a 3.66 ERA and 156:29 K:BB across 159.2 innings for Miami last season, making a career-high 30 starts (31 total appearances).

The Marlins will limit the amount of innings Perez pitches in 2024, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

The Marlins have yet to decide on a number, but the team figures to bump Perez up from the 128 innings he pitched last season (91.1 in MLB). The 20-year-old right-hander ended 2023 on the injured list due to inflammation in his shoulder but posted a 3.15 ERA and 1.13 WHIP alongside a 108:31 K:BB while healthy. He is expected to be a part of Miami's Opening Day rotation.

Ynoa (elbow) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Ynoa underwent Tommy John surgery near the end of the 2022 season, causing him to miss the entire 2023 campaign. Although manager Brian Snitker said Ynoa looked "great" during his first throwing session of the spring, the 25-year-old's availability for the beginning of Grapefruit League play remains unknown.

Matz (lat) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, the first day for pitchers and catchers at Cardinals camp, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Matz was limited to 105 innings in 2023, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP over 25 appearances (17 starts) before being shut down in August. It's encouraging that the southpaw is throwing to begin camp after avoiding offseason surgery. The Cardinals focused on pitching in the winter, but Matz is still penciled in for a rotation spot regardless of if the team breaks camp with a five-man or six-man unit. From a fantasy perspective, the injury-prone 32-year-old is a low-end option after showing significant year-to-year inconsistency, but he should be considered fully healthy once he gets into spring games.