MLB Player News

Cobb (hip) began a throwing program Thursday, Evan Webeck of The Mercury News reports.

Cobb played catch from 60 feet in what was his first bit of throwing since he underwent left hip surgery in October. The veteran right-hander is hopeful of rejoining the Giants' rotation prior to the All-Star break, although there's no clear timetable for him at this point. Cobb held a 3.87 ERA and 131:37 K:BB over 151.1 frames for San Francisco in 2023.

Cobb (hip) hopes to begin a flat-ground throwing program in the next few days, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Cobb underwent surgery in late October to repair a torn labrum and remove three bone chips from in his left hip. He's been keeping his arm in shape by throwing plyo balls from his knees and hopes to play catch soon. Cobb thinks he'll be able to return sooner than expected, although there's no clear timetable for when it might happen, with the right-hander saying only that "I fully expect to be back in the first half." The 36-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 after posting a 2.91 ERA in the first half, but he stumbled to a 5.25 ERA after the break while dealing with nagging hip pain.

May (elbow) began a throwing program Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

May broke the news himself with a post on his Instagram account. The right-hander underwent flexor tendon surgery and a UCL revision last July and will be sidelined at least until the second half of the 2024 campaign. May holds a 3.10 ERA over parts of five seasons in the majors but has had his career sidetracked numerous times by injury.

Rogers (lat) signed a one-year contract with Miami on Thursday to avoid arbitration.

Rogers was shut down in late April due to a lat and biceps issue and was not able to take the mound again in 2023. At the close of the regular season, he had yet to throw off a mound. He should have the chance to begin the 2024 campaign healthy, but his current status is unclear.

Gallen agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Gallen is coming off of a strong 2023 season during which he posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across a career-high 210 innings. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility and will remain a key member of the Arizona rotation in 2024.

Burnes signed a one-year, $15.6 million contract with the Brewers on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Burnes and the Brewers failed to agree to terms last offseason, and he openly spoke about his displeasure with the arbitration process. After another strong year in 2023, Burnes was able to reach an agreement with the club and will see a $5.5 million increase in salary. Assuming no long-term agreement is reached in the coming months, he will hit free agency following the 2024 season.

Houser signed a one-year, $5.05 million contract with the Mets on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The Mets acquired Houser from the Brewers in late December, and he projects to serve as rotation depth in 2024. In a similar role for Milwaukee in 2023, he posted a 4.12 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across 111.1 frames. While those are pedestrian numbers, Houser did manage to reach a 20 percent strikeout rate for the first time since 2019.

Peterson (hip) signed a one-year, $2.15 million contract with the Mets on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Peterson underwent hip surgery in November and is expected to miss roughly the first two months of the season. Despite his procedure and 5.03 ERA from a season ago, Peterson will receive a $1.4 million raise. Given the offseason additions of Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser, Peterson likely won't be guaranteed a rotation spot once healthy.

Gomber (back) signed a one-year, $3.15 million contract with the Rockies on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Gomber finished 2023 with a 5.50 ERA and 1.49 WHIP through 139 innings, but his numbers became much more respectable when pitching away from Coors Field (3.68 ERA and 1.37 WHIP through 63.2 frames). The 30-year-old southpaw missed the final month of the season due to back inflammation, and the Rockies have yet to offer an update on his status during the offseason.

The Marlins and Luzardo avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5.5 million contract Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Luzardo is in his second year of arbitration eligibility and will receive a much-deserved raise. The left-hander posted a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts for Miami in 2023, finishing with a 208:55 K:BB over 178.2 innings. Luzardo has been mentioned as a possible trade chip, but it would take a haul to pry him away from the Marlins.