MLB Player News

Wright (shoulder) threw two innings Wednesday on a back field, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

The workout went really well, per manager Brian Snitker, and the next step for Wright could be his Grapefruit League debut. He's behind Atlanta's other projected starters after requiring a cortisone injection for his right shoulder back in January, but the hope is that the 27-year-old will be able to jump into the starting rotation in early April. Wright won 21 games in 2022 with a 3.19 ERA and 174:53 K:BB across 180.1 regular-season innings.

Soroka (hamstring) was spotted taking part in pitcher's fielding practice Wednesday, but Atlanta has yet to provide an update on when he'll make his spring debut, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Though Soroka received a clean bill of health heading into spring training, the snake-bitten right-hander strained his right hamstring early in camp and had his throwing progression slowed down as a result. While Soroka hasn't been shut down from activity and looks as though he's drawing closer to pitching in a game, the fact that he hasn't yet made his debut this late in spring training essentially takes him out of the running for a spot in Atlanta's Opening Day rotation. Soroka will most likely open the season on the injured list and should continue to ramp up to a starter's workload at the club's spring facility in Florida, leaving Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd as the primary candidates for the No. 5 spot in the rotation to begin the campaign.

Padres manager Bob Melvin expressed concern Thursday about Darvish's lack of usage in the World Baseball Classic, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Darvish was brought on in relief for Team Japan in Wednesday's win over Team Italy, and he has logged only five total innings so far in the WBC. Opening Day is just two weeks away, and the Padres are worried that the ace right-hander won't be fully built up out of the gate. Maybe he can be pushed a little longer in the next round(s) of the tournament to mitigate some of the frustration coming out of Padres camp. Japan is set to play a semifinal game Monday.

Thomas was optioned to Triple-A Memphis by the Cardinals on Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Thomas had allowed four earned runs on 12 hits and one walk through nine innings (three starts) this spring in the Grapefruit League. He figures to open the 2023 campaign in the Memphis rotation.

Luzardo gave up four hits and a walk over four scoreless innings while striking out five Wednesday in Venezuela's 5-1 win over Israel in the WBC.

The southpaw overmatched an Israel lineup that featured just three players with any big-league experience, tossing 35 of 50 pitches for strikes before exiting. Luzardo was looking good in Grapefruit League play before the tournament started as well, posting a 10:1 K:BB through 8.2 innings, and after putting together a 3.32 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 30.0 percent strikeout rate through 100.1 innings for the Marlins in 2022. His ability to stay healthy might be the only thing standing between the 25-year-old and a breakout campaign.

Lugo has a 1.46 ERA through 12.1 innings (four starts) this spring in the Cactus League.

Lugo is going to get a chance to operate as a normal-functioning starter this season in San Diego, and he would seem to have the goods to deliver meaningful fantasy production in that role. The 33-year-old right-hander worked exclusively in relief over his final two seasons with the Mets and posted a combined 3.56 ERA with 124 strikeouts across 111.1 innings.

Verlander gave up only one hit over five scoreless innings while striking out eight in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The right-hander fired 51 of 71 pitches for strikes as he continues a dominant spring. Verlander has a dazzling 16:0 K:BB through 11.1 innings in Grapefruit League action, and the 2022 AL Cy Young Award winner appears more than ready for the beginning of the regular season. Mets manager Buck Showalter has yet to announce whether Verlander or Max Scherzer will get the Opening Day start, but there's no wrong answer between the two aces.

Wesneski is viewed as the favorite to win the final spot in the Cubs' rotation, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Adrian Sampson was considered the favorite for the gig when camp opened, but he's struggled, while Wesneski hasn't allowed an earned run over 8.2 Cactus League innings, boasting an 11:2 K:BB along the way. Javier Assad is also a candidate and has pitched well, too, but Mooney writes that "it would be a big surprise" if Wesneski isn't the choice. The righty was excellent down the stretch for the Cubs last season and makes for an intriguing late-round selection in fantasy leagues.

Cavalli was diagnosed Thursday with a Grade 3 sprain of his right ulnar collateral ligament and will require Tommy John surgery, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Cavalli injured his elbow during his most recent Grapefruit League outing and an MRI revealed the bad news. The top prospect had been set to open the 2023 campaign in the Nationals' rotation but now figures to be sidelined until around midseason next year. Chad Kuhl appears likely to slide into the rotation spot vacated by Cavalli.

Contreras will be in the rotation for the entire 2023 season, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Contreras spent the majority of the 2022 season in Pittsburgh, but he was used inconsistently. Despite pitching out of the rotation for much of the campaign, he was limited to fewer than five innings in 10 of his 21 appearances. Even so, between Triple-A Indianapolis and his work in the majors, Contreras complied 129.1 frames, so he could reasonably throw as many as 150 innings in 2023 so long as he maintains his health.