MLB Player News

Ortiz was added Thursday to the Dominican Republic's roster for the World Baseball Classic.

He's replacing Pirates teammate Jarlin Garcia, who is out indefinitely with a left arm injury. Ortiz is probably going to be ticketed for Triple-A Indianapolis once the WBC is over and camp breaks, but the 24-year-old right-hander seems certain to take on a sizable role in Pittsburgh at some point in 2023.

Kershaw is set to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Angels, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kershaw has been eased along this spring, and he opted to bow out of the World Baseball Classic, but there are no pressing injury concerns at the moment for the veteran left-hander. He tossed three innings in a B game Sunday in Dodgers camp and might try to push into the fourth inning in his spring debut versus the Halos.

Henry allowed three runs and struck out three without walking a batter over four scoreless innings in Wednesday's spring start against the Rangers.

Henry made his third Cactus League start and has improved after a rocky initial appearance. The key, according to manager Torey Lovullo, was the pitcher landing his offspeed stuff effectively. "Tommy was aggressive with a three-pitch mix," Lovullo told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. "He seemed like he could throw the breaking ball at any time to get him back in the count. He gave us four unbelievable innings." With this outing, Henry may have altered the narrative for the fifth starter's job, which was previously thought to be a competition between Drey Jameson and Ryne Nelson. Prospect Brandon Pfaadt, who starts Friday, is also in the mix.

Nelson allowed four runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six over 2.2 innings in a "B" game against the Rangers on Tuesday, Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic reports.

Nelson made two Cactus League starts prior to this back-field work, and he's allowed multiple runs in all three appearances, although this third outing was the best of the lot. He's had issues throwing quality strikes this spring, but the right-hander was able to land his off-speed stuff in the zone Tuesday. Nelson is competing primarily with Drey Jameson for the final rotation spot, with Tommy Henry and Brandon Pfaadt in the mix to a lesser extent.

Velasquez allowed one hit and stuck out three while walking none across three scoreless innings Wednesday against the Orioles in Grapefruit League action.

Velasquez made his second appearance as a Pirate, and he's now allowed only one earned run across five innings. He did surrender two free passes in his opening start, but he showed improved control against the Orioles. Velasquez signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh this offseason and is expected to open the campaign in the rotation.

Verlander will make his next Grapefruit League start Friday against the Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Verlander's second spring start will come against his former team. The right-hander made his Grapefruit League debut with the Mets on Sunday, going three innings while allowing a run on two hits against the Marlins. Verlander won the Cy Young award during Houston's 2022 championship season on the strength of a 1.75 ERA and 185:29 K:BB over 175 regular-season frames.

Gonsolin's left ankle is still swollen, but X-rays revealed there was no fracture, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Because of the swelling in Gonsolin's sprained ankle, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced the right-hander won't throw for at least several more days. The good news is there's no structural damage, so it does appear Gonsolin has avoided a serious injury. Because of the missed time, however, there is a chance that the 28-year-old will not be ready for the start of the 2023 season, with Roberts going so far as to say he "doesn't feel good" about his chances.

Falter is likely to open the season as the Phillies' fifth starter with Andrew Painter (elbow) sidelined, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

It is not yet known how long Painter might be sidelined, but he's certainly not going to be ready Opening Day, clearing the way for Falter to open as the team's No. 5 starter. Falter pitched well for Philadelphia last season, holding a 3.86 ERA and 74:17 K:BB over 84 innings, with 16 of his 20 appearances coming as a starter. The left-hander has an impressive minor-league track record as well, particularly when it comes to throwing strikes. Falter is more of a floor than ceiling play but could be worth using in deeper fantasy leagues while he's getting starts.

Painter has not been told surgery is needed on his ailing right elbow, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The Phillies keep pushing back the reveal of test results on Painter's elbow, which has raised some red flags. However, Zolecki has been informed by multiple sources that no one has been told the pitcher needs surgery, with one source saying "time is what is needed" for Painter's elbow to heal. Dr. Neal ElAttrache has been asked to review Painter's medical results after being unavailable for a few days, which could help explain why the team hasn't provided an update yet. Zolecki cautions that "nothing has been officially ruled out until the team receives final opinions from doctors," but it appears at this point Painter has avoided a worst-case scenario.

Mikolas is scheduled to start for Team USA in Wednesday's World Baseball Classic game versus Colombia, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Mikolas got off to a good start in spring training, striking out six batters while walking one and allowed just two hits over five innings across two starts. He'll look to take his success to the international stage for a few weeks. The right-hander is a virtual lock for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation to begin the 2023 season after a solid 2022 in which he posted a 3.29 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 153:39 K:BB across 202.1 innings.