MLB Player News

Wainwright said Thursday that he's been dealing with a muscle issue around his lower back, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Wainwright noted that he came down with back spasms just before he arrived at Cardinals camp in Florida last month and is still trying to get certain muscles to engage in that area. He also recently suffered a burn on the index finger of his right hand, and it opened up during another rough Grapefruit League start Thursday afternoon against the Astros. The 41-year-old had trouble even topping 85 mph with his fastball toward the end of that outing versus Houston. It's all somewhat concerning, but Wainwright remains committed to pitching for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Wainwright acknowledged last week that he's been working through a hitch in his delivery, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

That might help to explain why Wainwright's fastball has been sitting in the mid-80s so far in Grapefruit League play. In his second spring start Thursday afternoon against the Astros, the 41-year-old right-hander gave up three runs on five hits over three innings, and four batted-balls were clocked at over 104 mph. His next appearance on the mound will be with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Maybe the elevated level of competition can bring out a little more heat.

DeSclafani will make his Cactus League debut Friday versus the Rangers, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

DeSclafani has been able to go through a normal camp after recovering from ankle surgery he had last July. The right-hander will be in the mix for a spot in the Giants' rotation. He's looking to bounce back from an ugly 2022 in which he made just five starts and posted a 6.63 ERA.

Buehler (elbow) began a throwing program Wednesday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Buehler made just a handful of flat-ground tosses from a distance of 60 feet, but it's a significant step forward nonetheless in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old right-hander had the procedure last August and obviously has many more months of rehab work ahead. If he does pitch for the Dodgers in 2023, it will probably only be a handful of innings in September/October.

Steele (arm) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Padres, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Steele got the go-ahead after throwing another successful bullpen session Tuesday in Cubs camp. The 27-year-old left-hander came down with a bit of arm soreness last week, but all is well now as he readies himself for a spot in Chicago's season-opening starting rotation. He posted an impressive 3.18 ERA with 126 strikeouts over 119 innings in 2022.

Marquez (hamstring) is set to make his Cactus League debut Saturday against the Mariners, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

He'll do so in a piggyback role after Saturday's starter Kyle Freeland, which is fairly custom in spring training games. Marquez tweaked his left hamstring in mid-February and had to bow out of the World Baseball Classic, but all signs point to him being fully cleared for the beginning of the 2023 regular season.

Sanchez (shoulder) threw another bullpen session Thursday, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

Sanchez now has three mound workouts under his belt as he continues his recovery from October arthroscopic shoulder surgery. There's no exact timetable for when he might be an option for the Marlins, but the talented 24-year-old is making steady strides in his rehab program.

Megill is hoping his curveball can become a reliable fourth pitch, Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News reports.

The right-hander has featured a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup, and giving hitters another offering to worry about would help solidify Megill's future in the rotation. "Threw a couple [curves] today for strikes and that was the biggest thing," he said after Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. "I'm excited to try and drop them in there and then use it as a two-strike pitch as well. If I can get that over the plate for strikes, and then with two strikes mix the variation of speed up, then go top-to-bottom zone-wise with my other pitches." A closer in college at Arizona, Megill broke camp in the Mets' rotation last year due to injuries and went 4-0 in April with a 1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 27:6 K:BB through 28 innings before eventually fading and moving to the bullpen. With New York's veteran starters all healthy in camp, however, the 27-year-old isn't likely to begin 2023 in the rotation, though he should see some starts throughout the year with the Mets planning to use a six-man rotation during long stretches with no off days, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic.

Peterson is expected to be in the mix as part of a six-man rotation the Mets plan to use at points this season, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The team will utilize a traditional five-man setup for most of the season, but the plan is to insert a sixth starter during long stretches with no days off. That means both Peterson and Tylor Megill could wind up making a handful of starts even if everyone stays healthy (which, of course, is unlikely). It makes sense both because it will give the regular starters extra rest but also because Peterson and Megill on paper look like two of the better sixth/seventh starters in baseball.

Oviedo has added a sinker to his pitch mix, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Oviedo added the variation at the suggestion of coaches, who noted the natural sink that he had on his four-seam fastball. He mixed the pitch in during his outing Wednesday against the Tigers, though he surrendered four earned runs on five hits across two innings. Nevertheless, Oviedo remains in the mix for a spot in the Pirates' rotation to begin the season.