MLB Player News

Padres manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday that Musgrove (toe) won't be able to resume throwing for a minimum of two weeks, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Musgrove suffered a left big toe fracture during a weight room mishap Monday. He's going to work with the Padres' training staff to keep his arm strong throughout the healing process, but the toe injury is obviously a significant setback that will make it difficult for him to be ready for the start of the regular season. He'll almost certainly be placed on the 15-day injured list ahead of Opening Day and could wind up missing most -- or all -- of the first month of meaningful games.

Musgrove suffered a fractured left big toe during a weight room incident Monday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

A timeline for Musgrove's return isn't known yet, but this will certainly lead to him beginning the season on the injured list. It's obviously a big blow to the Padres and to fantasy managers who have used a pick on Musgrove in early drafts. San Diego had been slated to start the season with a six-man rotation and still conceivably could, although it's possible this news might change its plans.

Pepiot tossed one scoreless inning in a Cactus League contest against San Diego on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.

While the Dodgers' five-man rotation appears set, the team doesn't yet have a clear option for its long-reliever/sixth-starter role. Pepiot is among the candidates to fill that slot, and he no doubt helped his case with a strong spring debut during which he threw 16 of 21 pitches for strikes and touched 94 mph with his fastball, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. The right-hander did fine over 36.1 innings in his first taste of the majors last season, posting a 3.47 ERA and 26.3 percent strikeout rate, but his 1.46 WHIP and 16.9 percent walk rate were less encouraging. He'll need to improve his command to be a successful big-league starter, so Monday's outing was a step in the right direction, though a one-inning appearance at the start of spring shouldn't be overhyped.

Pfaadt allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two over two scoreless innings in Monday's spring game against the Cubs.

Pfaadt made his Cactus League debut and told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he was "a little antsy" making his first start in the main stadium at Salt River Fields. He averaged 94.3 mph with his fastball, generating two swings-and-misses on the pitch. His whiffs came on a slider and curve. The Diamondbacks' top-ranked pitching prospect is a fringe candidate for the final rotation spot.

Steele (arm) said he's scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs scratched Steele from his planned Cactus League debut this past Saturday against the Giants, citing general arm fatigue. Fortunately for Steele, the issue doesn't appear to be anything more significant, as he'll likely get the green light to make his first spring start later this week if the bullpen session goes according to plan. The southpaw already says that he feels like he can cover 2-to-3 innings, despite missing his first turn through the spring rotation.

Verlander will start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

It will be the first start for Verlander in a Mets' uniform. The right-hander signed a two-year, $86.66 million deal in December with a vesting option for 2025 after a dominant 2022 season where he posted a 1.75 ERA and 185:29 K:BB over 175 innings. The reigning Cy Young Award winner will pitch at the top of the Mets' rotation, and once again should be a fantasy stalwart during the 2023 campaign.

Ashcraft will start Wednesday's Cactus League contest against the Athletics, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Ashcraft dealt with an ankle injury early in spring camp, but the right-hander was able to throw a bullpen without issue on Friday, and the 25-year-old will be on the bump against the A's on Wednesday. In his rookie season, Ashcraft posted a 4.89 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 71:31 K:BB over 105 innings of work. He's expected to pitch in the middle of the Cincinnati rotation to open the 2023 campaign.

Houser (groin) is scheduled to start Monday's Cactus League game against the Royals.

Houser likely won't be asked to work more than two innings while he makes his first appearance since exiting a Sept. 27 start against the Cardinals last season due to a right groin strain. The Brewers provided no indication that Houser required offseason surgery to address the injury, so he was presumably able to go through a normal throwing progression over the winter to put him a good spot heading into spring training. Unless the Brewers elect to expand their Opening Day rotation to six men, Houser may have to settle for a long-relief role to begin the season if all of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Eric Lauer and Wade Miley are available.

Anderson will start Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Anderson will be making his first start of the spring Tuesday. The right-hander is coming off a disappointing 2022 campaign in which he posted a 5.00 ERA with a 97:54 K:BB across 111.2 innings, but he isn't far removed from being one of the most intriguing young arms in the National League, and he's reportedly added a slider to his arsenal. Anderson will likely need a strong spring training to secure the No. 5 spot in the Atlanta rotation.

Perez allowed one run on four hits over two innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out one and topped out at 99.6 mph with his fastball.

The teenage prospect also flashed his plus changeup, and all three of his swings and misses on the day came against the change. The Marlins aren't going to rush Perez to the majors and he'll almost certainly begin the season in the minors, but he has the talent to force his way into the Miami rotation at some point this summer if he posts big numbers at Triple-A.