MLB Player News

Rogers, who missed the end of last season with a lat strain, faced live batters in camp Sunday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw faced Jazz Chisholm among other big-league hitters. Rogers is coming off a disastrous 2022 season that can't be written off as simply a result of injuries, and the 25-year-old will have a lot to prove this year if he wants to hang onto a rotation spot with prospects like Eury Perez coming up through the ranks. The fact that Rogers is healthy to begin spring training is a plus, but he should be viewed as a high-risk fantasy option even if he looks good during Grapefruit League play.

Perez topped out at 99 mph with his fastball during a live batting practice session Monday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The teenage phenom also worked on his slider and changeup, and new Marlin Luis Arraez came away from the session very impressed with Perez. "I don't tell him too much, but he's nasty," Arraez said. "He looks like a veteran there. I know he's [like] Sandy [Alcantara's] son, so he tried to follow Sandy, and he's nasty. I just talked about the changeup. He threw me one changeup -- the first one was bad -- but the last one was a beautiful changeup to roll over. He almost broke my bat. I never break bats sometimes. He almost broke my bat. He's nasty." Perez, who won't turn 20 until mid-April, is projected to begin the season with Triple-A Jacksonville, but after he posted a 106:25 K:BB through 75 innings at Double-A in 2022, it may not be long before he forces his way into Miami's rotation.

Wright (shoulder) played catch Tuesday, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Wright received a cortisone injection in January to help push through a bit of right shoulder discomfort and is currently behind the other pitchers at Atlanta's camp in Florida, but the expectation is that the 27-year-old will be ready for the beginning of the 2023 regular season. He broke out to the tune of a 21-5 record, 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 174:53 K:BB over 180.1 innings (30 starts) last year.

Ashby (shoulder) said Tuesday he's hoping to return by mid-May, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Ashby revealed the left shoulder injury he's dealing with is an impingement and a slight labral tear, specifically, and also that he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in late January. He's about halfway into a six-week shutdown period before he can ramp things back up again.

Williamson threw his fastball with more velocity than last spring in Saturday's live batting practice session, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "He has a really good feel for all of his pitches," Reds catcher Luke Maile said. "He threw a few changeups that were outstanding. He's moving his fastball around really well. He has such a clean delivery."

Williamson is hoping to win a spot in the Reds rotation, though he's likely behind Luis Cessa and Luke Weaver, among others, for the final two spots. He had a tough 2022 campaign as he advanced levels in a new organization after the Reds traded for him last spring, but said that he's improved his throwing routine and hopes to yield better results in 2023.

Eder (elbow) is feeling 100 percent and doesn't have an innings limit set for spring training, Fish on the Farm reports.

Eder will likely be monitored closely as he nears his first live action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2021. The 24-year-old has only played one year of minor-league ball in the early stages of his career, as he spent the 2021 campaign with Double-A Pensacola and turned in a sparkling 1.77 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with a 99:27 K:BB over 15 starts (71.1 innings).

Ashcraft said that he was removed early from his live batting practice session Monday for precautionary reasons after he was struck in the right ankle by a comebacker, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The right-hander noted that he's OK and is walking completely normal after getting hit by a line drive, which apparently didn't result in him experiencing anything more than minor bruising or soreness to his ankle. Ashcraft looks on track to remain on his usual throwing progression this spring as he looks to stake his claim to a spot in Cincinnati's Opening Day rotation.

Wright (shoulder) told reporters on Monday that he expects to be ready for the start of the 2023 season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Wright received a cortisone injection in January, which put him behind schedule. The 27-year-old won't be rushed, and Bowman notes that he likely won't make any starts during the first couple weeks of Grapefruit League action. Wright won a league-high 21 games in 2022, but fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on his progress this spring.

Ashcraft had to cut his live batting practice short Monday after he was struck in the foot by a comebacker off the bat of TJ Friedl, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Facing hitters for the first time this spring, Ashcraft wasn't able to complete a full workout after taking a line drive to the foot. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Ashcraft didn't look to be in significant pain before leaving the mound, so he may have been pulled for precautionary reasons. If healthy, the hard-throwing right-hander should have an inside track to a spot in the Cincinnati rotation after posting a 4.89 ERA (4.20 FIP), 1.42 WHIP and 71:30 K:BB across 105 innings as a rookie.

Cobb is working on incorporating a cutter and a slider into his pitch mix, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Cobb is also going to call his own games this season using the PitchCom system. The righty was solid last year with a 3.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 149.2 innings across 28 starts, and he racked up a career-high 151 strikeouts. Cobb will still likely lean on his splitter and sinker, which accounted for a combined 84.5 percent of his pitches last season, per Statcast. He projects as a mid-rotation option for the Giants in 2023.