MLB Player News

Syndergaard has shown an uptick in velocity during early-camp bullpen sessions, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic on Friday.

"There's going to be a marked increase in velocity (this year), in our opinion," Roberts said. Syndergaard went to Driveline over the offseason with the goal of regaining some pop on his fastball, so this news is encouraging. The right-hander averaged about 94 mph with his fastball in 2022, down 4-5 mph from his pre-injury peak. Syndergaard's velocity will be something to watch during Cactus League play.

Soroka is being held out of throwing due to hamstring tightness, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

He suffered the injury prior to camp and alerted the training staff to it when he arrived, and his shutdown is viewed as precautionary. Still, Soroka can't afford to miss much time as he competes for the final spot in Atlanta's rotation. The 25-year-old hasn't pitched since 2020 and has missed most of the last three seasons due to a pair of Achilles tears.

Marquez will no longer pitch for his native Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic after tweaking his left hamstring, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The good news is that while Marquez will hold off throwing bullpen sessions for a bit, the injury is not expected to affect his availability for Opening Day. Marquez is coming off a disappointing 2022 season for the Rockies, having posted a 4.95 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 150:63 K:BB over 181.2 innings.

Perez is expected to pitch in Grapefruit League games early in camp, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The 19-year-old top prospect is a non-roster invitee, but with a number of rotation options for the Marlins participating in the WBC, there will be innings available in games for Perez and other younger arms. After striking out 106 batters in only 75 Double-A innings last season as a teenager, the sky's the limit on Perez's potential if the lanky 6-foot-8 hurler can keep his mechanics in synch, and a 2023 big-league debut is very much on the table.

Senga won't pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic in order to continue his adjustment to MLB, Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News reports.

Both the ball and the mound in MLB are different than the ones used in NPB, and the 30-year-old right-hander preferred to stay in Florida and get ready for his Mets debut rather than fly back to Japan to participate in the tournament's opening round. After signing a five-year, $75 million contract in the offseason, Senga is expected to fill a mid-rotation role for the Mets behind Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Buehler (elbow) could return late in the 2023 season, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

Buehler was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday, though Roberts relayed some optimism that the right-hander could take the mound late in the season. If Buehler were to return, it would likely come as a reliever or in starts with a low pitch-count. While that wouldn't be enough to make him fantasy relevant in most formats, it would provide some reassurance regarding the health of his arm heading into 2024.

Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that May will have workload limitations during the 2023 season, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

May will be returning for his first full season since recovering from Tommy John surgery, so it's not a surprise that he won't handle a full workload. However, Roberts declined to say how the team would opt to limit May's innings. Therefore, it's possible that May will have turns skipped through the rotation, have his workload limited on a per-start basis, or he'll be shifted to the bullpen for periods throughout the campaign.

Painter has been working on a cutter during the offseason, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

One of the top pitching prospects in the league, Painter is in big-league camp and could push for a rotation spot early in the season if he impresses this spring. He already boasted four offerings -- a fastball, slider, curve and changeup -- but also has reportedly thrown a cutter during bullpen sessions with J.T. Realmuto. Painter delivered an impeccable 1.48 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across 103.2 innings last year, topping out at Double-A Reading.

Kershaw is facing "challenges" to get cleared to play in the World Baseball Classic, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Kershaw is still listed on the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, though both he and U.S. general manager Tony Reagins acknowledged he has yet to be cleared to pitch in the event. There were no specific reasons provided, though Harris noted that the most common delay is related to players obtaining insurance. Kershaw has been limited to 126 and 122 innings, respectively, in the last two seasons due to both shoulder and forearm inflammation in addition to back soreness, though there's no indication at this point that he's currently dealing with an injury.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Ashby (shoulder) will be out for "a couple of months," Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

McCalvy brought some left shoulder fatigue into Brewers camp, and it has since been diagnosed as inflammation. The 24-year-old left-hander will likely be fully held out of Cactus League action before landing on the injured list just ahead of Opening Day. Expect more clarity later this spring on a mapped-out timeline for his 2023 season debut.