MLB Player News

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.

Steele could slot in as the Cubs' No. 3 starter to begin the regular season, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic report.

With Kyle Hendricks (shoulder) expected to begin the year on the injured list, Chicago's rotation is somewhat thinned out. Marcus Stroman should lead the way, followed by the newly signed Jameson Taillon. After that, it's fairly wide open, with Steele, Drew Smyly, Adrian Sampson and Hayden Wesneski likely battling for three spots. Steele posted a solid 3.18 ERA and 126 strikeouts across 119 innings last year, so the lefty figures to have one of the spots secured.

Cavalli (shoulder) threw a session of live batting practice Sunday.

Cavalli was shut down in mid-September due to shoulder discomfort but appears to be at full strength for the start of spring training. The 24-year-old is one of the Nationals' top prospects, but manager Dave Martinez recently said the right-hander isn't guaranteed a spot in the Opening Day rotation.

Marquez (hamstring) completed a bullpen session Sunday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Though Marquez opted out of pitching for the Venezuelan team in the World Baseball Classic after experiencing a sore left hamstring shortly after reporting to Rockies camp, his ability to resume throwing off a mound suggests the injury won't do much to derail his preparation for the 2023 season. The Rockies could continue to take things slowly with Marquez in the spring as a precaution, but once he's cleared to pitch in the Cactus League or in an intrasquad game, he can probably be considered good to go for Opening Day. Despite coming off a down 2022 campaign in which he turned in a 4.95 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over 181.2 innings, Marquez likely still profiles as the Rockies' top starting pitcher from a fantasy perspective.

Alexander (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday.

By placing Alexander on the 60-day IL, the Brewers now have an open spot on the 40-man roster for Justin Wilson, who was signed Saturday. Alexander is expected to be out until the end of May because of right shoulder soreness, and this transaction doesn't change that timeline.

Anderson is working on a slider, though he expects to continue to primarily throw his fastball and changeup, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 2016 third-overall pick cruised to a 3.25 ERA in 30 starts across his first two years in the league, but he stumbled to a 5.00 ERA in 22 outings last year. Still just 24 years old, there's plenty of time for him to recapture his previous form. It seems like he's doing the work to get there, as recent reports have also indicated that he's adjusted his delivery as well as his pitch mix. Even the revamped version of Anderson isn't a lock to open the year in Atlanta's rotation, however, as Mike Soroka (hamstring) and Bryce Elder will also get the chance to stake their claim.

Buehler (elbow) will begin a throwing program within the next two weeks, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery in August, but he's yet to be officially ruled out for the upcoming season. He'd have to be on the faster end of the typical timeline to do so, and he's unlikely to throw more than a handful of innings, but it will give him something to work toward throughout the year as he continues his recovery.

Wesneski is in contention to break camp as the Cubs' fifth starter, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The spot may be only be a temporary one until Kyle Hendricks returns from his shoulder injury, and there are a long number of other candidates for the role, but it's still encouraging news for those expecting Wesneski to take a big jump this season. After coming over at the deadline in the Scott Effross trade, Wesneski cruised to a 2.18 ERA and 33:7 K:BB in 33 innings in his first taste of the majors. If he does indeed get the chance to take a few turns in the rotation to start the year, it's possible he pitches too well to give up the role.

Marquez (hamstring) did some light running Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Marquez is dealing with a minor hamstring issue which prevented him from joining Venezuela's roster for the first round of the World Baseball Classic. He has plenty of time to be ready by Opening Day, however, and he hasn't even been ruled out for subsequent stages of the international tournament.