MLB Player News

Keller was removed from Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers after he was hit in the right thigh by a comebacker in the top of the second inning, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Keller tossed 18 pitches prior to his departure and allowed two hits and no walks while striking out one in 1.2 innings. He likely wouldn't have pitched much longer even if he wasn't hit by a comebacker, and it's not clear whether his thigh injury will impact his training regimen during camp.

Smyly signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Cubs on Saturday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Smyly spent time with four teams across the last three seasons, and he'll now join the Cubs' pitching staff ahead of the 2022 campaign. He made 29 appearances (23 starts) for Atlanta last year and posted a 4.48 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 126.2 innings. The southpaw will be in the mix for a back-end rotation role heading into the regular season, but he's also demonstrated an ability to serve as a middle reliever.

Nelson allowed one run on three hits while striking out two and walking none over four innings in Friday's spring game against the Rockies.

Nelson, the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2021, has been throwing since minor-league camp opened last month, so it's natural for him to be up to four innings at this stage of spring. Drafted as a reliever in the second round of the 2019 draft, Nelson is being groomed as a starter for now. He went a combined 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts for High-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo in 2021.

Alcantara struck out one over three perfect innings in Friday's Grapefruit League opener against the Nationals.

The right-hander is expected to make his third straight Opening Day start for the Marlins this season, and Alcantara looked like he was nearly in midseason form already as he took the mound for the first time this spring for game action. Alcantara set career highs in wins (nine), innings (205.2) and strikeouts (201) in 2021, and with more offensive support the 26-year-old's fantasy value could take another step forward this season.

Gallen (shoulder) threw his second bullpen session of camp Friday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Gallen said he felt no issues with the shoulder following the session. The right-hander's next step will be facing hitters in a live batting-practice session. He's behind the other starters and may not be ready for Opening Day.

Carrasco threw 30 pitches over two innings in a simulated game Friday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander may not be ready for Opening Day as he works his way back from elbow surgery in October to remove a bone chip, but Carrasco doesn't appear to be too far behind the rest of the Mets' rotation. "It's really encouraging to see Carlos making progress," manager Buck Showalter said after Carrasco's sim game. The 35-year-old has made only 12 starts in each of the last three years, stumbling to a 6.04 ERA and 1.43 WHIP last season, and given that he hasn't pitched more than 80 innings in a campaign since 2018, Carrasco's workload could be carefully managed in an effort to keep him healthy.

Stroman pitched two perfect innings in Friday's Cactus League game against the Giants. He struck out three.

Stroman wasn't expected to pitch deep into the game in his spring training debut, but he looked very sharp while he was on the mound. The Cubs' big offseason addition should slot in behind Kyle Hendricks in the rotation this year. Stroman was good in 2021 with the Mets, posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 179 innings, and should be a solid fantasy contributor in 2022.

Lodolo tossed two perfect innings while striking out four Friday against the Guardians.

One of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the game, Lodolo has a chance to win a big-league rotation spot this spring, especially if he pitches at the level he did Friday. Hunter Greene and Justin Dunn (shoulder) are also in the mix for a rotation spot, and there could be another opening if Luis Castillo and/or Tyler Mahle gets traded.

Flaherty received a PRP injection Friday to address a small tear in his right shoulder and will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Flaherty went for a second opinion after undergoing an MRI on Wednesday and is now confirmed to be unavailable for the start of the season. The 26-year-old was limited to 78.1 innings last season due to oblique and shoulder strains, and he's now sidelined by another shoulder issue to begin 2022. Even if Flaherty is cleared to start a throwing program immediately after the two-week shutdown, he likely won't be available for at least the first month of the season as he'll need to build back up to a starter's workload.

Anderson signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Dodgers on Friday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Anderson posted a passable 4.53 ERA in 31 starts for the Pirates and Mariners last season, as his strong 5.4 percent walk rate got cancelled out by a low 19.1 percent strikeout rate and 35.1 percent groundball rate. Unless the Dodgers can unlock something new in his profile, he'll be fighting for a back-end starter spot at best. The team does have two of those spots up for grabs while Trevor Bauer remains on administrative leave, leaving Anderson to compete with Andrew Heaney, Tony Gonsolin, Mitch White and David Price for starts.