MLB Player News

Wheeler (shoulder) threw 45 pitches during his start in an intrasquad matchup Saturday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Despite being delayed in camp due to shoulder soreness, Wheeler has been building up recently and should avoid a trip to the injured list to begin the 2022 campaign. Manager Joe Girardi is hopeful that the right-hander will be able to throw around 60 pitches during a start in Lakeland on Thursday, and Wheeler is then expected to make his 2022 debut against the Mets on April 12.

May (elbow) threw his first bullpen session Saturday since undergoing Tommy John surgery last May.

May continues to make steady progress in his recovery and seems to have avoided setbacks thus far. A typical return timeline won't have him back in the big leagues until the middle of the second half this year, however. Whether he'll be a starter or reliever down the stretch once he's ready to go remains to be seen.

Cavalli was reassigned to minor-league spring training Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Cavalli was being considered for a spot in the Nationals' Opening Day rotation this spring, but he'll need some time in the minors to begin the year after he posted a 14.04 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 8.1 innings across three appearances (one start) in the Grapefruit League. However, if the right-hander performs well at Triple-A Rochester early in the 2022 campaign, it wouldn't be surprising to see him make his major-league debut at some point this year.

Smyly has been told he'll be a starter for the Cubs to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Smyly worked as a starter and as a reliever at times for Atlanta last season, but the Cubs will need the lefty to start with Adbert Alzolay (lat) and Wade Miley (elbow) currently out. The eventual return of those two injured pitchers could push Smyly into a long-relief role, though the veteran could stick in the rotation if he pitches well early in the year.

The Cubs have been building Steele up as a starter this spring and will likely use him in their rotation to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB,com reports.

With Adbert Alzolay (lat) currently on the 60-day injured list and Wade Miley (elbow) getting shut down for 10 days, the Cubs have a few holes in their rotation behind Kyle Hendricks and Marcus Stroman. Alec Mills should fill one of those spots, and Drew Smyly looks like he'll be starting too. Steele should then slot in at the back of the rotation, but the eventual return of Alzolay and Miley will likely push him into a relief role.

With Kyle Hendricks being named the Opening Day starter, per Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network, Stroman should work as the Cubs' No. 2 starter.

This is how the two pitchers have operated in spring training, so this alignment for the regular season is not surprising. Even if Hendricks is technically the No. 1 starter, Stroman may end up being the better fantasy asset based on his stronger numbers from a season ago.

Wheeler (shoulder), who was scheduled to start Saturday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Blue Jays, will now start in an intrasquad game, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Wheeler has been behind schedule in camp due to shoulder soreness that he dealt with earlier this spring, and his pitching plans will be slightly revised Saturday due to the threat of inclement weather. He threw 42 pitches during a bullpen session last week, and it's possible that he'll avoid a trip to the injured list if Saturday's throwing session is successful.

Peterson could begin the season in the Mets' rotation despite giving up three home runs through 6.2 Grapefruit League innings.

The southpaw's 6:2 K:BB this spring looks good, but keeping the ball in the park was a serious issue for Peterson in 2021, and it doesn't look like he's solved it yet. Still, with Jacob deGrom (shoulder) already ruled out to begin the season and Max Scherzer (hamstring) now day-to-day, Peterson could find himself in the Opening Day rotation, making him a roster option in deep mixed and NL-only formats.

Hendricks will start the Cubs' Opening Day matchup against Milwaukee on Thursday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Hendricks has had a lackluster performance this spring, as he's posted a 9.53 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in 11.1 innings across four Cactus League starts. Despite his struggles in camp, the right-hander will be rewarded with an Opening Day start for a third consecutive season. Hendricks made 32 starts for the Cubs last year and posted a 4.77 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 181 innings.

Wainwright, who was scheduled to start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Houston, will now pitch in a game on a back field, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Due to a threat of inclement weather Saturday, the Cardinals will alter Wainwright's pitching plans to make sure that he's able to pitch. Saturday's session will serve as a final tune-up for the right-hander before he starts in the Cardinals' Opening Day matchup against the Pirates on Thursday.