MLB Player News

Contreras was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Contreras made two Grapefruit League appearances early in camp and allowed three runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two in three innings. He spent most of last season at Double-A Altoona but should begin the 2022 campaign at the Triple-A level.

Davis was optioned to the Rockies' minor-league camp Saturday.

Davis was added to Colorado's 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and he allowed no hits and a walk while striking out four in two relief innings this spring. He'll likely begin the 2022 campaign at High-A Spokane.

Eflin (knee) is starting Saturday's Grapefruit League contest against the Tigers.

This outing will mark Eflin's spring debut, his first outing since undergoing surgery on his knee in early September. It's unclear how deep into the game he will pitch, though he threw a couple simulated innings March 15. Assuming he suffers no setbacks, Eflin could ready to start the season in the rotation.

Cavalli gave up three runs on five hits over three-plus innings in Friday's Grapefruit League start against the Cardinals, striking out three without walking a batter. After the game, Nationals manager Dave Martinez didn't rule out the possibility of Cavalli being part of the Opening Day rotation, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports. "I like it. Let's just say that: I like it," Martinez said. "You know, he'll get another start down here [in five days] or pitch in another game, and then we'll see."

The 23-year-old right-hander breezed through the first inning before running into trouble in the second after Nolan Arenado led off the frame with a double. Cavalli eventually squelched that St. Louis rally by picking Harrison Bader off second base then inducing two weak grounders, before rebounding for a 1-2-3 third that included a strikeout of Paul Goldschmidt. Starting the season at Triple-A Rochester remains the most likely path for Washington's top prospect, but the Nats lost Max Scherzer in the offseason and Stephen Strasburg (neck) may not return until mid-May, so the team has plenty of innings up for grabs. If Cavalli impresses Martinez again in his next outing, the decision on sending him back to the minors could get a lot tougher.

Gallen (shoulder) threw two simulated innings Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen reportedly felt good following the session, and his next step may be appearing in a Cactus League game. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo intimated that the right-hander is unlikely to be ready to take the ball for the second game of the regular season.

Marquez (1-0) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out four in three innings to earn the win over the Cubs in Friday's Cactus League matchup.

Marquez made his spring debut in Friday's matchup, and he got up to 54 pitches across his three scoreless innings. He said that he felt good in the outings, and his results were certainly encouraging in the blowout win. The right-hander is a strong candidate to serve as Colorado's Opening Day starter, and he'll likely make at least one more Cactus League appearance prior to the regular season.

Miley (neck) will throw a live batting practice session Sunday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Miley ended last season on the injured list with a strained neck, though his delayed start to camp is supposedly due to the Cubs' program for handling veteran pitchers and not due to that injury. He won't be able to throw many Cactus League innings prior to Opening Day, however, so it's possible Miley will be on a pitch count for his first start or two of the regular season.

Strider gave up four hits and struck out three over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins and hit 100 mph with four of his pitches, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

In addition to clocking triple digits, 20 of Strider's 29 pitches in the outing reached 96 mph. The 23-year-old right hander made a dramatic ascent through the Atlanta system last season, starting out in Low-A but ending the year in the big-league bullpen, and it's easy to see why after Tuesday's performance. Strider is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett, but it's not yet clear whether the organization will stretch him back out as a starter -- he started 14 games for Double-A Mississippi in 2021 and posted a 94:29 K:BB in 63 innings, albeit with a 4.71 ERA and 1.22 WHIP -- or whether he'll continue his development as a potential high-leverage bullpen arm.

Gray gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out five.

After a shaky spring debut, Gray was able to hit his spots better in his second outing. The 24-year-old is locked into a rotation spot for the Nationals to begin the season, and his ability to stay out of the middle of the plate will be one of the keys to his development in 2022 after he posted an ugly 2.42 HR/9 and 5.48 ERA over his first 70.2 big-league innings last year.

Gallen (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen, who has been working his way back from shoulder soreness, will throw his second live BP session of the week. The right-hander came out of the first one feeling good. While he may not be ready to go for Opening Day, all signs point to Gallen being ready soon after that.