MLB Player News

Mikolas (forearm) is "full-go" to begin spring training, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Mikolas missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery on his right flexor tendon in late July. The Cardinals expected him to begin spring training on a normal schedule, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirmed that the right-hander is fully healthy as pitchers and catchers report Wednesday. Mikolas posted a 4.16 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 184 innings in 2019 and should begin the 2021 campaign in the starting rotation once again.

Pepiot received an invitation to the Dodgers' spring camp Tuesday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Pepiot was drafted by the Dodgers in the third round of the 2019 first-year player draft and impressed with a 1.93 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB over 23.1 innings in the lower minors during his first professional campaign. The right-hander spent last season at the team's alternate training site and could open the campaign at Triple-A.

Grove was invited to participate in the Dodgers' spring training camp Tuesday, Rowan Kavner of Dodger Insider reports.

Grove has yet to pitch above the High-A level and is expected to open the season at Double-A. However, he'll get a chance to showcase his arm as a non-roster invitee to the team's big-league camp. The right-hander struggled with a 6.10 ERA and 1.56 WHIP during his first pro season in 2019, though he did show big strikeout ability with 73 whiffs in 51.2 innings.

Anderson signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Pirates on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The lefty has had a bit of a rocky career path, but the Pirates evidently have faith that he's still a big-league pitcher. His 4.30 ERA over the first three years of his career was better than it looked given that he pitched for Colorado, but he slipped to an awful 11.76 ERA in five starts in 2019 before being shut down with knee issues. He rebounded to record a 4.37 ERA as a Giant last season, though his 15.8 percent strikeout rate and 28.5 percent groundball rate were both low. There doesn't appear to be much reason to get excited here, but he's at least landed in a spot where he has a good chance to start, keeping him on the radar as a streaming or deep-league option given the weakness of the NL Central.

Miller will join the Dodgers' big-league camp this spring, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Miller will get the chance to work with the team's major-league coaches for a few weeks, though he won't be joining them on a permanent basis any time soon. Last year's 29th overall pick has yet to make his professional debut due to the canceled minor-league schedules.

Gray was invited to the Dodgers' big-league camp Tuesday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

The Dodgers' depth means Gray isn't a favorite to win an Opening Day roster spot, but his arrival may not be too far off. He reached Double-A in 2019, recording a 2.75 ERA in 39.1 innings, and while the canceled minor-league season prevented him from continuing his climb last season, he was part of the Dodgers' roster pool and was even reportedly considered for a spot start at one point due to Alex Wood's shoulder troubles.

Steele is among a handful of players vying for an open rotation spot with the Cubs this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs have plenty of innings to fill after parting ways with Yu Darvish, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood this offseason, and Steele is ostensibly an option to start. However, the 25-year-old has never appeared above the Double-A level, and he only got to participate at the Cubs' alternate training site last season. Steele will likely begin the 2021 season in the minors, though he could get a shot in the majors at some point if he performs well.

Lorenzen had a minor procedure on his left knee this offseason that included a PRP injection to address patellar tendinitis there, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lorenzen saw a doctor last week and had the knee rehab and strengthening declared a success. Lorenzen had been dealing with the tendinitis the last two seasons, mostly when playing the outfield and running the bases. He should be able to give starting pitching a full go this spring.

Finnegan is one of 18 minor leaguers invited to the team's early minor-league camp, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

This is not the same as an NRI to the major-league camp. Barring another transaction, Finnegan won't be able to pitch in big league spring training games. Most of the players on this list, including Hunter Greene, Jonathan India and Nick Lodolo, are minor-league prospects. Finnegan is ticketed for Triple-A to begin the 2021 season.

Soroka (Achilles) defeated the Braves in arbitration Saturday and will make $2.8 million this season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta had filed for just $2.1 million. Soroka's case was presumably based on his strong showing prior to last season, as an Achilles tear ended his 2020 campaign after just three starts. He underwent surgery in August, and while he's been able to throw off flat ground for several months, it's not yet guaranteed that he'll avoid a trip to the injured list to start the year. His status should become clearer once he arrives at camp.