MLB Player News

Kershaw enjoyed a fully healthy offseason during which he lost "maybe six or seven [pounds]," Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Per Gurnick, Kershaw maintained constant activity throughout the offseason in an effort to stay ready for the coming campaign. The Dodgers are hoping that their longtime ace can maintain a full season of good health after he missed all of spring training and the first three weeks of the 2019 campaign due to a shoulder issue. While his numbers have slipped slightly over the last two seasons, Kershaw remains an elite starting pitcher both in real life and on fantasy squads.

Darvish said he feels healthier this spring compared to last year, when he was dealing with a triceps issue, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Darvish's 2019 stats support his claim that he wasn't fully healthy to begin the season, as he had an ERA above 5.00 in each of the first two months of the campaign. The Japanese righty looked a little bit better in June but really took off in July with a 2.93 ERA across 30.2 innings. Darvish finished the year with an overall 3.98 ERA and 229 strikeouts across 178.2 innings.

Marquez (arm) was spotted throwing off the mound during Sunday's workout session, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Marquez didn't pitch after Aug. 22 last season on account of right arm inflammation, but the Rockies were likely just taking extra precaution with the 24-year-old while the team was firmly out of the mix for playoff contention. The fact that Marquez isn't facing any limitations at the beginning of the spring indicates that he'll be ready to handle a normal throwing progression as he prepares for Opening Day. Assuming he's not sidetracked by any major health issues in 2020, Marquez should be a bankable strikeout-per-inning pitcher, though calling Coors Field his home park will continue to put his ratios at risk.

May experienced mild side tightness after reporting to spring training, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The fact it's classified as mild tightness is good news, but it's still somewhat concerning to see the 22-year-old managing an injury at the start of camp. May mostly worked out of the bullpen in his first taste of the majors in 2018, but he'll be in the running for an Opening Day rotation spot in spring training, assuming the side tightness doesn't have a lingering impact.

Martinez, who's vying to return to the starting rotation on a full-time basis, threw a complete bullpen session Saturday morning, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The fact Martinez was able to go full throttle two days after his Thursday bullpen session was certainly encouraging with respect to his rotation aspirations. The right-hander spent all of last season as a reliever, logging 48.1 innings out of the bullpen and enjoying impressive success as a closer with 24 saves in 27 chances while generating a 53:18 K:BB. As his first action of spring indicates, Martinez appears to be holding up well in the early going, although he'll ramp up the intensity when he and his fellow pitchers face hitters for the first time next week.

Gallen's rotation spot isn't guaranteed as he's set to be part of an open competition for starting jobs, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen's 2.81 ERA and 28.7 percent strikeout rate in 15 starts as a rookie would seemingly make him a lock to open the year in the rotation, but that's not the tone general manager Mike Hazen took Saturday. While Hazen preached competition, it would nonetheless be quite surprising if Gallen opens the year in the minors or the bullpen. He would seem to be the favorite of a group of four starters (Gallen, Luke Weaver, Mike Leake and Merrill Kelly) fighting for spots behind Madison Bumgarner and Robbie Ray.

Gray (elbow) has been throwing bullpen sessions already without suffering the elbow cramps and stiffness that he felt last spring, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Gray had bone chips in his elbow that were removed in September and dealt with them for years. "It's been pretty normal," Gray said Saturday about his recent bullpen sessions. "I probably threw more this offseason than I have. It'll be achy every now and again. But I threw my long bullpen [session] and came in and it feels great and it feels good today. It's weird, because it doesn't pop. I'm so used to throwing and it getting really stiff and having to pop it and spending hours in the training room."

MIkolas underwent an MRI on his right arm Saturday morning which found no ligament issues, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Mikolas' spring buildup has been slowed by a sore flexor tendon, an issue he also battled late in the 2019 campaign. For now, the Cardinals' plan is to back off him for a few days and see how his arm responds.

Peralta started using his slider again to great success in the Dominican Winter League, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. "I knew that I could make the slider great, but not that fast," Peralta said. "I took two or three weeks during [Dominican Winter League] games, and when I saw those moments, down in the count or in 3-2 [counts] a lot of the time, 0-2 when you're behind in the count, I was like, 'Oh my God.' I can feel it like I feel the fastball. I can throw it whenever I want."

The Brewers encouraged Peralta to work on that pitch in the offseason. He pitched 20 innings in the Dominican regular season and playoffs and posted a 1.35 ERA with 34 strikeouts, allowing six hits and three walks. He's got an outside shot to win the fifth starter's job, but it's a good bet he'll pitch out of the bullpen as the long man if that doesn't work out.

Hendricks said he worked on strengthening his legs, as well as his right shoulder and back, in the offseason to build more stability in his delivery, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Hendricks noted that fatigue set in toward the end of his 2019 campaign, and he blamed instability in the lower half of his body for the issue. The right-hander logged 177 innings last year, down from the 199 he posted in 2018. Hendricks said he hopes the offseason conditioning helps him reach 200 innings, a mark he has yet to hit in his six-year MLB career.