MLB Player News
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Brandon Woodruff SP | MIL
Brewers' Brandon Woodruff: Status for Opening Day still TBD
Woodruff (lat) said Friday that his status for Opening Day remains "up in the air," Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Woodruff threw two innings in his Cactus League debut last weekend and tossed four frames in a simulated game Friday. The right-hander has been brought along slowly in Brewers camp after ending last season with a right lat strain, and while he's considered healthy, the buildup could continue after Opening Day. Woodruff also said that "maybe the majority" of his starts this season will be on five days' rest or more, and his "main goal" remains being healthy at the end of the season.
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Keaton Winn SP | SF
Giants' Keaton Winn: Scoreless outing in spring game
Winn allowed one hit and struck out one across one scoreless inning in Thursday's 3-3 Cactus League tie against the White Sox.
Winn entered in the sixth inning, throwing 10 of his 12 pitches for strikes while allowing just one single. The right-hander struggled at Triple-A Sacramento last season and made only seven appearances for the Giants, recording a 4.50 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 9:2 K:BB across 10 innings in the majors. The competition for bullpen spots in San Francisco is wide open, and even if Winn doesn't make the Opening Day roster, he could emerge as a call-up candidate later in the campaign. Through five Cactus League outings this spring, he has allowed one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out six in 6.1 innings.
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Ken Waldichuk SP | WAS
Nationals' Ken Waldichuk: Making case for roster spot
Waldichuk gave up two hits and struck out six without walking anyone over 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
The 28-year-old southpaw still got to face some quality big-league hitters after he entered the game to begin the bottom of the fifth inning -- he struck out Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker back-to-back in the sixth -- and Waldichuk built up to 41 pitches (28 strikes) before exiting. Waldichuk was once a promising Yankees prospect many years and injuries ago, and since being claimed off waivers by the Nationals in early February, he's posted a 1.35 ERA and 8:3 K:BB over 6.2 spring frames. Washington's Opening Day rotation seems set after the Zack Littell signing, but Waldichuk might be putting himself forward as a long-relief candidate in the big-league bullpen. More likely, he'll be optioned to Triple-A Rochester and stay stretched out to be on call in case injuries hit the starting staff.
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Jose Suarez SP | ATL
Braves' Jose Suarez: Could make Opening Day roster
Suarez might end up beginning the season on the 26-man roster as Atlanta navigates playing 13 games in 13 days to open its schedule, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
While the team is expected to use a six-man rotation during that 13-day slog, that sixth starter -- likely to be Martin Perez, but with prospects JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes also in the mix -- could be called up early in the season rather than being on the Opening Day roster. In that scenario, Suarez could stick instead as a versatile arm capable of starting or relieving who is also out of minor-league options, with Atlanta then re-evaluating his place on the staff in early April. The 28-year-old southpaw made seven appearances (one start) for Atlanta in 2025, producing a 1.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 16:10 K:BB over 19.1 innings.
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Quinn Priester SP | MIL
Brewers' Quinn Priester: Late April return deemed optimistic
Priester (wrist) said Friday that he's hoping to be ready to pitch in games by "late April, May," Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
It appears to be a very rough target for his 2026 debut, with Priester admitting the late April/early May timeline he offered was "on the optimistic side." The right-hander has been diagnosed with a nerve issue related to thoracic outlet syndrome that has led to pain in his wrist. Priester indicated Friday that the vascular specialist in Dallas who diagnosed his injury told him he had the least severe of three different TOS-associated issues and it could likely be treated without surgery. Priester is still able to throw on flat ground and has a bullpen session scheduled for March 21.
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Triston McKenzie SP | SD
Padres' Triston McKenzie: Velocity up in Padres camp
McKenzie has averaged 95.7 mph with his four-seamer this spring, which is up a full two mph from last season, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
McKenzie has never reached 97 mph in a major-league game before, but he topped that mark 10 times in his last Cactus League appearance and peaked at 98.8 mph. The righty gained a bit of weight over the offseason and also pitched in winter ball for the first time, but he admitted to having "no idea" where the extra velocity is coming from. Unfortunately, McKenzie's results this spring have not been as encouraging as his velocity uptick, as he's been tagged for six runs with a 6:7 K:BB over 4.1 innings. McKenzie is in camp as a non-roster invitee and is competing for a spot in the Padres' rotation. He seems to be on the outside looking in for now, but he'll have another chance to improve his standing with an appearance Friday versus the Athletics. McKenzie -- who has a June opt-out clause in his contract -- has a 5.46 ERA over 24 appearances (20 starts) at the big-league level since 2023.
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Kruz Schoolcraft SP | SD
Padres' Kruz Schoolcraft: Has lofty goal for 2026
Schoolcraft hopes to make 22 starts in his first pro season with the Padres, Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline reports.
A former two-way player who will be strictly a left-handed starting pitcher in pro ball, Schoolcraft put on a show Monday in an intrasquad game, sitting 94-96 mph with his fastball and striking out four of the 13 batters he faced. Schoolcraft has good athleticism and a smooth delivery for a 6-foot-8 hurler, and he has a sky-high ceiling -- his fastball plays up thanks to his elite extension, and he already has a plus changeup he can land for strikes. He will open the year at Single-A Lake Elsinore and could get a taste of High-A in the Midwest League before season's end.
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Nick Lodolo SP | CIN
Reds' Nick Lodolo: Stung by Dodgers
Lodolo allowed six runs on six hits while striking out three over four innings in Thursday's spring start against the Dodgers. He also hit a batter.
The Dodgers jumped on Lodolo early with four runs on four hits and a hit batsman in the first inning, as he wasn't locating his fastball well, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The left-hander then hung a curveball that Max Muncy drove out of the park for a two-run home run in the third. The good news is that Lodolo got through four innings on 61 pitches in his third Cactus League start. Earlier in the day, Reds manager Terry Francona said Lodolo will open the season as the team's No. 2 starter and will pitch the second game of the regular season against Boston on March 28.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto SP | LAD
Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Will remain with Japan through WBC
Yamamoto will stay with Team Japan for as long as the team remains alive in the World Baseball Classic, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Yamamoto is scheduled to make his final start of the tournament Saturday versus Venezuela. Initial reports indicated that the reigning World Series MVP would then join the Dodgers in Arizona for spring training, but it's since been clarified that Yamamoto will remain with Team Japan for the duration of its time in the WBC. Yamamoto is fully expected to be ready for a near-regular workload once the MLB regular season kicks off.
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Matt Waldron SP | SD
Padres' Matt Waldron: Faces hitters Thursday
Waldron (lower body) threw "about 25 pitches" in a live batting-practice session Thursday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The session marked Waldron's first time throwing to live hitters since he underwent hemorrhoid surgery in late February. The knuckleballer said Thursday that he expects to throw a bullpen and then get into a Cactus League game in the next 5-to-6 days, but he also stated that he isn't going to be ready for Opening Day. That means Waldron will likely begin the campaign on the IL, though he could be ready to be activated around mid-April.