MLB Player News

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Wednesday that Blackburn will be placed on the 15-day injured list due to right knee inflammation, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Blackburn's surgically repaired back held up fine this spring, but he'll be shelved to begin the season with a different injury. The right-hander will be shut down for 7-to-10 days but is expected back before the end of April. Blackburn had been slated for a long-relief role before the injury.

The Reds placed Abbott (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

Abbott built up to four innings and 50 pitches in his second and final Cactus League outing this past Saturday, but since he's not quite stretched out enough to handle a typical starter's workload, the Reds will have him open the season on the IL after he got off to a delayed start this spring due to a rotator cuff strain. He'll be eligible for activation April 8, and he should be ready to go on or around that date if he experiences no setbacks while making another rehab start or two over the next couple weeks. Carson Spiers appears in line to serve as the Reds' No. 5 starter until Abbott is cleared to join the big-league rotation.

The Reds placed Lowder on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a right forearm strain.

After turning in a 1.17 ERA -- albeit with poor underlying metrics -- over his six starts with the Reds late in the 2024 season, Lowder headed into the winter with some momentum. However, Lowder never made much of a push for a spot in the Reds' Opening Day rotation, as he was limited in his throwing program early in camp due to elbow soreness and never ended up making a Cactus League appearance. Lowder is reportedly close to throwing bullpen sessions, but he'll likely need a few weeks to ramp up before he's ready to begin a rehab assignment. The 23-year-old righty has minor-league options remaining and could end up sticking around at Triple-A Louisville once he completes his throwing progression and is activated from the IL.

The Reds placed Williamson (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Williamson is set to miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last September, so his move to the 60-day IL is merely procedural. The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher Austin Wynns, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville.

Lord has made the Nationals' Opening Day roster, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Lord has predominately been a starter in the minors and could still return to that role, but the Nationals have opted to include him on their Opening Day roster in a long-relief role. The 25-year-old will be making his major-league debut if and when he gets into a game.

The Marlins acquired Phillips from the Phillies on Wednesday in exchange for cash considerations, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Phillips doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so he will report to the big club and will be part of the Marlins' Opening Day roster. While Phillips may work out of the Miami bullpen initially, he'll likely be in the mix for starts at some point, given that the team's rotation depth has already been tested by spring injuries to Ryan Weathers (forearm) and Edward Cabrera (finger). Over eight appearances (seven starts) for the Phillies in 2024, Phillips submitted a 6.87 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 28:7 K:BB.

Burns has been assigned to High-A Dayton to begin the season, MLB.com reports.

Burns did not pitch last season after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, so his first start for Dayton will be his pro debut. The hard-throwing 22-year-old could move through the Reds' system quickly.

Quintana agreed Wednesday to report to Triple-A Nashville to begin the season, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Quintana agreed to be optioned so that he could continue getting stretched out after signing in early March. The left-hander is likely looking at the second week of April for his season debut, though the Brewers have not confirmed an exact date for him to join the big-league rotation.

The Brewers informed Patrick on Wednesday that he'll be included on the Opening Day roster, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Patrick was optioned to Triple-A Nashville back in early March, but he is now needed on the big-league roster while the Brewers contend with multiple injuries to starting pitchers in addition to Jose Quintana needing more time to get ramped up. It's possible Patrick will be needed to make a start or two early on in the season, though the Brewers could also deploy him as a bulk reliever.

Nelson will remain stretched out as a reliever, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. "(Nelson) is going to be able to provide us some length," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "We feel like we've got some solid backup there just in case the starter doesn't give us what he needs to."

Nelson, who fell short in his bid to be the No. 5 starter, became the top long option out the bullpen following the news that Jordan Montgomery will undergo Tommy John elbow surgery. The Montgomery news also suggests that Nelson could be in line to start should a current member of the rotation require extended downtime due to injury. Nelson was a valued part of the rotation in 2024, when he improved in several underlying metrics (K:BB, K/9, BB/9, HR/9) compared to 2023.