MLB Player News

The Dodgers optioned Sauer to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Sauer was included on the Dodgers' Tokyo Series roster, but he didn't make an appearance in either game versus the Cubs and will not be part of the active roster for his team's domestic opener. The 26-year-old will be used in Oklahoma City's bullpen.

Steele (0-1) took the loss against the Dodgers in Tokyo on Wednesday after he surrendered five runs on five hits and one walk across four innings. He struck out five.

Steele struggled to a 9.35 ERA in three spring appearances, and those troubles carried over to his 2025 debut. The left-hander had a 0.7 HR/9 in the previous three seasons, but he was taken deep Wednesday by Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez. Steele built up to 67 pitches and could face some minor workload limitations for his first couple starts stateside as he continues to build up his arm.

Sasaki didn't factor in the decision Wednesday against the Cubs in Tokyo after giving up one run on one hit and five walks over three innings. He struck out three.

The 23-year-old appeared to be battling some nerves as he threw just 25 of his 56 pitches for strikes, but he buckled down after issuing a bases-loaded walk during the third inning with two straight strikeouts to end the frame. The control issues aside, it was a good debut for Sasaki, who was able to limit the damage to a single run despite the significant traffic. The right-hander will now have some time before the Dodgers start their domestic schedule against the Tigers next Thursday. Sasaki will likely continue to have some pitch restrictions as he builds up his workload over his next few starts.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Jones experienced elbow discomfort during his most recent bullpen session and won't be able to make his final Grapefruit League start later this week, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Shelton said that the Pirates will have internal conversations regarding when Jones will be able to make his first start of the season, but given that elbow discomfort can often foreshadow a more significant injury, the young right-hander would seem at high risk of landing on the injured list. Before a decision is made on Jones' next steps, the Pirates will presumably wait and see how his elbow responds to a few days of rest. If Jones is shelved to begin the season, the Pirates could open up a spot in the rotation for prospect Thomas Harrington, who wasn't expected to break camp with the big club but excelled in his first Grapefruit League start Tuesday.

Miley (elbow) faced hitters Tuesday for the first time since undergoing surgery last June, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Miley threw 20 pitches to three teammates, using his entire repertoire. The left-hander underwent what was termed a "hybrid procedure" which is similar to the traditional Tommy John surgery but has a shorter recovery time. The Reds are hopeful he'll be ready to pitch in big-league games at some point in May. Naturally, there will be a progression that includes more live batting practice sessions and extended spring games in Arizona. It's unclear where Miley fits on Cincinnati's pitching staff.

Harrington allowed one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out three across 3.2 innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Harrington has worked mostly on the back fields in camp, pitching live batting practice and sim innings, as Monday marked only his third outing of the spring. Per Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, the Pirates have been impressed with the data they've seen from Harrington in all of his work this spring, and he sat 93 mph on his fastball while averaging over 2,600 rpm on his slider against the Phillies. While Harrington is the last of the Pirates' big-name pitching prospects to remain in big-league camp, manager Derek Shelton would only say that Harrington's status would be decided within the next week.

The Dodgers transferred Kershaw (toe/knee) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kershaw was initially placed on the 15-day injured list prior to Game 1 of the Tokyo Series, which seemingly indicated that the veteran southpaw was ahead of schedule in his rehab from offseason surgeries on his left knee and left big toe. However, he has now moved to the 60-day IL, which opens up a roster spot for Matt Sauer and keeps Kershaw on his expected return timeline. The 36-year-old is now ineligible to return to Los Angeles until May 27, though he's hopeful to be fully healthy by then.

The Dodgers selected Sauer's contract from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Sauer didn't perform that well during Cactus League play, giving up seven earned runs in 7.2 innings, but the Dodgers brought him to Japan nonetheless and have now added him to their active roster ahead of the second Tokyo Series game. With a 7.71 ERA in 14 career MLB appearances, the 26-year-old is likely to be used only in low-leverage situations, and there's a chance he heads back to Triple-A once the Dodgers' stateside schedule begins. To create roster space for Sauer, Justin Wrobleski was optioned to Oklahoma City, and Clayton Kershaw (toe) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

The Dodgers optioned Wrobleski to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Wrobleski didn't pitch in the first game of the Tokyo Series but excelled during spring training, allowing just two earned runs while striking out nine batters over 9.1 innings. He'll now end up as the odd man out of the Dodgers' active roster to make room for Matt Sauer, who was selected from Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.

Brown (0-1) was the pitcher of record in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Dodgers in Tokyo, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks while striking out five over 2.2 innings.

Brown had an eventful 2025 debut, as he summoned from the bullpen to replace Shota Imanaga, who exited after tossing four scoreless, no-hit innings. Brown was able to miss some bats, but the right-hander also struggled with his control, which was a bit of an issue last season, when he walked 8.6 percent of the batters he faced. Brown could be a starting option for the Cubs at some point this season, though his usage in the opener suggests he'll serve as a long man out of the bullpen for the time being.