MLB Player News

Alcantara (elbow) is expected to be ready to take the mound Opening Day, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 29-year-old right-hander didn't pitch at all in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery the prior October, but he was facing live hitters last September and should have no restrictions when spring training begins. Alcantara won the NL Cy Young Award in 2022 on the strength of a 2.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 207:50 K:BB over 228.2 innings, but he'll carry plenty of risk as a fantasy asset this season until he can demonstrate he's fully recovered from the surgery and has something close to his pre-injury command and control.

Scott (elbow) said Wednesday that he's about a month away from beginning a throwing program, SNY.tv reports.

Scott is nearly five months removed from a hybrid Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure on his right elbow. He will miss the entire 2025 campaign, but assuming all goes well with his rehab, should be ready to go for the start of the 2026 season.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated in a recent interview that he does not expect Woodruff (shoulder) to be ready by Opening Day, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Woodruff underwent surgery in October of 2023 to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. His rehab had to be paused in August when he wasn't progressing as hoped, and while things have gone well with his recovery since then, he will be behind at the start of camp. A clearer timetable for when Woodruff will be ready for his season debut could be available at some point during spring training.

Phillips recorded a 2.49 ERA while striking out 24 over 21.2 innings in his last five starts in 2024.

Phillips, who made his major-league debut in 2023, was rocked at Triple-A Louisville last year. The Reds sent him to the Arizona Complex League in late June after 14 starts with a 10.11 ERA, 7.9 BB/9 and 2.4 HR/9 with the top affiliate. After a two-month reset in the desert, the 23-year-old right-hander returned to Louisville, where he finished strong. Phillips then pitched in the Arizona Fall League and, apart from one clunker, was effective. He needs to find the strike zone with more consistency -- he walked 14 batters in 19.1 innings in the AFL -- but he made adjustments and is trending in a positive direction again following the lowest point of his professional career.

The Brewers signed Jay to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Jay was designated for assignment by both the Brewers and Mariners in January and is now back in the Milwaukee organization as a non-roster invitee. The left-handed reliever allowed five runs (four earned) over five appearances between the Mets and Brewers in 2024.

Wicks said he has focused on cardio this offseason in order to be able to pitch deeper into games in 2025, as he will potentially start the year in the rotation, Matt Danielewicz of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Wicks dealt with a handful of injuries in 2024, including an oblique strain in late September that ended the lefty's season. With Kyle Hendricks now gone, the Cubs have some rotation spots to fill, and Wicks and Javier Assad are options for the back end behind Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. However, Chicago also added veteran Matthew Boyd in the offseason, and he will most likely snag a starting spot. That could leave Wicks to handle a long-relief role out of spring training, though he could certainly make starts at some point.

Glasnow (elbow) indicated Saturday that his most recent MRI came back clean and that he's been throwing as usual during the offseason, Rowan Kavner of FOX Sports reports. "I've been throwing normal, throwing bullpens, and I feel as good as I've ever felt," Glasnow stated.

Speaking at the team's DodgerFest event, Glasnow explained that the elbow injury that ended his 2024 season turned out to be just tendinitis. The veteran right-hander stated back in November that he was planning to throw twice per week throughout the offseason without an extended break, and it appears that his work this winter has gone smoothly. Given Glasnow's comments, it seems likely that he will be ready to pitch by the time Los Angeles kicks off its season in Tokyo, Japan on March 18, though it's not yet clear if he'll be one of the team's starters for the two-game set against the Cubs.

Sheehan (elbow) has resumed throwing off a mound over the offseason, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Sheehan didn't pitch at all last season due to a forearm injury, and he ultimately underwent an internal brace procedure in May to address the issue. The 25-year-old righty aims to begin a minor-league rehab assignment sometime in May or June, with a return from the injured list likely to come closer to the All-Star break. The Dodgers have done a lot this winter to upgrade their pitching staff, however, so there's no guarantee he'll have a spot waiting for him in the majors once he's healthy.

With the Cubs acquiring Ryan Pressly on Tuesday via trade, Hodge will likely slide into a setup role to start the regular season working in front of Pressly, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The veteran Pressly has 112 career MLB saves while Hodge only has nine, all of which he recorded during his 2024 rookie season. The Cubs will likely turn to the more experienced player first, but that doesn't completely close the door on Hodge receiving save opportunities. The young righty pitched well last year, registering a 1.88 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 52 strikeouts across 43 innings, and he would presumably be next in line to close games if Pressly falters.

Anderson is out of minor-league options, making him a favorite to begin the season as part of the Atlanta rotation, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

While team president Alex Anthopoulos could still bring in another arm before spring training begins or even during camp, as the Atlanta roster stands, Anderson appears to be in line to open the year as the No. 4 or No. 5 starter behind Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach, filling out the back of the rotation along with Grant Holmes. Spencer Strider is expected to miss the first month or so of the campaign as he completes his recovery from elbow surgery, but once he returns, Anderson could be the pitcher bumped to a lesser role. The 26-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched in the majors since 2022, and the one-time top prospect managed a 3.96 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 53:27 K:BB over 52.1 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett last season.