MLB Player News

Darvish (elbow) played light catch Wednesday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Wednesday marks the first time Darvish has done any sort of throwing since being shut down last week with inflammation in his right elbow. He's set to be placed on the injured list before the Padres' regular-season opener Thursday, and a clearer timeline for the veteran righty's return may emerge once he's cleared to resume mound work.

The Diamondbacks placed Montgomery (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Montgomery is set to undergo Tommy John surgery sometime next week, which will end his 2025 season before it even starts and will likely force him to miss part of the 2026 season. The Diamondbacks will award his spot on the 40-man roster to lefty Jalen Beeks, who signed a one-year deal with the club. Montgomery is scheduled for free agency after the season.

The Nationals placed Cavalli (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to March 24.

The right-hander is nearing the final stages of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in May 2023, with a period of "dead arm" last summer delaying his return. Cavalli's last significant action came at Triple-A Rochester in 2022, when he had a 3.71 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 104:39 K:BB across 97 innings.

The Nationals optioned Rutledge to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

The right-hander entered camp on the fringes of Washington's rotation competition, but he began transitioning to a multi-inning relief role in mid-March. Rutledge allowed three earned runs with a 9:2 K:BB over 8.1 big-league innings last year, but he spent most of the campaign at Rochester, where he had a 6.40 ERA in 27 starts.

The Nationals transferred Herz (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

Herz was diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his left elbow Tuesday, which typically leads to season-ending surgery. The 24-year-old southpaw may attempt to rehab the injury before resorting to surgery, but he's due for an extended absence either way. He'll cede his spot on the 40-man roster to right-hander Brad Lord, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Rochester.

The Nationals selected Lord's contract from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

Lord finished spring training with a 6.08 ERA and 8:3 K:BB across 13.1 innings -- not good enough to win a starting job, but just enough to earn a spot as a long reliever. The 25-year-old righty logged a 3.93 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 55 Triple-A frames last season, and his first appearance of 2025 will mark his MLB debut. DJ Herz (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.

Miller (concussion) is listed as a projected starter for Triple-A Oklahoma City's third game of the season Sunday versus Sugar Land.

Miller was unable to make a push for a spot on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster after he took a comebacker to the head in his Cactus League debut Feb. 20, resulting in him being placed in concussion protocol. Though he didn't make any other appearances in spring training, Miller was cleared to resume throwing a few days after suffering the injury and was able to get stretched out through simulated games and minor-league games on the back fields of camp. Miller should make regular turns through the Oklahoma City rotation as he keeps himself ready for a potential starting opportunity with the Dodgers later on in the season.

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.