MLB Player News

Kershaw (toe/knee) will face live hitters Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Saturday will mark the first time Kershaw has thrown against a live opponent since undergoing surgeries on his left knee and left big toe during the offseason. The Dodgers are going to progress the veteran lefty through his rehab slowly, but if all goes according to plan, he'll be able to head out on a rehab assignment by the end of May.

Pfaadt signed a five-year, $45 million contract extension with the Diamondbacks on Friday that includes a club option for 2031 and a mutual option for 2032, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Pfaadt's extension won't kick in until 2026, but it will buy out all three of his arbitration years and possibly his first three years of free agency if all options are exercised. The 26-year-old finished last season with a 4.71 ERA and 1.24 WHIP alongside a 185:42 K:BB in 181.2 innings (32 starts); however, his 3.60 FIP is much more indicative of how well he performed on the mound. His first start of the new year is slated to come Saturday versus the Cubs, against whom he allowed two earned runs over 14 innings with a 13:1 K:BB in two appearances last season.

Gonsolin (back) threw against live hitters Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Gonsolin began the season on the 15-day injured list after suffering a back injury while lifting weights in early March. Friday was the second time he's thrown to hitters, and he told reporters after his session that his next outing will go three innings either in another simulated game or while on a rehab assignment.

Hence will begin the season on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis with a right rib cage strain, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

It's not clear how much time Hence might miss, but the good news is that the injury isn't related to his pitching arm. The 22-year-old has some of the best stuff in all of the minors but has struggled to stay healthy, having never reached 100 innings in a season. Hence posted a 2.71 ERA and 109:26 K:BB over 79.2 frames at Double-A Springfield in 2024.

Strider (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Strider, who is coming back from an internal brace procedure, made two Grapefruit League starts, throwing a total of four innings and getting his pitch count up to 45 in the second outing. It's uncertain how many rehab starts he will be asked to make before joining the Atlanta rotation, but it's likely to be at least a couple. The ace right-hander appears to be on track for a mid-April return.

The Padres placed Waldron (oblique) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Waldron has yet to resume a throwing program since suffering a left oblique strain while warming up in the bullpen March 14. He'll require more than the minimum 15 days to heal from the injury, and with Yu Darvish (elbow) joining him on the shelf to begin the season, the Padres will have room in the rotation for both Kyle Hart and Randy Vasquez, who had been competing with Waldron for the No. 5 starter role.

The Padres placed Brito (forearm) on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a right forearm strain.

Brito didn't make any appearances after Aug. 10 last season due to an elbow strain, and though he was cleared prior to spring training, he was shut down after experiencing diminished velocity and renewed soreness during a Cactus League appearance March 4. The Padres will wait and see how Brito responds to a period of rest and rehab, but given the recurring nature of his elbow/forearm issues, surgery could be in the forecast for the right-hander.

The Padres placed Darvish (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Darvish was shut down from throwing in the middle of spring training due to right elbow inflammation, but he seems to be making some progress, as he was spotted playing catch Tuesday. Even so, Darvish will likely require a lengthy buildup and may not be ready to return from the IL during the first month of the season.

Holmes struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief during Thursday's loss to the Padres.

The 29-year-old right-hander won a spot in Atlanta's initial rotation, but with his first start not expected to come until Monday, Holmes was available to come out of the bullpen for the final frame of a 7-4 loss. The usage could be an early signal that he's more likely than AJ Smith-Shawver to shift to a relief role once Spencer Strider (elbow) is ready to make his 2025 debut, but the performance of Holmes and Smith-Shawver as starters over the next few weeks will ultimately be the biggest factor in that decision.

The Mets officially placed Blackburn (knee) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Blackburn opened the season on the shelf after experiencing right knee inflammation coming out of his final spring training appearance. He received an injection to alleviate the discomfort and is currently in the midst of a 7-to-10-day no-throw period. He's not expected to require much time to ramp up once the pain in his knee subsides, potentially putting Blackburn in line for a mid-to-late April return from the IL.