MLB Player News
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Shane Drohan SP | MIL
Brewers' Shane Drohan: Off to strong start
Drohan tossed three scoreless innings in Wednesday's spring game against the Cubs. He gave up one hit, struck out four batters and walked one.
Drohan tossed two scoreless innings in his late-February spring debut, and he one-upped himself in his next opportunity. The 27-year-old has never appeared in a major-league game, and given Milwaukee's starting pitching depth, it's likely his season will begin in the minors. However, he shined at the Triple-A level last season and is doing the same this spring, so he could be an option for the big club at some point.
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Miguel Ullola SP | HOU
Astros' Miguel Ullola: Dropped from big-league camp
The Astros optioned Ullola to minor-league camp Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Ullola was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, but he was always destined for Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the season. The right-hander should open 2026 in Sugar Land's rotation, but a career 15.6 percent walk rate in the minors could point to an eventual move to the bullpen if he can't harness his control.
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Jacob deGrom SP | TEX
Rangers' Jacob deGrom: Begins gradual ramp-up
DeGrom allowed one run on three hits and struck out three over two innings in Wednesday's spring exhibition against Team Brazil.
DeGrom took the mound for the first time this spring, part of a gradual buildup for the Rangers' ace. For comparison, deGrom's first of three spring starts in 2025 came on March 8. Texas manager Skip Schumaker plans to follow a similar path for the 37-year-old this year with an eye toward having him pitching in September. DeGrom's 172.2 innings in 2025 were the most he's thrown since 2019. On Wednesday, the right-hander threw 39 pitches (27 strikes) with the lone run coming on a home run by Lucas Ramirez.
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Rhett Lowder SP | CIN
Reds' Rhett Lowder: Cruises Wednesday
Lowder allowed two hits and struck out three over three scoreless innings in Wednesday's spring start against Team Cuba.
Lowder had another strong effort in his third outing, mixing in all four of his pitches during the 43-pitch appearance. It was his second consecutive scoreless effort, and he's now recorded 21 consecutive outs. The right-hander is part of a group competing for the final rotation spot, but Lowder's addition to the starting staff appears to be a formality, especially now that No. 1 starter Hunter Greene left camp to get his elbow checked out.
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Brandon Pfaadt SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Brandon Pfaadt: Sharp in debut
Pfaadt allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one over 2.1 scoreless innings in Wednesday's Cactus League start against the Athletics.
Pfaadt threw an efficient 25 pitches (15 strikes) to get those seven outs in his Cactus League debut, as Athletics hitters were aggressive. The right-hander was behind other starters in camp, because of a side issue that cropped up during offseason workouts. Pfaadt threw all six of his pitches. Despite the late start, he should have enough time to be ready by Opening Day.
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Joe Musgrove SP | SD
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Shows good velocity in exhibition
Musgrove completed two innings in an exhibition game against Team Great Britain on Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out three batters.
Musgrove's outing was his first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery in October of 2024. The veteran hurler had a rough beginning, giving up a run on three singles and a walk while retiring just one batter before being pulled, but a couple of the hits came on rough defensive plays and -- more importantly -- Musgrove sat at 94-95 mph on his fastball, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Under exhibition rules, the right-hander returned for the second frame and retired three of the four batters he faced and then set down two of three hitters in the third inning before exiting for good. Altogether, Musgrove threw a hearty 60 pitches (36 strikes), which is certainly promising for a pitcher coming off such a long absence. He's slated to be a key part of San Diego's rotation in 2026 and isn't expected to have strict workload limitations.
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Luis Gil SP | NYY
Yankees' Luis Gil: Racks up six Ks in spring start
Gil tossed three scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League game against Boston on Wednesday, allowing two hits and issuing two walks while striking out six batters.
Gil needed a hefty 53 pitches to complete three frames, but he got eight whiffs and racked up six punchouts. The right-hander has looked great through three spring outings, allowing two runs on six hits over eight innings while registering an 11:3 K:BB. Gil appears to be locked into an Opening Day rotation spot while Gerrit Cole (elbow), Carlos Rodon (elbow) and Clarke Schmidt (elbow) begin the season on the shelf, but he'll probably need to pitch well in order to keep that role once those injured hurlers return to action.
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Zack Wheeler SP | PHI
Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Tosses third bullpen session
Wheeler (shoulder) threw another bullpen session Wednesday, per MLB.com.
Wednesday marked the All-Star right-hander's third bullpen as he continues his rehab from venous thoracic outlet surgery. Wheeler looks to be progressing well, and his throwing program will remain something to keep tabs on throughout the spring. With Wheeler still likely to begin the new year on the injured list, Andrew Painter could open 2026 as part of Philadelphia's starting rotation.
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Jack Flaherty SP | DET
Tigers' Jack Flaherty: Three more strikeouts Wednesday
Flaherty tossed three scoreless innings in an exhibition game versus Team Panama on Wednesday. He allowed two hits and struck out three.
Flaherty looked sharp against a World Baseball Classic squad getting ready for that tournament, and he once again posted a solid strikeout total. The righty now has eight of them this spring in six innings across two Grapefruit League appearances in addition to Wednesday's exhibition tilt. Flaherty had a K/9 of at least 10.5 in each of the last two seasons, and it looks like he'll be a strong asset in that category once again in 2026.
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Richard Fitts SP | STL
Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Continuing strong rotation case
Fitts notched four strikeouts over three scoreless innings in Wednesday's exhibition game versus Team Nicaragua.
Working in relief, Fitts surrendered four singles in his three frames, but he didn't walk anyone in addition to his four punchouts. His velocity remained up just as it was in his first Grapefruit League outing, averaging 96.6 mph with his four-seamer and 96.2 mph with his sinker. The big righty has spun five scoreless innings between the two appearances while collecting a 5:0 K:BB. Fitts is competing for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation, and that the team is mulling a six-man setup, at least initially, helps his odds.