MLB Player News

Sasaki threw three simulated innings against White Sox hitters Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Sasaki only induced four swings and misses on 38 pitches, per Plunkett. The right-hander also gave up a homer to prospect Kyle Teel on the second pitch he threw, but regardless manager Dave Roberts seems pleased with where Sasaki is in his buildup process, saying that the 23-year-old's fastball velocity is "right where we'd expect it to be." It remains to be seen when exactly Sasaki will make his Cactus League debut, but the expectation is still that he will toe the rubber March 19 in the second game of the Dodgers' season-opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo.

Snell threw one scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one batter in a Cactus League contest against Seattle on Tuesday.

Snell threw at least eight pitches to three of the four batters he faced, so he racked up a hearty pitch count of 30 despite allowing just one baserunner. Per Statcast, the lefty's fastball sat at 95-to-96 mph, which is right in line with where it's been over the past several seasons. After signing a five-year contract in November, Snell is slated to be part of a revamped Dodgers rotation that, on paper, looks to be one of the best in the big leagues.

Scherzer topped out at 94.2 mph during his first Grapefruit League action Tuesday against the Cardinals, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The 40-year-old right-hander looked good overall during his two innings of work, giving up one run on one hit and striking out four without walking a batter. Scherzer's velocity was especially encouraging, as he saw his fastball average sink to 92.5 mph last season over just nine starts with Texas. If the future Hall of Famer can stay mostly healthy and regain a bit of zip -- he averaged 93.8 mph in 2023 over 152.2 innings split between the Rangers and Mets -- Scherzer could put together one more solid campaign in his first stint with the Blue Jays.

Schwellenbach gave up a hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's split-squad game against the Pirates.

The 24-year-old right-hander tossed 14 of 23 pitches for strikes in his first Grapefruit League action this spring. Schwellenbach exploded onto the fantasy radar last season, rising from High-A to make 21 starts for Atlanta and posting a 3.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 127:23 K:BB in 123.2 big-league innings. He's being counted on to fill a key role in a rotation that will be missing Spencer Strider (elbow) early in the schedule.

Jones threw five sinkers during his first spring training start Tuesday, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Jones threw 27 total pitches across two scoreless innings while striking out three. During the impressive outing, Jones debuted a new two-seamer with sinking action. He has yet to commit to using the pitch during the regular season, though continuing to develop the offering appears to be a priority this spring.

Schmidt (back) threw a "two-up" bullpen session Tuesday and expects to throw a live batting practice session by this weekend, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

As long as Schmidt gets through his live batting practice session without any problems, he should be cleared for game action in short order, perhaps as soon as next week. The right-hander is working his way back from a minor back issue, but at this point there is no real concern about his Opening Day availability.

Marquez threw two scoreless innings in his Cactus League debut Tuesday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Marquez also struck out two and walked two. Most importantly, he threw 32 pitches and came away with no injury concerns, a significant development after he was limited to only one start in 2024 while recovering from an elbow injury. Marquez figures to lead the Rockies' rotation in 2025.

Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post expects Dollander to be in the Rockies' rotation to begin the regular season.

There were rumblings prior to spring training about the possibility of Dollander skipping Triple-A and jumping straight to the majors to begin the 2025 season. He helped his case with a solid spring debut Monday, when he struck out three across two innings with his only run allowed coming on a solo home run. Dollander will have high expectations due to his rapid rise to the majors and pedigree, though it's worth keeping in mind the challenge he faces with Coors Field as his home park.

Ynoa (shoulder/elbow) is listed as an available reliever for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

After being non-tendered by Atlanta over the winter, Ynoa caught on with the Twins on a minor-league deal. Ynoa missed considerable time in 2024 while tending to elbow inflammation and a shoulder injury, but he finished the past season healthy, as he was able to make six rehab appearances at Triple-A Gwinnett in September, including two of at least two innings. Ynoa has worked as a starter for most of his professional career, but with injuries having limited his availability in recent years, the Twins may be preparing him for a multi-inning relief role at Triple-A St. Paul to begin the season.

Bello (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Bello has been slowed in camp by right shoulder soreness but has been throwing on flat ground without issue and will take the next step in his throwing progression Friday. The Red Sox remain optimistic that the right-hander has enough time to be ready for Opening Day, but Bello will have to continue showing progress without having any setbacks.