MLB Player News

Lodolo allowed two hits and struck out four over two scoreless innings in Wednesday's spring start against the White Sox.

Lodolo struck out the side in the first inning before working out of a one-out, two-on jam in the second. He threw a total of 40 pitches (30 strikes) in what was a promising Cactus League debut. The left-hander is coming off his best statistical season with a career-high 28 starts and career-low 3.33 ERA in 2025.

Gallen allowed one hit and struck out two over one scoreless inning in Wednesday's spring start against the Dodgers.

Gallen made his Cactus League debut, throwing 23 pitches (14 strikes) against a lineup of backups. He allowed a single to the first batter faced then retired the next three. Gallen, a late free-agent signing, is slightly behind other starters but should be ready in time for the regular season. With news that Merrill Kelly (back) will not start Opening Day, Gallen is an option to make a fourth consecutive Opening Day start for the Diamondbacks. His first spring outing last year was a one-inning affair on Feb. 24, and Gallen was ready to take the ball on Opening Day in 2025.

Scherzer agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The Blue Jays and Scherzer had mutual interest in a reunion throughout the offseason, and the two sides have now finally agreed on a deal that includes up to $10 million in incentives. The veteran righty took a step back in 2025, as he finished the regular season with a career-worst 5.19 ERA and gave up 19 home runs in 85 innings (17 starts). That being said, he still maintained a strong 82:23 K:BB in the regular season, then posted a 3.77 ERA in three starts during Toronto's postseason run. With Shane Bieber (forearm) due to open the season on the injured list, Scherzer has a path to being included in the Blue Jays' Opening Day rotation, though he likely won't be guaranteed a job when the team's starters are all fully healthy.

Keller threw a clean first inning in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against Detroit. He struck out one.

Keller needed only 11 pitches to retire the side in his spring debut, with his sinker topping out at 97.3 mph. The 30-year-old signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Phillies over the winter, and Keller is preparing to serve as the primary right-handed setup man for closer Jhoan Duran in 2026, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Pallette has yet to make his Cactus League debut due to right shoulder fatigue, SI.com reports.

Pallette is scheduled to throw live batting practice in the near future, and the Guardians are hopeful that he'll begin pitching in spring games sometime next week. The 24-year-old righty joined the Guardians in December through the Rule 5 Draft and will have to remain on the major-league roster all season. Otherwise, he'll be offered back to the White Sox.

Painter will make his spring training debut Sunday against the Yankees, Corey Seidman of SI.com reports.

Painter so far has been working on changing his arm angle to match where it was prior to his Tommy John surgery. This will be his first spring training start since 2023. With Zack Wheeler (thoracic outlet syndrome) out until at least late April, Painter could make the Phillies' rotation to begin the season despite his substandard performance (5.40 ERA in 22 starts) at Triple-A last year.

Rodriguez completed 1.2 innings in a Cactus League contest against San Francisco on Tuesday, allowing one run on one hit and three walks while striking out two batters.

Rodriguez missed all of the 2025 regular season due to injuries to his elbow and lat, so this was his first game action since spring training of last year. The right-hander gave up just one hit -- a second-inning double -- but struggled to find the plate, tossing only 23 of 40 pitches for strikes and issuing three free passes. The promising news, however, is that Rodriguez appeared to emerge from the outing with no setbacks while handling a normal pitch count for a starter early in spring training. If he can get through the remainder of the preseason healthy, Rodriguez will likely begin the campaign in the Angels' starting rotation.

Schlittler (back) is scheduled to throw about 25 pitches in a simulated inning of live batting practice Wednesday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

The Yankees have been moving Schlittler along slowly in his throwing program after he experienced mid-back inflammation shortly upon reporting to camp. He was able to throw multiple bullpen sessions without incident and will now take the next stop forward by facing hitters. If all goes well Wednesday, Schlittler could get the green light to make his Grapefruit League debut at some point next week.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that Kelly (back) will not be ready in time for Opening Day, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Tests on Kelly's back did not reveal any structural damage, but he still feels something in his back when he throws. It's not clear when he might be ready to pitch in games, but it's not imminent. Lovullo declined to name a replacement for Kelly for Opening Day, but that assignment could go to Zac Gallen. Kelly's injury might also open up a rotation spot for Michael Soroka.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Wicks has been diagnosed with left forearm inflammation and will temporarily pause his throwing program, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

The injury explains why Wicks has yet to make his Cactus League debut, but the Counsell is optimistic that the southpaw will be down for "days, not weeks" after a recent MRI revealed no concerns with his UCL. Wicks reported to spring training with no assurances that his spot in the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen was secure, so he'll need to move past the injury quickly if he hopes to break camp with the big club. Wicks made eight relief appearances for the Cubs in 2025, posting a strong 13:1 K:BB in 14.1 innings but allowing 10 earned runs while yielding 24 hits.