MLB Player News

Sale will get the start Saturday for Atlanta's Grapefruit League opener against the Twins, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is almost certain to get the Opening Day start as well, but Atlanta has yet to make that official. Sale's 29 starts and 177.2 innings in 2024 represent his biggest workload since 2017, and the 35-year-old southpaw believes he'll be able to stay mostly healthy again this season. "I kind of found a routine that really worked well for me last year, and when I needed to adjust, I could," Sale said this week. "So again, I'm basically just trying to replicate what last offseason looked like, and then kind of do the same thing through spring training and hopefully it translates to the season." Manager Brian Snitker indicated that Sale's routine would once again include an extra day or two of rest between his starts, as Sale rarely worked on only four days' rest in 2024.

Waldrep is working on his curveball this spring after previously shelving the pitch, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta wanted the right-hander to refine his slider after selecting him in the first round in 2023, as it would make a better complement to his plus-plus splitter. Now that he's comfortable with the slider, however, he can turn his attention back to the curve. "So, the focus, when we got rid of it, was to work on the slider -- to work on making the slider kind of the forefront of the arsenal and let it make the splitter better, really," Waldrep said Tuesday. "So, adding the curveball back just kind of gives me a little better tool to lefties. It fits my fastball really well out of my arm slot, and it just kind of made sense to bring it back." The 22-year-old also took time this winter to study how pitchers like Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander incorporated their curveballs into their pitch mix. Waldrep is likely to begin the season back at Triple-A Gwinnett, and while adding another reliable pitch can only help, control and command remain the biggest obstacles between him and a regular spot in the Atlanta rotation.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Sullivan is battling right elbow soreness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Sullivan is considered further along in his rehab program than Yerry Rodriguez, who also has a sore elbow, although it's uncertain how much time either pitcher might miss. The 24-year-old Sullivan spent the 2024 season at Double-A Altoona, holding a 3.84 ERA and 57:22 K:BB over 72.2 innings. If healthy, he's likely to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Rodriguez is dealing with right elbow discomfort, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Fellow hurler Sean Sullivan is also battling an elbow issue and is considered further along than Rodriguez, although it's not clear exactly how long either pitcher will be sidelined. Rodriguez is in Pirates camp as a non-roster invitee, and the elbow injury could effectively end his chances of making the team.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Oviedo (elbow) is in the "live bullpen" phase of his throwing program and has been cleared to make use of his full repertoire, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Oviedo underwent Tommy John surgery in December 2023 and missed the entire 2024 season, but he should be ready to resume pitching for the Pirates early in the 2025 campaign. Since he hasn't yet been cleared to face hitters at this stage of spring training, Oviedo seems unlikely to appear in any of the Pirates' initial Grapefruit League games, and a brief stint on the injured list to open the season could be in the forecast. During his last healthy season in 2023, Oviedo started 32 games and turned in a 4.31 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 158:83 K:BB in 177.2 innings.

Faedo (shoulder) tossed a live batting practice session Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

As a member of the Tigers last season, Faedo didn't pitch after Aug. 20 due to a strained right shoulder, but his ability to throw a live BP session in the early stages of spring training confirms that he's healthy. The 29-year-old right-hander will be competing for a spot in the Tampa Bay bullpen after turning in a 3.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 55:28 K:BB in 57.1 innings over his 37 appearances for the Tigers in 2024. Faedo doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so the Rays would have to expose him to waivers if he isn't kept on the Opening Day roster or placed on the injured list to begin the season.

Maeda was throwing 92 mph during a live batting practice session Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

It's up from the 90.8 mph he averaged with his four-seamer last season and significantly more velocity than he was showing during spring training last year. With Alex Cobb (hip) slated to begin the season on the injured list, Maeda has a chance to make the Tigers' rotation out of spring training. That said, after collecting a 6.09 ERA over 17 starts and 12 relief appearances last season, Maeda has a lot to prove this spring. He will start Detroit's Grapefruit League opener Saturday.

Montgomery will have his strained left index finger examined Wednesday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Montgomery, who was scheduled to begin throwing by midweek, is expected to initiate an already mapped out plan shortly following Wednesday's exam. The Diamondbacks enjoy good starting depth, and it's uncertain whether the left-hander will be part of the rotation. His eventual role will depend on which version of Montgomery shows up: the 2023 iteration (3.20 ERA) that helped Texas win the World Series, or the pitcher that signed with Arizona late in the spring of 2024 and pitched to a 6.23 ERA.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Burnes will start Friday's spring opener against the Rockies, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Burnes, who worked the spring opener for Baltimore in 2024, wants the ball for his new team's Cactus League opener and will get it. The right-hander signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the Diamondbacks in December and appears primed to step in as the staff ace.

Taillon, who saw his average fastball velocity dip as the 2024 season went on, is hoping improved health helps him dial the pitch up some in 2025, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Taillon saw his four-seam fastball drop from an average of 93.2 mph in April last year to 92.2 mph in September, giving him a career-low mark of 92.4 mph overall. Along with the reduced velocity, the veteran also generated a career-low 6.8 K/9. The righty said back issues he dealt with during the season may have played a part, though he still managed to log a respectable 165.1 innings and turn in a 3.27 ERA, his best mark since his 2018 campaign with the Pirates. If Taillon stays healthy and regains a little zip on his fastball, he could be primed for a jump in strikeouts and another productive season in 2025.