MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Buehler (elbow) won't begin the regular season with the Dodgers, but the team hopes for Buehler to start a Cactus League game, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Buehler will miss the first few weeks of the season as he continues to work his way back from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in August 2022. Heading into camp, Buehler hadn't been expected to appear in any spring training games, but the Dodgers' optimism toward getting him in a Cactus League contest may be a sign that the 29-year-old righty is ahead of schedule in his rehab process. Once Buehler is able to return to Los Angeles' rotation, he will undoubtedly be operating under an innings restriction.

Manager Rob Thomson said Tuesday that Walker (knee) felt good after a bullpen session over the weekend and is expected to throw live batting practice within the next couple days, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.

Assuming the 31-year-old has no issues while facing live batters, he could pitch in a Grapefruit League game as soon as Sunday or Monday. Any additional setbacks could prevent Walker from being fully ramped up for the start of the season with Opening Day less than a month away.

Lyles (undisclosed) exited Wednesday's "B" game versus the Rangers with an injury after fielding a grounder, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The severity or nature of Lyles' injury wasn't immediately available. Until further details are provided, it's unclear how long the injury could sideline the right-hander.

Miley (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy was pleased with how things went, saying afterward of Miley that "I wouldn't count him out for the first week." The veteran left-hander has been slowed this spring by shoulder soreness, with Murphy saying over the weekend that Miley had a 50-50 shot of being ready for Opening Day. It sounds like the 37-year-old is trending in the right direction, but he still has some work to do.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Tuesday that he expects Urquidy to open the season in the rotation, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Urquidy seemingly would be competing with J.P. France for a spot if everyone was healthy, but with Justin Verlander (shoulder) behind schedule they will both be needed. France is coming back from a shoulder issue himself but is expected to be ready in time for Opening Day. Urquidy finished with a 5.29 ERA over 63 innings for the Astros during a disappointing 2023 campaign but believes his struggles can be traced to tipping his pitches, something he has worked to correct.

Gausman (shoulder) played catch without issue Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

He'll play catch again Wednesday, a good sign after he was diagnosed with fatigue in his right shoulder. The Blue Jays are still considering Gausman day-to-day and will decide later this week what the possible next steps will be for his throwing program. His availability for Opening Day has not been ruled out, but it's far from a given.

Manoah (shoulder) will play catch for the second day in a row Tuesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manoah resumed throwing Monday after a brief shutdown period with right shoulder soreness, and it's a good sign that he's feeling well enough to throw again the next day. Manoah still has numerous hoops to jump through and faces a tall task to be ready by Opening Day.

Puk is a "heavy favorite" to open the season in the Marlins' rotation with Braxton Garrett (shoulder) unavailable, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Puk has wowed early on this spring as he transitions from reliever to starter, firing five scoreless innings with a 9:3 K:BB. Garrett is healthy now but needs time to be built back up following some missed time with left shoulder soreness, so the Marlins need a fill-in likely for at least a couple starts. Puk hasn't started a game since 2021 or been a full-time starter since 2017, so staying healthy and effective over the long haul would be a difficult ask. However, he appears ready to be plugged into the rotation, at least on a short-term basis.

Williams gave up one hit and struck out three over two scoreless innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The veteran right-hander reported to camp late due to the birth of his child and is a little behind the Nationals' other pitchers, but Williams still has plenty of time to build up before Opening Day. Per Paige Leckie of MLB.com, he threw 15 pitches in the bullpen after the outing as he plays catch-up. Williams' 5.55 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 2023 keep him far from the fantasy radar, but the 31-year-old is seen as a reliable innings-eater for a patchwork Nats rotation that's had trouble developing pitching prospects in recent years.

Cabrera gave up four hits over three scoreless innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out three without walking a batter.

Entering the game in the fourth inning, Cabrera didn't face any of New York's top stars but did fan Oswaldo Cabrera and Everson Pereira before exiting after 30 pitches (22 strikes). The 25-year-old righty seems all but set in the rotation, with Braxton Garrett (shoulder) unlikely to be ready by Opening Day, and Cabrera's excellent control to begin the spring has been an extremely encouraging sign after he posted a ghastly 15.2 percent walk rate over 99.2 innings in 2023.