MLB Player News

Iriarte was optioned to Triple-A El Paso by the Padres on Sunday.

Iriarte was added to the Padres' 40-man roster over the offseason and impressed during his time in big-league camp, yielding just one unearned run over three innings. The 22-year-old had seemed in contention for a roster spot, but the team needing to make some early cuts because of its March 20-21 series versus the Dodgers in South Korea probably didn't help Iriarte's bid. He's put himself in position for a promotion at some point this season, however.

Quintana is the likeliest candidate to get the Opening Day start for the Mets, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

With Kodai Senga (shoulder) set to miss the first month of the season or more, Quintana should be the next man up for New York to kick off the season. "It would be an honor. It's a dream for any starting pitcher," the veteran southpaw said last week. "Big crowd, a lot of energy. It's a gift." Quintana has thrown 100 or more innings only once in the last four seasons, but he's healthy headed into the spring and the Mets believe he can handle a much larger workload than the 75.2 innings he tossed in 2023 during a campaign that didn't begin until after the All-Star break due to rib surgery.

Sale gave up three hits and two walks over 2.2 scoreless innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out five while also throwing a wild pitch.

That's nine Ks and a 0.00 ERA in 4.2 innings for Sale as he gets ready for his first campaign with Atlanta. The 34-year-old lefty hasn't made 25 starts in a season since 2019, and injuries have left his numbers somewhat volatile since he crossed over into his 30s, but he appears to be 100 percent healthy in camp and could be poised for a rebound. At the very least, he could take a run at double-digit wins for the first time since 2018 with one of the most potent offenses in MLB at his back.

Anderson is throwing long toss from 120 feet, and he's on schedule in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old right-hander underwent surgery in April 2023 and is targeting a midseason return to the mound. Atlanta may not have room for him in its big-league rotation once he's ready for game action however, especially if Anderson can't regain the form that saw him produce a 3.58 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 124:53 K:BB through 128.1 innings in 2021, before a rough 2022 may have provided an early signal that his elbow wasn't 100 percent. Anderson still has a minor-league option remaining, so it wouldn't be surprising if he spent the second half of 2024 at Triple-A Gwinnett.

DeSclafani (elbow) threw another bullpen session Monday as he ramps back up following a brief shutdown period, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

DeSclafani experienced soreness in his right elbow following his second live batting practice session of the spring. However, he was cleared for a bullpen session this past Friday and threw off a mound again Monday. The setback was worrisome given that DeSclafani is coming back from a flexor strain, but the Twins maintain confidence he can be ready for Opening Day. Working in the team's and the pitcher's favor is multiple early season off days, which would allow DeSclafani about five weeks to ramp back up, if that's the route the Twins want to take. If healthy, the righty looks to have a leg up over Louie Varland for the fifth spot in Minnesota's rotation.

Ynoa has resumed long-toss after being shut down for a bit with right elbow soreness, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Ynoa is coming back from Tommy John surgery and had been throwing bullpen sessions early on in camp before the elbow soreness cropped up. Atlanta doesn't appear overly concerned about the righty, as Ynoa could resume mound work in a few days. Ynoa already had seemed likely to begin the season back in the minors as he knocks some rust off, and this setback should cinch that.

Manoah (shoulder) is slated to play catch Monday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manoah had to have a Grapefruit League start over the weekend scratched because of right shoulder soreness. The Blue Jays will develop a plan for the right-hander's progression based on how he comes out of Monday's game of catch. Certainly, his availability for Opening Day is unclear at the moment.

Gausman will not throw his scheduled live bullpen session Monday due to "general shoulder fatigue," Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The good news here is that Gausman's MRI showed no structural damage. However, the fact an MRI was ordered shows there is some level of concern. Gausman has yet to pitch in a game this spring, and since he did not fully bounce back after his last side session, his availability for Opening Day could be in jeopardy. A better picture of his timetable should come into focus in the weeks to come.

Wheeler signed a three-year, $126 million contract extension with the Phillies on Monday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

Wheeler had been in line to reach free agency after the upcoming season, but now he'll remain in Philadelphia for a while longer. The average annual value of the deal is a Phillies record and also the largest-ever AAV for a contract extension. The veteran right-hander has collected a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 21.3 K-BB% across 101 starts during his time with the Phillies and will turn 34 in May.

Rodriguez allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four over three innings in Sunday's spring start against Milwaukee.

The Brewers ambushed Rodriguez early, taking a 3-0 lead three batters into the game. The left-hander had base traffic in all three innings but managed to avoid further damage with the help of infield defense. The results look similar to his first Cactus League start, when he gave up four runs in an inning, but Rodriguez told Michael McDermott of SI.com that he felt better Sunday. "I threw three innings today, I feel great," Rodriguez said. "I feel I'm on a really good pace for the start of the season." While a 15.75 ERA over four innings might cause concern, it should be noted that spring games are less about results than for getting pitches in shape, working on command and building up pitch counts.