MLB Player News

Singer (back) will make his Cactus League debut Feb. 28 versus the Mariners, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Singer ended last season on the shelf with a back strain, but he doesn't seem to be under any restrictions this spring. The right-hander is coming off an uneven 2023 campaign, having finished with a 5.52 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 133:49 K:BB in 159.2 frames covering 29 starts.

Cole is scheduled to face DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo, Anthony Volpe and Gleyber Torres over two innings Wednesday in his first live batting practice session of spring training, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Since Cole had a healthy offseason, the Yankees could elect to slow play his Grapefruit League debut, but the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner should be fully ramped up by the time Opening Day arrives. Coming off a 2023 season in which he went 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 222:48 K:BB over 209 innings, Cole is justifiably being taken as one of the first two pitchers in most fantasy drafts.

Bello said Wednesday that his agents and the Red Sox have been negotiating a contract extension, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Bello noted that the conversations began a few weeks ago, and the pitcher intimated that there may be momentum toward a deal. Slated to turn 25 in May, Bello isn't eligible for arbitration until after the 2025 season and is under team control through 2028. The possible length and dollar amount of a long-term contract for the right-hander isn't clear. Bello collected a 4.24 ERA and 132:45 K:BB over 157 innings covering 28 starts for Boston in 2023.

Ashcraft is a few days behind other starters after undergoing right big toe surgery last September, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Atheltic reports.

The delay doesn't sound like a major concern; the team said it's mostly about Ashcraft's conditioning. If he's only be a few days behind other starters, Ashcraft's bid for a rotation spot should not be affected.

Greene worked on adding a curveball to his repertoire during the offseason, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Greene thew mostly his fastball (54.4 percent) and slider (40.3 percent) last season while occasionally mixing in a changeup (5.3 percent). The numbers were similar to 2022. "It's exciting," Greene said Sunday about the new pitch. "(I'll) continue to refine it and work on it, but looking forward to being able to have a good offering this season." Cincinnati pitching coach Derek Johnson said Greene needed a slower pitch, which will make his fastball play better. How much Greene throws the curve, which is in the low-80s this spring, will depend on how it looks against live batters during Cactus League games. The 24-year-old right-hander, who is expected to lead the Reds' rotation, has not thrown more than 125.2 innings in either of his first two seasons in the majors.

Kelly is expected to make his spring debut March 8 against the Cubs, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Kelly is set to open the regular season as the No. 2 starter behind Zac Gallen. Including the 2023 postseason, Kelly threw 201.2 innings, marking the second straight year the right-hander crossed the 200-inning threshold. As such, manager Torey Lovullo plans a measured buildup during the Cactus League season. "[We're] really trying to limit the overall innings. We're not trying to empty the tank so quickly," the manager said. Kelly was 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 30 regular season starts last year.

Gallen is set to make his first Cactus League start March 1 against the Reds, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Gallen, projected as Arizona's No. 1 starter, tossed a career-high 243.2 innings in 2023, including the postseason. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talked about building up both Gallen and No. 2 starter Merrill Kelly, who threw a career-high 201.2 innings. "Obviously the buildup is of maximum concern -- we want to make sure they are at a certain pitch limit for their first start of the year," Lovullo said. Gallen was 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP over 34 regular-season starts last season.

Pfaadt threw his first live batting practice session Tuesday, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Pfaadt is looking to build off a strong finish to the 2023 season, including the postseason in which he recorded 5.2 scoreless innings in a Game 3 win over the Phillies in the National League Championship Series. The Diamondbacks point to that game -- Arizona was down 2-0 in the series -- as pivotal to their run to the World Series. Arizona pitching coach Brent Strom credited Pfaadt's better pitch mix for the right-hander's success over the second half and playoffs. Pfaadt expected to slot in at third or fourth in the rotation, depending on where manager Torey Lovullo wants to insert left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who signed a four-year deal with the D-backs during the offseason. Given that the top two members of the rotation -- Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly -- are right-handers, the manager may want to break it up with Rodriguez third and Pfaadt fourth.

Ortiz has shown good movement on his changeup and sinker early in camp, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Ortiz had some hype heading into the 2023 season, but he fell flat and ended up spending a significant amount of time at Triple-A Indianapolis. He relies heavily on his fastball, sinker and slider, so developing another offering could be a key to him taking a step forward. Early on in camp, Ortiz has shown a greater comfort level throwing his changeup, and he drew a whiff with the pitch from Oneil Cruz in a live batting practice session Monday. He'll be battling for a spot in the rotation along with Roansy Contreras, Quinn Priester and Bailey Falter this spring.

Littell is expected to serve as a starter for the entire 2024 season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Littell made the transition from reliever to starter in the middle of the 2023 season, and he managed a 3.41 ERA across 71.1 innings in the latter role. With the Rays down several starters to begin the 2024 campaign, he'll be counted on in the rotation, but the team is also planning on him sticking in a starting role for the entirety of the season. That could change if he falters and either Shane Baz (elbow) or Jeffrey Springs (elbow) can return, but neither is likely to be available until the summer months at the earliest.