MLB Player News

Hendricks, who threw a bullpen session Saturday, is ramping up earlier this spring compared to last year, when he was returning from a shoulder injury, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Hendricks had his 2022 campaign cut short due to a capsular tear in his right shoulder, and the injury also impacted him in 2023, as the veteran didn't throw his first spring bullpen until Feb. 24. He then didn't make a regular-season start until May as the team built him up slowly. It looks like Hendricks is healthier to kick off this season, so he stands a decent chance of surpassing the 24 starts and 137 innings he compiled in 2023. If the righty can maintain or improve upon his 3.74 ERA and 1.20 WHIP from last season, he should be a solid fantasy option in 2024.

Giants general manager Pete Pitula said Tuesday that Eldridge will focus his development as a first baseman going forward, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Eldridge was announced as a two-way player when the Giants selected him with the 16th pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, but the team believes he has the potential to be a great hitter and will now abandon hopes of using him on the mound. The 19-year-old prospect slashed .294/.400/.505 across 130 plate appearances between rookie-level Arizona Complex League and the Single-A level last season.

The Rays placed Rasmussen (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Rasmussen underwent an internal brace procedure in July and isn't expected to return until late in the season, so the Rays will stash him away on the IL for the time being. Rasmussen's roster spot will be given to Amed Rosario, who signed with Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed Monday that Wheeler and the Phillies have been in negotiations on a long-term contract extension, Chris Nelsen of the Associated Press reports. "Zack would not mislead you. Of course, we've talked," Dombrowski said, after Wheeler relayed last Wednesday that he had been in touch with the Phillies on a new deal. "It is a priority. We would love to get that deal done."

Wheeler is heading into the final season of the five-year, $118 million deal he signed with the Phillies in December 2019. Though he's been an All-Star for only one of the first four seasons of his deal, Wheeler has provided an excellent return on the Phillies' investment, going 43-25 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 21.3 K-BB% across 101 starts. He's set to turn 34 years old in May, but Wheeler has shown no signs of decline and has arguably supplanted Aaron Nola -- who inked a seven-year, $172 million deal with the team in November -- as the staff ace. Wheeler said he prefers to have an agreement on an extension in place prior to Opening Day, and both sides should have plenty of incentive to hammer out a deal before spring training comes to a close.

Gray will be the Cardinals' Opening Day starter March 28 against the Dodgers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The team has not yet officially made the announcement, but Goold says that's coming. Gray is the obvious choice to garner the Opening Day nod for St. Louis after signing a three-year, $70 million contract in November. He was the American League Cy Young runner-up as a result of a 2.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 183:55 K:BB over 184 innings covering 32 starts for the Twins in 2023.

Dunning will get the start Friday in the Rangers' Cactus League opener against the Royals, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Dunning will draw the start Friday, with Cody Bradford scheduled to follow. Dunning posted a 12-7 record in 2023 with a 3.70 ERA and 140:55 K:BB over 172.2 innings, earning a raise to $3.323 million for 2024 in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He'll open the season at the back end of Texas' starting rotation.

Cobb (hip) threw 12 pitches off a mound Sunday and will have another session Tuesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Cobb had left hip surgery in October and isn't expected to be available until the middle of the season. Previous reports indicated he may begin facing hitters in spring training, but he's still got a long way to go before he can push for a rotation spot. With Cobb out early in the season, Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn are considered frontrunners to round out the Giants' rotation.

Skubal touched 100 mph on his last pitch of live batting practice Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Skubal averaged 95.8 mph with his four-seamer last season in his first year back from elbow surgery after averaging 94.1 mph with his four-seamer in 2022 before the operation. While reading too much into the velocity of one pitch in live BP isn't advisable, it certainly seems like an encouraging sign for the lefty's ability to hold or perhaps even improve upon his velocity gains in 2024.

Bubic (elbow) is scheduled for a bullpen session Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Bubic hasn't thrown off the mound since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023, and the left-hander should be able to return sometime over the summer if there's no major setbacks. Bubic started three games in 2023 prior to the injury and went 0-2 with a 3.94 ERA, 16 strikeouts and two walks over 16 innings pitched.

Anderson (elbow) told reporters Tuesday that he's hoping to be ready to return by the middle of the summer, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

It's a vague timetable, which is not unexpected with Anderson about 10 months removed from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander also revealed that he's altered his delivery a bit since resuming a throwing program, dropping his arm angle so he's not as over-the-top as he used to be. Anderson showed initial promise but struggled in 2022 before missing nearly all of 2023, so Atlanta won't necessarily be counting on him to contribute in 2024.