MLB Player News

Senga (shoulder) received a platelet-rich-plasma injection Sunday and will be shut down from throwing for the next three weeks, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 31-year-old was diagnosed with a moderate posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder Thursday, and he's now received the necessary treatment. Senga will require a significant buildup period following the multi-week shutdown and seems likely to be sidelined for at least the first month of the regular season.

Strider struck out four batters over two scoreless innings in his first Grapefruit League action of the spring Saturday against the Rays.

The right-hander allowed one hit and and one walk, and per David O'Brien of The Athletic, he was already hitting 98-99 mph with his fastball even though it isn't even March yet. Strider also incorporated the curveball he's been working on, throwing three of them and liking the results. "I think every time [the curve] was effective," Strider said after the start. "And it's a pitch that, similarly to the changeup, is an effective pitch any time I throw it, regardless of what the outcome is. Because my strengths are my fastball and my slider. So everything I'm doing is trying to help those pitches. And so that's how today was very educational, starting to see the sequencing and the feedback from hitters in a competitive environment." Strider threw his fastball and slider almost 93 percent of the time in 2023, and while that likely isn't going to change significantly this season, having another pitch he trusts in his repertoire could allow the 25-year-old ace to become the first pitcher to record 300 strikeouts in a season since Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander both reached that mark in 2019.

Manager Joe Espada said Sunday that Whitley (finger) has reduced inflammation but won't throw for the next week, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander was scratched from his bullpen session Saturday due to the right middle finger injury, and he'll be shut down for a week as a result. Whitley will need to ramp things back up after the shutdown period, so he likely won't be game-ready until at least mid-March.

Perez (finger) is scheduled to start Monday's spring game against the Cardinals.

The right-hander suffered a laceration on his middle finger during a session of live batting practice Thursday, but it appears that won't affect his availability for his first spring start. Perez is coming off a rookie campaign during which he had a 3.15 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 108:31 K:BB across 91.1 innings, though an innings restriction for 2024 will cap his ceiling a bit after he totaled 128 frames between the majors and minors last year.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Whitley's right middle finger injury "doesn't look like it's something significant," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitley wasn't able to throw a scheduled bullpen session Saturday because of soreness in the finger. He's been sent for testing, but the expectation seems to be that this won't be a long-term absence. Injuries are unfortunately nothing new for Whitley, who was limited to just 30 innings in 2023 with a lat strain.

Whitley did not participate in his scheduled bullpen session Saturday due to middle finger soreness, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitley experienced soreness when warming up for his bullpen session and will be evaluated by doctors. An extended absence could severely impact his chances of landing a relief spot with the Astros to start the season. Whitley appeared in eight Triple-A games in 2023 and registered a 1-2 record with a 5.70 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 32:17 K:BB over 30 innings.

Garrett (shoulder) threw his first bullpen session of the spring Friday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The Marlins are still taking things slow when it comes to Garrett's throwing program, but manager Skip Schumaker was encouraged by Garrett's performance Friday, calling it "one of the better bullpens he's thrown." It's unclear how long it will be before Garrett is able to pitch in a Grapefruit League game, but he should be ready to go by Opening Day.

The Marlins placed Alcantara (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery in October and is in line to miss the entire 2024 campaign. He will surrender his roster spot as he moves to the IL, creating room for Tim Anderson, who officially signed with Miami on Saturday.

Wicks got the start in Friday's Cactus League game against the White Sox, allowing one run on two hits across 1.2 innings. He struck out one.

Wicks wasn't in the game long enough to really make an impression one way or the other as he competes for the final spot in Chicago's rotation. The young lefty will look to pitch deeper into the game and make a strong showing in his next spring appearance. Wicks is likely competing with the likes of Javier Assad, Drew Smyly and Hayden Wesneski for the No. 5 role.

Dunning threw one scoreless inning in Friday's spring start against the Royals.

Dunning retired the side in order, inducing a flyout, groundout and lineout to kick off the Cactus League schedule. The right-hander tinkered with a new pitch during the offseason, the type of which he would not divulge to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. He threw it once during Friday's outing and spiked it well short of the plate. It appears to be a variation of a splitter. Dunning's current arsenal includes a sinker (33.1 percent in 2023), slider (23.4 percent), cutter (20.0 percent), changeup (15.6 percent) and curveball (4.7 percent). He's penciled into the Opening Day rotation, but things could change in the second half of the season, when injured starters Jacob deGrom (elbow), Tyler Mahle (elbow) and Max Scherzer (back) are ready to pitch.