MLB Player News

Ashcraft added a changeup to his repertoire during the offseason, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Ashcraft busted out the new pitch during a live session last Saturday, throwing four of them. The right-hander said he's working on the pitch in camp and is not ready to use it in games. The change adds a fourth pitch to his arsenal, which includes a cutter, slider and sinker. "If I can throw the two-seamer for strikes and the slider for the strikes, I think everything else will take care of itself," Ashcraft said. While the Reds are delaying his Cactus League debut, the club maintains Ashcraft is on track for Opening Day.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are each expected to start a contest in the team's season-opening two-game set in Korea that begins March 20, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Glasnow and Yamamoto were both acquired in the offseason as part of a major overhaul of the team's pitching staff, and it appears that both hurlers will get a chance to make their regular-season Dodgers debut in Korea. It isn't yet clear which of the two will get the ball first, but Glasnow may be the slight favorite given that Yamamoto hasn't yet thrown an MLB pitch. Los Angeles has a unique opening schedule in that it plays three exhibition contests in California following the Padres series before resuming the regular season against St. Louis on March 28. With that in mind, it's possible that both hurlers could pitch twice within the team's first four regular-season contests.

Milwaukee placed Woodruff (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday after he finalized a two-year contract with the club, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Woodruff will be guaranteed $17.5 million in the deal, which includes a $20 million mutual option or a $10 million buyout for the 2026 season. Just over four months removed from right shoulder surgery, Woodruff said that he began throwing program last week. He noted that the operation went better than expected and that he feels completely normal now, but the rehab process will be slow and steady and a potential return before the end of the 2024 season will be decided by doctors. In all likelihood, Woodruff won't get on a major-league mound again until 2025.

Bednar (back) hasn't been taking part in workouts with the Giants thus far in spring training and is "still working his way back," Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The Giants are expected to provide another update on the young right-hander's status in the coming days, but he looks as though he's still in the midst of an extended shutdown period that dates back to the Arizona Fall League. The 2021 first-round pick has yet to pitch above the Single-A level through his first three seasons in the professional ranks, with injuries playing a major part in his slow ascent through the San Francisco farm system.

Rodriguez is scheduled to start the Diamondbacks' spring opener Friday versus the Rockies, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Rodriguez will likely work just an inning or two before turning the game over to the bullpen. After joining Arizona on a four-year, $74 million deal in free agency this winter, Rodriguez is projected to open the season as the No. 3 starter behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly as the Diamondbacks look to build on last season's surprise run to the National League pennant.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Senga experienced arm fatigue during his side session Tuesday and is being evaluated by the training staff, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Mendoza didn't sound too concerned that Senga was dealing with an injury that could threaten his availability for the start of the season, but the Mets likely won't know the full extent of the issue until he's evaluated further. Senga walked 11.1 percent of the batters he faced during his first season in the majors in 2023, but he otherwise made a smooth transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB, pitching to a 2.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while striking out 202 batters over 166.1 innings. The Mets are counting on Senga to serve as the clear No. 1 starter in 2024 after the team shipped out Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in midseason deals last summer.

Jefferies could be needed in the Giants' rotation sooner rather than later if Keaton Winn (elbow) is sidelined, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

A non-roster invitee, Jefferies threw to hitters Tuesday for the first time since May of 2022 following a long rehab after his second Tommy John surgery. Given the length of time that he's missed, the expectation is that Jefferies will head to Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season. However, if he gets off to a nice start with Sacramento he could be needed on the big club in short order, particularly if Winn's elbow injury lingers. Jefferies posted a 5.75 ERA and 37:14 K:BB over 56.1 innings for the Athletics from 2020-22.

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.