MLB Player News

McCullers said Tuesday that he's not dealing with any UCL damage to his right forearm and is instead recovering from a flexor tendon strain, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

McCullers said that he sought multiple medical opinions on the forearm injury he sustained in the ALCS last fall, with all of his doctors concluding that he wasn't dealing with a UCL issue. While that offers hope that McCullers won't need surgery on his elbow, he still hasn't recovered from the flexor strain as quickly as he or the Astros anticipated. McCullers won't be ready to go for the start of the season as a result, and until he's cleared to resume throwing again, the Astros likely won't offer a potential target date for his 2022 debut. McCullers' absence to begin the season should allow Jake Odorizzi to reclaim a starting role, after Odorizzi had previously lost hold of a rotation spot during the Astros' postseason run.

Paxton (elbow) threw off flat ground Monday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Paxton has thrown regularly since spring training opened. The left-handed starter is recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery and is not expected to join the active roster until the second half of the season.

The Tigers will likely use Tyler Alexander as their No. 5 starter early in the season, with Faedo (elbow) probably slated to begin the year in the minors, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Faedo already faced an uphill climb to make the team as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, and with spring training now condensed due to the lockout, the 26-year-old is almost certain to start the year in the minors. He might be an option for the majors down the road, but the club will likely want to see Faedo perform well at Double- and Triple-A before he gets his chance.

Wentz threw a bullpen session Monday and looked comfortable on the mound, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Wentz logged just 72 innings last season between Low-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie in his first year back following Tommy John surgery, recording a 4.50 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in the process. If the 24-year-old looks sharp this spring, the organization will likely increase his workload, and Wentz could push his way up to the Triple-A level at some point in 2022.

Anderson signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

There's no question that Anderson has struggled over his last few seasons, accruing a 7.22 ERA over 33.2 innings during the 2020 campaign and a 6.75 ERA across 48 innings with Philly a season ago, but he was formerly a serviceable starter, posting his best season with Milwaukee in 2017 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 141.1 frames. The Tigers lack established rotation options behind Eduardo Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, so Anderson could realistically break camp in the big-league rotation if he has a strong spring.

Dunn (shoulder) will be delayed at the start of camp but ultimately will compete for an open rotation spot with the Reds, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Clearly, Dunn is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, but that's just a starting point for the start of the season. It's possible that the Reds will want to delay the debuts of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and now Brandon Williamson, which would buy Dunn a little bit of time in the rotation once he's ready. Moreover, more moves are likely to be coming for the Reds, potentially including Luis Castillo.

Gallen is questionable for Opening Day after dealing with shoulder issues this offseason, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. He is scheduled to throw off the mound in the coming days, per manager Torey Lovullo.

Lovullo said Gallen underwent an MRI on his own during the lockout and was diagnosed with bursitis (inflammation). We shouldn't assume he will throw off a mound in the coming days until it actually happens, and he's got almost no margin for error at this point to get built up for Opening Day.

Dunn (shoulder) was sent from the Mariners to the Reds on Monday along with Brandon Williamson and Jake Fraley, with Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez heading the other way, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Dunn was being eased into camp by the Mariners after missing most of last season with a strained right shoulder. The Reds' plan for him is not yet known. While the move represents a large downgrade in home park for Dunn, it could also give him a much easier path to a rotation spot. The value Dunn would have even with a clear starting role may not be particularly high, however, as his career 3.94 ERA comes with a poor set of peripherals. His 20.6 percent strikeout rate, 15.5 percent walk rate and 33.7 percent groundball rate have given him a 5.61 FIP and an even worse 6.05 xFIP.

Williamson, Jake Fraley and Justin Dunn were traded from the Mariners to the Reds on Monday in exchange for Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Williamson was one of Seattle's top pitching prospects and is a key piece of the deal for Cincinnati. The 23-year-old began 2021 at the High-A level before being promoted to Double-A, where he rebounded from tough start and finished with a 3.48 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 94:23 K:BB across 67.1 innings (13 starts). A 2019 second-round pick, Williamson has limited professional experience but could debut later this summer if he has continued success in the upper levels.

Walker (knee) is throwing off a mound and going through a running program as he returns from a debridement procedure on his right knee in January, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Manager Buck Showalter said earlier in the day there's a chance the 29-year-old is ready for the first turn through the rotation, and there's now a better idea of where Walker currently stands in his rehab program. The right-hander will continue the mound work and running progression until receiving clearance to further ramp up his rehab.