MLB Player News

May yielded one hit and one walk over three scoreless frames in his Grapefruit League debut Thursday versus the Pirates.

The Cardinals had May work on the side and on the backfields early on in spring training to ease him into his buildup. May was sporting big velocity Thursday, averaging 97.8 mph with his four-seamer and topping out at 99.3 mph. It's a good sign after his velocity on the pitch dipped to a career-low 95.4 mph in 2025. May has some bounce-back potential after inking a one-year, $12.5 million contract with the Cardinals this winter.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Yamamoto is slated to throw three innings for Team Japan in Friday's World Baseball Classic game versus Team Chinese Taipei, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Yamamoto also went three frames in his second Cactus League outing. The right-hander is scheduled for multiple turns for Team Japan and is tentatively penciled in to be the Dodgers' Opening Day starter March 26 against the Diamondbacks, though Roberts has held off on making that official.

Atlanta optioned Lara to minor-league camp Thursday.

Lara got a cup of coffee in the majors last season but didn't make an appearance. The 23-year-old was moved to a relief role in the minors in 2025 and will continue to work on throwing more strikes at Triple-A Gwinnett. The hard-throwing Lara struck out 104 over 68.2 frames between Double-A Columbus and Gwinnett last season but also issued 65 walks and held a 7.73 ERA.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated Thursday that Espinal is likely to make the Opening Day roster, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Espinal was signed to a minor-league deal with a camp invite in February and has fit in "seamlessly" with the team, per Roberts. With Tommy Edman (ankle) and Enrique Hernandez (elbow) slated to open the year on the injured list, Espinal provides the defensive versatility Roberts seeks. The 31-year-old could see some starts at second base while Edman is out.

O'Brien (calf) will throw another live batting practice session Thursday and hopes to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

O'Brien got through a live batting practice session Monday healthy, though he had trouble with his footing due to a wet mound. He'll face hitters in a shorter live BP session Thursday before progressing to game action. O'Brien has been battling a minor calf strain but is expected to have enough time to prep for Opening Day, barring setbacks. He is in the mix to serve as closer for the Cardinals this season.

Winn (arm) will start at designated hitter and bat leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Pirates.

Winn has been held out of action for the past few days after feeling some arm soreness as a result of a heavy workload on the backfields this past weekend. He'll be eased into things at DH on Thursday before working his way back in at shortstop.

Miller (back) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and could return to action as soon as next week, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Miller has yet to make his Cactus League debut this spring due to lower-back tightness, though he's progressing toward a return. The southpaw will aim to start the season at full strength after his 2025 campaign was cut short due to a left elbow injury. Over 36 relief appearances last season, Miller posted a 1.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 22:20 K:BB in 30 innings.

Griffin gave up two hits and a walk over two scoreless innings in Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Venezuela. He struck out one.

Seeing his first game action of the spring, the 30-year-old left-hander tossed just 15 strikes on 29 pitches but avoided any damage against a star-studded lineup headlined by the likes of Ronald Acuna, Jackson Chourio and Salvador Perez. Griffin is expected to break camp in the Nationals' rotation after signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal to return to MLB from Japan, and the addition of a split-finger fastball to his low-velocity arsenal could allow him to handle a regular turn, or transition to a swingman role if Washington gets unexpected contributions from younger arms.

Peterson gave up one hit and two walks over three scoreless innings during Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Israel. He struck out four.

The Israeli WBC lineup doesn't have any big MLB names in it, and Peterson had little trouble navigating his three frames on 48 pitches (28 strikes). The southpaw is locked into a rotation spot for the Mets after throwing a career-high 168.2 innings in 2025, but his 4.22 ERA and 1.37 WHIP were significant downgrades from his 2024 numbers.

Lindor (hand) took swings Wednesday for the first time since undergoing hamate bone surgery, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It's a big step in Lindor's recovery, as he tries to ensure he's ready for Opening Day. The veteran shortstop has avoided setbacks in his rehab so far, but he's still a long way from having a firm timeline for spring game action. For now, Lindor will continue his hitting progression in controlled environments.