MLB Player News

Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) threw 25 pitches, including some cutters, in a bullpen session Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Manager Dave Roberts described Ohtani's inclusion of cutters in the throwing session as a "big step." Roberts also noted that Ohtani touched 95 mph during the bullpen, which is only a few ticks below his average fastball velocity in 2023, his most recent campaign on the mound. Ohtani appears to be on track to make his highly anticipated debut as a pitcher for the Dodgers sometime around the beginning of May.

Madrigal (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday.

It was reported earlier in the day that Madrigal is expected to miss a significant period of time recovering from a fractured left shoulder, so this transaction is purely procedural. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for Alexander Canario, who was acquired from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations Monday.

Canario was traded from the Cubs to the Mets in exchange for cash considerations Monday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

Canario has showcased plenty of power during his time in the minors. He belted 18 home runs at Triple-A Iowa during the 2024 campaign, though he's appeared in only 21 total games in the major leagues during his professional career. Canario will get a spot on the 40-man roster upon his arrival to New York with the Mets freeing up a spot by placing Nick Madrigal (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list.

Verlander gave up one run (on a home run) over two innings with a strikeout and walk in his San Francisco spring debut Monday. "Overall, I'm healthy," Verlander told MLB.com. "I thought the velo was OK for the first start of the spring. Better than what I was doing last year, so that's a big improvement. Overall, I was pleased."

Verlander battled shoulder and neck injuries in 2024, the latter of which he's hinted at returning too soon from and could have played a factor in him finishing the year with a 5.48 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 90.1 innings. It's a good sign he's fully healthy as spring training begins. However, at age 42 this season it's not a given he'll return to anything close to his pre-2024 form.

Glasnow pitched one inning against Cincinnati in a Cactus League contest Monday, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out two batters.

Glasnow struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up three straight hits, including a two-run double by Austin Hays that ended with Hays getting thrown out at third base. Glasnow threw just 16 pitches in the frame, so he did some more throwing in the bullpen after he was lifted, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. The right-hander isn't scheduled to start either of the Dodgers' two Tokyo contests versus the Cubs to kick off the MLB regular season, but he's expected to pitch in one of the team's two exhibition games in Japan versus teams from the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization leading up to the series against Chicago, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.

Snell will pitch for the first time this spring Tuesday against Seattle, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Snell joined the Dodgers on a five-year contract in November and is set to be a key figure in the team's revamped rotation. The two-time Cy Young Award winner bounced back from a rough beginning with the Giants last year to finish with a 3.12 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 145:44 K:BB over 104 innings. Snell is unlikely to go more than an inning or two in his spring debut Tuesday. He's not expected to start in either of Los Angeles' two Tokyo games against the Cubs to kick off the MLB regular season, but manager Dave Roberts has indicated that Snell will pitch in one of the team's two exhibition games in Japan versus teams from the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.

Roa (shoulder) tossed a scoreless inning, allowing one walk while striking out a batter in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Cardinals in Grapefruit League action.

Roa ended the 2024 season on the 60-day injured list with the Reds after suffering a right shoulder strain. The right-hander was claimed off waivers by the Marlins in November and he has now officially left his shoulder injury in the past. Roa has yet to make his MLB debut after being selected in the second round of the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Reds and he'll likely start the 2025 season with Triple-A Jacksonville.

Sanchez (elbow) went 1-for-2 with a strikeout in Sunday's 1-1 tie with the Mets in Grapefruit League action.

Sanchez made his spring debut Sunday as the DH after opening camp with right elbow inflammation. The outfielder is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he batted .252 with a career-high 18 home runs, 64 RBI, 60 runs scored and 16 stolen bases over 489 at-bats in 149 games with Miami. Sanchez might be limited to DH duties early in the season until the Marlins are confident the elbow issue is behind him.

Gallen allowed one run on one hit and struck out two over one inning in Monday's spring game against Cleveland.

Gallen threw 15 pitches (nine for strikes), including a changeup that Gabriel Arias sent back over the fence in left-center field. The right-hander told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that he felt better than his most recent live batting practice session, but the changeup that Arias hammered was "kind of flat." Gallen and Corbin Burnes are considered co-aces -- each has thrown one Cactus League inning -- and manager Torey Lovullo is still deciding which one will start Opening Day.

Wynns (shoulder) went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Giants in Cactus League action.

Wynns made his spring debut Sunday, making his return to game action for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in July. The catcher appeared in seven games with the Reds in 2024, batting .368 with four doubles, two RBI and three runs scored over seven games.