MLB Player News

Montgomery will have his strained left index finger examined Wednesday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Montgomery, who was scheduled to begin throwing by midweek, is expected to initiate an already mapped out plan shortly following Wednesday's exam. The Diamondbacks enjoy good starting depth, and it's uncertain whether the left-hander will be part of the rotation. His eventual role will depend on which version of Montgomery shows up: the 2023 iteration (3.20 ERA) that helped Texas win the World Series, or the pitcher that signed with Arizona late in the spring of 2024 and pitched to a 6.23 ERA.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Burnes will start Friday's spring opener against the Rockies, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Burnes, who worked the spring opener for Baltimore in 2024, wants the ball for his new team's Cactus League opener and will get it. The right-hander signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the Diamondbacks in December and appears primed to step in as the staff ace.

Yorke has been working out at second base to begin spring training, but he could be an option to fill in at first base in the absence of Spencer Horwitz (wrist), Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Yorke has put up excellent numbers at most of his minor-league stops, but he has an uncertain defensive home. Nick Gonzales is the favorite to start at second base, while the addition of Tommy Pham likely shuts the door on Yorke's potential to play regularly in the outfield. However, Horwitz's injury opens up potential playing time at first base, though there are several other options at the position.

Bednar is expected to begin the 2025 season as the Pirates' closer, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Bednar endured a tough 2024 season, highlighted by a 5.77 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 57.2 innings. As a result, he didn't close the campaign in the closer role, instead ceding most of the opportunities to Aroldis Chapman in the final month. Chapman has since signed in Boston, leaving Pittsburgh hopeful that Bednar will be able to regain his previous form as a reliable closer. Bednar and the team have noted that he was overthrowing his pitches last season -- potentially due to an oblique injury he suffered early in the campaign -- an issue they believe has been resolved during the offseason.

The Cubs plan to ramp Little (lat) up slowly this spring, and the lefty appears unlikely to be ready for an Opening Day bullpen role, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Little sustained a strained left lat in July, which ended his 2024 season prematurely. The Cubs are understandably being cautious with the lefty, so he likely won't be available when the team heads to Tokyo to play the Dodgers on March 18 and 19, though he could be ready for regular-season action later in the month or in early April. Little flashed some promise last year, as his fastball sat a tick below 96 mph and he recorded a 9.7 K/9 and 3.46 ERA across 26 innings. When he's ready to roll in 2025, the southpaw figures to be an interesting bullpen weapon for Chicago, though he likely won't see save opportunities with Ryan Pressly and Porter Hodge around.

Alcantara appears to be the next man up for the Cubs in center field if top option Pete Crow-Armstrong misses time due to injury or struggles offensively, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Alcantara made his MLB debut in 2024, appearing in three regular-season games in September. The 6-foot-6 22-year-old is physically gifted, and while he's bigger than many center fielders, the Cubs seem to have confidence in him to play the position if the need arises. Crow-Armstrong is locked in as the starter for now, though he's a fairly unproven MLB player himself and still has room to grow offensively; therefore, Alcantara does potentially have a path to playing time if he impresses. The youngster could start 2025 with Triple-A Iowa but appears to be waiting in the wings for a role in the majors.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Smith (ankle) is unlikely to make his Cactus League debut until next week, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

The Dodgers will kick off their spring slate Thursday, but Smith looks like he'll be out for at least the team's first four games of the exhibition schedule while he manages an ankle issue. According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the injury affects Smith only while running, so the veteran backstop has still been able to catch bullpen sessions and take live batting practice thus far during camp. Assuming he completes his running progression in the coming days without issue, Smith should clear up any concern about his availability for the Dodgers' season-opening two-game series versus the Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.

Taillon, who saw his average fastball velocity dip as the 2024 season went on, is hoping improved health helps him dial the pitch up some in 2025, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Taillon saw his four-seam fastball drop from an average of 93.2 mph in April last year to 92.2 mph in September, giving him a career-low mark of 92.4 mph overall. Along with the reduced velocity, the veteran also generated a career-low 6.8 K/9. The righty said back issues he dealt with during the season may have played a part, though he still managed to log a respectable 165.1 innings and turn in a 3.27 ERA, his best mark since his 2018 campaign with the Pirates. If Taillon stays healthy and regains a little zip on his fastball, he could be primed for a jump in strikeouts and another productive season in 2025.

Busch could form a platoon with the newly signed Justin Turner at first base in 2025, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Busch, a left-handed hitter, would presumably be on the strong side of a platoon with Turner, who bats from the right side and would likely be deployed against southpaws. The veteran Turner is also an option to see time at DH. While Busch still appears to be locked into a fairly sizeable role, Turner represents an option with an extensive and successful body of work at the MLB level. If Busch gets off to a slow start, Turner could see his role grow at his teammate's expense.

Imanaga will start March 18 against the Dodgers in the Cubs' season-opening series in Tokyo.

Manager Craig Counsell had said previously that Imanaga would take the ball in one of the two contests in Japan, and now it's been confirmed that the lefty will start the opener. He's expected to be opposed by fellow countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto, although the Dodgers have not yet confirmed that. Imanaga held a 2.91 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 174 strikeouts over 173.1 innings in 2024, his first season with the Cubs.