MLB Player News

Skenes has worked on a cutter and sinker this offseason, Noah Hiles of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Skenes noted that his cutter is a variation of his slider, while his sinker is a completely new addition. He didn't commit to throwing the latter in game action, though it sounds as if the tweaks were an attempt to help Skenes pitch more efficiently and work deeper into games. Across his 23 big-league starts in 2024, Skenes completed seven innings only four times, and he was purposefully limited by the Pirates across the final month of the season. General manager Ben Cherington stated that he expects all limitations to be taken off his star pitcher this season, so Skenes' efficiency will ultimately determine his workload.

Moreta (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Moreta is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in March of 2024. The right-hander will now be forced to miss the first two months of the 2025 season while on the 60-day IL. The transaction opened a spot on the 40-man roster for newly-signed outfielder Tommy Pham.

Farmer has joined Atlanta's spring training camp as a non-roster invitee, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Farmer appeared in 61 games, including one start, with the Reds in 2024, posting a 3.04 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 70 strikeouts over 71.0 innings. He'll now get a chance to prove himself with Atlanta ahead of the 2025 season.

Rushing fielded grounders at first base following the conclusion of Sunday's workout during spring camp, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Per Ardaya, the Dodgers want Rushing to prioritize his development behind the plate, but that won't prevent the top prospect from getting reps elsewhere in the field. Though he appears near ready to make his big-league debut after posting a .907 OPS over 169 plate appearances in Triple-A last season, the soon-to-be 24-year-old has a tricky path to the big-league roster as Los Angeles signed Will Smith to a 10-year contract last March and exercised the one-year club option on veteran backup backstop Austin Barnes last November. Rushing's likelihood of making the Opening Day roster or being called up within the first few months of the campaign will likely be strengthened if he shows an acumen for first base, and he also spent some time last year in the minors playing left field, though Roberts mentioned that it's "TBD" how much time Rushing will spend in the outfield moving forward.

Montgomery (finger) is scheduled to have a throwing session Tuesday or Wednesday, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.

The left-hander was diagnosed with a strain of his left index finger Thursday and has been shut down for a few days, but he's expected to be back throwing soon. Montgomery should have enough time to be fully built up for the start of the regular season if he can avoid setbacks.

Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) threw 14 pitches in a bullpen session consisting of two-seam and four-seam fastballs Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Per manager Dave Roberts, Ohtani's velocity sat in the 92-to-94 mph range during the throwing session, which pitching coach Mark Prior described as the two-way star "dipping his toe back in the water." The bullpen was Ohtani's first this spring, though he's been using his full arsenal while throwing from flat ground. Ohtani isn't expected to pitch in any Cactus League games and is unlikely to take the mound in a regular-season contest until around early May, but he should be in the Dodgers' lineup as a hitter when the team plays its opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo, Japan on March 18-19.

Reds manager Terry Francona said that he hoped that McLain would play just one position -- second base -- in spring training, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

There were a lot of rumblings that McLain might move to center field this offseason, spurred both by McLain's deployment during the Arizona Fall League and by the acquisition of Gavin Lux, but for now that doesn't seem to be in the Reds' plans.

Joe and Jason Heyward are expected to platoon in left field for the Padres this season, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

After All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar signed with Atlanta in late January, the Padres signed Joe and Heyward on the same day in early February. It appears the plan is to have the pair platoon in left field, though Acee suggests that direction could change depending on how the players perform in spring training. If Joe is part of a platoon, he'll serve on the short side, though his splits weren't dramatic last year -- he had a .670 OPS against right-handed pitching and a .715 OPS versus southpaws.

Murphy will undergo an MRI on Sunday after experiencing back spasms, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It's not believed to be a serious injury, but it's still a concerning development for the veteran catcher, who was limited to 12 games last season due to a knee injury. Murphy is expected to serve as San Francisco's No. 2 catcher this season, but he has played in just 64 contests across the past three campaigns.

Lodolo started a throwing program in October and comes into camp without any existing medical issues, as opposed to 2024 when he was managing the rehab from his fractured tibia from the 2023 season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "It was nice to go into [this past offseason] relatively healthy and build a foundation that can get me through the year," Lodolo said.

Lodolo has entered his arbitration seasons, so a healthy 2025 season carries greater stakes. When healthy, he has flashed ace potential -- alas, "when healthy" has been the predominant concern regarding him. Lodolo has also been working with a metal file on his index finger to prevent a recurrence of the blisters that have plagued him in the past.