MLB Player News

Giants manager Bob Melvin confirmed Wednesday that Lee (shoulder) will be a full participant to begin spring training, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Melvin previously said in December that he didn't expect Lee to face any restrictions during camp, and that prediction has come to pass with the outfielder experiencing no complications over the winter while completing his recovery from the labrum surgery he underwent in June. Before getting hurt last season, Lee led off in his 31 of his 36 starts, and he projects to serve as the Giants' primary table setter to begin the 2025 campaign if he makes it through the spring unscathed.

Harrison and Hayden Birdsong will be among the candidates competing for the fifth spot in the Giants' rotation, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Logan Webb, Justin Verlander, Robbie Ray and Jordan Hicks are locked into the first four rotation spots. Harrison is likely the favorite to fill the fifth slot after making 24 starts for San Francisco last season, but the gig won't be handed to him. The left-hander posted a 4.56 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 118:42 K:BB over 124.1 frames in 2024 before his season ended prematurely due to shoulder inflammation. He has no restrictions at the start of spring training.

Giants manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Murphy (knee) has received full clearance to begin spring training, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Signed to a two-year, $8 million contract last winter, Murphy had most of his first season in San Francisco wiped out after he sprained the MCL in his left knee in early May. He was able to avoid knee surgery, but Murphy didn't make enough progress in his recovery to head out on a rehab assignment at any point after landing on the injured list. With a full offseason to recover, Murphy finally looks to have healed up from the knee injury, and he should be in position to open the season as the Giants' No. 2 catcher. The right-handed-hitting Murphy could end up filling the short side of a platoon behind the plate with the switch-hitting Patrick Bailey, who was far more effective against righties than lefties in 2024.

Woodruff (shoulder) will face hitters Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

It will mark Woodruff's first time facing hitters since he underwent surgery in October of 2023 to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder. While Woodruff is considered a full participant at the beginning of spring training, he acknowledged that his buildup will be slower than other pitchers'. The expectation is that he will need a stint on the injured list to begin the season, but more clarity on the righty's timetable should be available later in spring training.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington mentioned Wednesday that Triolo is a candidate to play first base while Spencer Horwitz (thumb) is out, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Horwitz will miss the next 6-to-8 weeks following surgery last week on his right wrist/thumb. Pittsburgh plans to look internally for Horwitz's replacement and Triolo appears to be next in line on the depth chart at first base. The 27-year-old slashed only .216/.296/.315 with nine homers and eight steals over 125 games last season, but he was the National League's Gold Glove winner as a utility player.

Riley (hand) took live batting practice at spring training Wednesday, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.

Riley appears to be operating under no restrictions to begin the spring after he finished the 2024 season on the injured list while recovering from the fractured right hand he suffered Aug. 18. With no reports indicating that he needed surgery to address the hand injury, Riley should have a good chance at re-emerging as the 30-plus-home-run hitter that he was in three straight seasons from 2021 through 2023 before he was limited to 19 long balls over 110 games in 2024.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Wednesday that Stewart will see some action at first base in the wake of the Spencer Horwitz (thumb) injury, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Horwitz is slated to begin the season on the injured list following surgery last week on his right wrist/thumb. Stewart, a non-roster invitee, is primarily an outfielder, but he did start a game at first base last season for the Mets and saw a decent amount of action at the position in the minors over the last two years. Jared Triolo, Billy Cook and Darick Hall are also candidates to play first base while Horwitz is out.

Trivino (elbow) will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Trivino -- who is attending Giants camp as a non-roster invitee -- confirmed that he's back to full health after he was limited to a handful of rehab appearances in the minors in 2024 while he completed his recovery from May 2023 Tommy John surgery and then battled a shoulder issue in September. During his last healthy MLB season in 2022, Trivino made 64 relief appearances between the Athletics and Yankees, submitting a 4.53 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 67:24 K:BB while collecting 11 saves and four holds across 53.2 innings. He'll likely be vying for a low-leverage relief role in the Giants' Opening Day bullpen.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Wednesday that Hall will get additional reps at first base following the injury to Spencer Horwitz (thumb), Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Hall was signed to a minor-league contract with a spring training invite back in December. The 29-year-old has a .700 OPS with 10 home runs over 198 career plate appearances at the major-league level but spent all of 2024 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization. The Pirates' plan is to fill the void left by Horwitz internally, and while Jared Triolo and Billy Cook are probably the favorites to emerge at first base, Hall now has a fighting chance to make the Opening Day roster.

Alcantara (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session of spring training Wednesday, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.

The Marlins' willingness to let Alcantara face off against hitters in the first week of spring training suggests that he experienced no setbacks over the offseason while he completed the final stages of his recovery from his Oct. 6, 2023 Tommy John surgery. Miami could still elect to slow play Alcantara's integration into the Grapefruit League pitching schedule as a matter of caution, but the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner looks well on his way to being ready to go for Opening Day. Alcantara could struggle to immediately recapture his pre-surgery velocity and command, though the fact that his arm operation was more than 16 months ago should help his chances of regaining form more quickly than if he were attempting to return on a shorter recovery timeframe.