MLB Player News

The Rockies placed Marquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

Marquez's move to the 60-day IL to begin the season wasn't unexpected, as the veteran right-hander is completing his recovery from May 2023 Tommy John surgery and is unlikely to be available until the second half of the 2024 campaign. The Rockies were able to open up a 40-man roster spot for newly acquired outfielder Jake Cave by placing Marquez on the 60-day IL.

Cave was traded from the Phillies to the Rockies on Sunday in exchange for cash considerations, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The 31-year-old appeared in 65 games for the Phillies last season and underwhelmed as a bench option with a .212/.272/.348 slash line. Cave should fill a similar role with the Rockies as a depth piece in the outfield and at first base, though he'll have a better path to more regular playing time with his new team.

Strahm signed a one-year extension with the Phillies on Sunday that includes a club option or vesting option for the 2026 season.

Strahm is entering the second season of the two-year, $15 million deal he signed with Philadelphia in December 2022, but he won't reach free agency next offseason after he and the Phillies agreed to tack on another year to his deal. According to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Strahm will earn $7.5 million in 2025 as part of the extension, while the option for 2026 vests for $7.5 million if he covers at least 60 innings in 2025. After making nine of his first 18 appearances as a starter last season, the 32-year-old transitioned into a full-time relief role in mid-June and posted a 2.53 ERA and 52:8 K:BB over his final 42.2 innings. He'll be trusted to serve as a high-leverage, multi-inning arm out of the Philadelphia bullpen once again during the upcoming season.

The Nationals placed Ferrer (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The 24-year-old has been shut down from throwing since March 15 due to a strain of the teres major muscle in his right shoulder, and he'll be sidelined for at least the first two months of the season. Ferrer is nearly halfway through his initial three-week shutdown, so he could resume throwing in early April if his shoulder checks out fine.

The Phillies reassigned Bellatti to minor-league camp Sunday.

After being outrighted off the 40-man roster in February, Bellatti attended spring training as a non-roster invitee but wasn't able to secure a spot in the Phillies' Opening Day bullpen. He made 27 appearances at the big-league level for Philadelphia in 2023, logging a 5.11 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 24.2 frames.

The Phillies reassigned Ruiz to minor-league camp Sunday.

The right-hander, who was attending camp with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee, fell short of winning a spot in the Opening Day bullpen despite striking out eight and allowing just one run over 10 innings in Grapefruit League play. Ruiz previously spent time at the big-league level with the White Sox and Diamondbacks in 2023, logging a 5.89 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 39:21 K:BB across 44.1 innings.

The Nationals placed Thompson (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in early March, so his move to the 60-day IL was an eventuality. Thompson will miss the entire 2024 campaign and is also likely to be out for the first couple months of 2025.

Baty was informed Sunday he has made the Mets' Opening Day roster, and he could begin the season as the club's everyday third baseman since Mark Vientos was optioned, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

A platoon at third base with Baty and Vientos seemed plausible after New York signed veteran slugger J.D. Martinez on Thursday, but Vientos will instead begin the campaign at Triple-A Syracuse. Baty posted a .212/.275/.323 slash line and 28.2 percent strikeout rate in 108 games last season, so he likely won't have a ton of job security if he continues to struggle in 2024.

Holderman (illness) said Sunday that he expects to open the season on the 15-day injured list, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Holderman was able to throw a bullpen session Saturday and seems to be coming out on the other side of his prolonged battle with a viral ailment, but since he lost 15 pounds while recovering from the illness and also required a hospital stay, the Pirates won't try to rush him back for the start of the season. Assuming Holderman is able to steadily regain conditioning and advance through his throwing program while the illness fades further in the rear-view mirror, he should be ready to join the Pittsburgh bullpen when first eligible to return from the IL in the second week of April.

Choi was informed Sunday he didn't make the Mets' Opening Day roster, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

The 32-year-old signed as a non-roster invitee in mid-February but was unable to carve out a place on the Opening Day roster with a .182/.308/.333 slash line in 14 spring games. Choi had a .624 OPS in 39 contests between the Pirates and Padres last season, and it's unclear if he plans to stick around the Mets organization or test his luck elsewhere.