MLB Player News

Walker reported shoulder discomfort while getting loose for a bullpen session Saturday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Phillies sent Walker in for an MRI upon learning of his discomfort, and more information should be available Sunday after results come back. Should Walker have to begin the season on the injured list, Spencer Turnbull would claim the open spot in Philadelphia's rotation.

De Los Santos cleared waivers Saturday and was returned to the Diamondbacks, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

De Los Santos was selected by the Guardians during the Rule 5 Draft in December, but he wasn't able to make the team's 26-man Opening Day roster. He'll now return to the Diamondbacks organization, losing his 40-man roster spot in the process. The 20-year-old infielder spent all of last season at Double-A Amarillo, slashing .254/.297/.431 across 481 plate appearances, but he could receive a bump to Triple-A Reno to begin 2024. The Guardians also experimented with giving De Los Santos reps in the corner outfield positions, but it's unclear whether that experiment will continue as he returns to Arizona.

Casali will not make the Marlins' Opening Day roster, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Casali was brought in as a non-roster invitee this spring, but he was unable to beat out Nick Fortes or Christian Bethancourt for a spot on the roster. Casali has the ability to opt out of his contract with the Marlins and enter free agency, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will do so.

Manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that Steele (knee) is still scheduled to start for the Cubs on Opening Day against Texas, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Steele's status for the first game of the season had been in question after he took a hard comebacker off his left knee Friday against San Francisco. However, he only suffered a bruise as a result of the incident, and his knee doesn't seem to be bothering him enough to keep him off the mound. Steele owns a 4.91 ERA through 11 spring innings and will be making the first Opening Day start of his career Thursday.

Manager Craig Counsell revealed Saturday that Happ's recovery from a left hamstring injury has plateaued and that he will be held out of the spring lineup until Monday's exhibition against the Cardinals, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Happ has gone hitless over his last two spring training games and is slashing .111/.158/.167 with one RBI over 18 at-bats. Counsell said that Happ's availability for Opening Day is not in jeopardy "right now," but the outfielder will sit out for the rest of the weekend.

The Rays traded Houston to the Phillies on Saturday in exchange for cash considerations, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays' pitching staff at Triple-A Durham was growing a bit overcrowded, so Houston will join the Phillies organization. Houston split last season between the Yankees' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, logging a 4.43 ERA and 1.36 WHIP across 42.2 total innings.

The Giants reassigned Enlow to minor-league camp Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Enlow signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Dec. 16 and was invited to the team's spring training. He posted a 3.27 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB over 11 innings during Cactus League play. It was an improvement on Enlow's Triple-A numbers in 2023 when he registered a 7.94 ERA over 45.1 innings.

Bart (hamstring) is likely to play Sunday in the Giants' exhibition game against Triple-A Sacramento, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bart left Friday's Cactus League game against the Cubs after tweaking his hamstring, but it appears the catcher shouldn't miss extended time. He's had an impressive spring training and is slashing .407/.514/.444 with five RBI over 35 plate appearances.

The Giants reassigned Howard to minor-league camp Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Howard signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Nov. 10 and was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster. He posted a 1.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 8:5 K:BB over 9.2 innings, but it ultimately wasn't enough. Howard has struggled at the big-league level, but a productive stint in Triple-A could give the Giants a reason to call him up to the majors this season.

Manager Pat Murphy said Saturday that Clarke (knee) underwent imaging earlier in the week, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The results of the MRI are unknown, but Hogg notes that it's unlikely that Clarke will be on the Brewers' Opening Day roster. His last spring training appearance was March 17 against the Royals, when he threw three scoreless innings with two hits and one walk allowed.