MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced Friday that Thompson will be a member of the club's season-opening rotation, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Veteran Sonny Gray (hamstring) will begin the season on the injured list, opening the door for Thompson to earn a rotation spot. The southpaw pitched well during spring training with a 2.81 ERA and 14:6 K:BB across 16 innings, but Thompson will likely only get a few starts to stake his claim to a more permanent rotation spot since Gray isn't expected to have a lengthy absence.

The Marlins optioned Myers to Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Myers put up a 1.209 OPS with three homers and four steals this spring, but having minor-league options left worked against him. The 28-year-old should still see time in the majors this season.

The Nationals reassigned Wood to minor-league camp Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Wood turned heads in Grapefruit League play, slashing .342/.491/.707 with four home runs, three stolen bases and a 12:10 K:BB over 21 games. However, considering that he's just 21 and really struggled with strikeouts (33.7 percent) at Double-A Harrisburg last season, plus the fact that the Nationals won't be competitive this season, there was little incentive for the club to push him up the ladder aggressively. Wood could still debut at some point in 2024.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced Friday that Gray (hamstring) will begin the season on the injured list, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals have kept door open for Gray to make a start during the first week of the season since he went down with a hamstring strain in early March, but the right-hander will end up requiring a trip to the injured list. The 34-year-old was scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Friday before being scratched due to a heavy forecast of rain, and that session has now been rescheduled for Saturday, per Worthy. Gray is poised to pitch three times in Florida, including Saturday, before joining the Cardinals, so he should be ready for his season debut by early April.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Friday that Sanchez has made the Opening Day roster, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Sanchez is out of options but nonetheless came into camp seeming like a long shot for the Opening Day roster given that he's barely pitched the last three years because of shoulder woes. However, he looked surprisingly good in five Grapefruit League appearances, yielding just one hit and three walks while striking out four over seven scoreless innings. The Marlins are dealing with multiple injuries in their rotation, but the plan is for Sanchez to be a reliever moving forward.

Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a strained left lat, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

He suffered the injury during his last Cactus League outing Tuesday. Rodriguez will be shut down from throwing until he's asymptomatic, so there is no timeline for when he might make his season debut. Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry had been competing for the final spot in the Diamondbacks' rotation, but they now will probably both be needed to start some games.

Reds manager David Bell said Friday that Moll (shoulder) will begin the season on the injured list, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Moll made his spring debut Monday after being sidelined by shoulder soreness, but he won't be ready to start the season. The left-hander will continue ramping up his workload before joining the active roster.

Perez will begin the season on the 15-day injured list after being diagnosed with right elbow inflammation, Craig Mish and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald report.

This qualifies as good news, as Perez was cleared of any structural damage in his pitching elbow and will not require surgery. He will, however, still be sidelined for several weeks while the inflammation subsides. If there's a silver lining -- beyond the lack of structural damage -- it's that Perez's recurring fingernail issue will have more time to heal. Fantasy managers should prepare to be without the 20-year-old for at least the first month or so, until the Marlins provide a clearer timeline for his return.

The Reds reassigned Santillan to minor-league camp Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Santillan yielded just one hit with a 10:0 K:BB over five scoreless innings this spring but still wasn't able to make the team. It would not be a surprise if he decided to opt out of his contract and look for another gig elsewhere.

The Reds reassigned Ford to Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Ford slashed .455/.486/.727 with three homers this spring but nonetheless wasn't able to make the Opening Day roster. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him opt out and look for an opportunity elsewhere.