MLB Player News

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said the medical staff was "encouraged" after examining Rodriguez (lat) on Wednesday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Rodriguez was removed from Tuesday's Cactus League appearance with left lat tightness and still felt some discomfort while being examined Wednesday, although it wasn't as bad. The pitcher has not undergone an MRI at this point, although that's still possible. The Diamondbacks have not yet ruled Rodriguez out for Opening Day, but a stay on the injured list remains possible even after the positive exam.

Gray (hamstring) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday before facing minor leaguers in a game-like situation Friday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Based on how things go during and after those sessions, the Cardinals will make a determination as to where they will slot Gray into their rotation. A backdated injured list stint remains possible, but Gray might be ready before then. He's coming back from a mild right hamstring strain which he suffered March 4.

Taillon (back) threw a 10-pitch, touch-and-feel bullpen session Wednesday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Taillon is finally ready to ease back into mound work after a lower-back issue cropped up nearly two weeks ago. The right-hander has not made any official game appearances this spring and it seems unlikely that he'll be ready for one before the Cactus League schedule runs out. He will begin the season on the injured list, with a potential timetable available later on as he continues to ramp back up.

Sykora has been sitting 96-97 mph with his fastball in camp, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports.

The 6-foot-6 right-hander got an over-slot bonus after being selected 71st overall in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, and it's beginning to look like the Nationals made a very wise investment in buying him out of a commitment to the University of Texas. The extension he gets on his pitches makes him tough for batters to pick up, and he's shown improvement with his slider in camp while also having a potentially plus split-finger pitch in his arsenal. Sykora won't turn 20 years old until late April, but he could move through multiple levels of the system this year in his pro debut if his control and command can keep up with his raw stuff.

Cabrera (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

He threw all fastballs in what was his first time throwing off the mound since he was diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement just over a week ago. Cabrera figures to need another bullpen session or two before progressing to facing hitters and eventually games. There is no timetable for him rejoining the Marlins' rotation, but he's made relatively quick progress given the nature of the injury.

Alonso went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The first baseman has had a strong spring at the plate, batting .289 (11-for-38) with seven of his hits (two homers, five doubles) going for extra bases, plus a 7:11 BB:K. Strikeouts will always be part of the package with Alonso, but his .217 batting average in 2023 was the very bottom of his expected range thanks to a .205 BABIP that was 74 points lower than his 2022 mark. Despite his struggles making consistent contact, he still slugged at least 40 homers for the second straight campaign and the third time in his four full MLB seasons. Alonso will again hit in the heart of the Mets' order and should be one of the most reliable power hitters available for fantasy GMs.

Severino threw five innings and about 85 pitches in a minor-league game Tuesday, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander has avoided arm trouble this spring, and he says it's the first time he's felt fully healthy in camp since 2018. Severino allowed just one run on a solo shot over nine Grapefruit League innings with an 8:0 K:BB. Severino is on track to start the Mets' second game of the season, following Jose Quintana in the rotation, and while his ugly numbers for the Yankees last year give fantasy GMs plenty of reason to be nervous about rostering him, he has significant bounce-back potential -- the 30-year-old delivered a 3.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 27.7 percent strikeout rate against a 7.4 percent walk rate over 102 innings in 2022.

Snell said Wednesday that he will not be ready for Opening Day, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Snell said he got stretched out to 60 pitches while throwing on his own, but that's without the adrenaline of facing major-league hitters. The left-hander will throw a bullpen session Thursday and the Giants will set up a schedule for Snell after that. While the reigning National League Cy Young winner figures to be ready to make his first regular season start early on, a more specific timetable will be available following Thursday's mound session.

Fraley (groin) is starting in right field and batting cleanup in Wednesday's split-squad game against the Rangers.

Fraley exited Monday's Cactus League contest after fouling a ball off himself, but he's back in the lineup Wednesday after sitting out one day. The 28-year-old posted career highs with 15 home runs and 21 steals in just 380 plate appearances last season, and he should fill a platoon role for the Reds in 2024, though TJ Friedl's fractured wrist should create more opportunities early on.

Hoeing has given up two runs over 8.2 innings with a 10:3 K:BB and zero home runs allowed in Grapefruit League action this spring.

The 27-year-old right-hander spent his first full season in the majors last season, stumbling to a 5.48 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 53:25 K:BB through 70.2 innings in a low-leverage role for Miami. Hoeing should handle a similar assignment in 2024, but he does have minor-league options remaining and further struggles could get him bumped back to Triple-A Jacksonville, especially once the Marlins' staff gets healthier.