MLB Player News

Sabol (groin) will begin baseball activities and a running progression Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Sabol suffered a right adductor strain earlier this month but has been cleared to being ramping things back up. A timeline for his return to game action isn't clear, but it would seem a stint on the injured list to start the season could be in the cards.

Hjelle (elbow) will begin a throwing program Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Hjelle was shut down for a week after being diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow. While the hope is that he will able to avoid surgery on the elbow, it's no sure thing as he attempts to ramp back up.

Cobb (hip) will throw two innings in a minor-league game Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The Giants had left open the possibility that Cobb would make his Cactus League debut that day, but they've elected to have him pitch in a more controlled environment instead. Cobb has made a rapid recovery from hip surgery and looks to be on track to rejoin the Giants' rotation sometime in April.

Bailey (hand) will begin light baseball activities in 1-2 days, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Bailey took a foul tip off his right hand during a Cactus League game Tuesday and has been resting while the swelling in his hand goes down. He should be ready to return to games by next week, and his availability for Opening Day doesn't seem to be in question.

Lee will be held out of action for the next 2-to-3 days because of left hamstring tightness, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The hamstring tightened up on Lee during Wednesday's game. The Giants seem to be suggesting that Lee's health concern is a minor one, but hamstring issues often have a tendency to linger. The injury puts a small cloud of uncertainty over Lee for managers participating in fantasy drafts this weekend.

Fletcher got the start at shortstop in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays and went 0-for-1 with a walk and a stolen base.

The 29-year-old infielder was picked up from the Angels in December but then got outrighted off the 40-man roster, which meant he came into camp with an extra hurdle to clear to make the final cut for Opening Day. Fletcher's done his best to earn a spot though, batting .310 (9-for-29) through 13 games with a 3:2 BB:K and three steals in three attempts. He could form a flexible, experienced bench duo with Luis Guillorme this season, but Atlanta manager Brian Snitker tends to lean heavily on his starters, which wouldn't leave much work around the infield for either utility player.

Bummer gave up a run on two hits while striking out two in an inning of relief during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Acquired from the White Sox in the offseason, Bummer has been touched for runs in three of his five appearances this spring and has a 7.20 ERA, but he's largely been working later innings with minor-league defenders behind him. A better indication of how his camp has gone might come from his 5:0 K:BB through five innings. The 30-year-old could be the top lefty in the Atlanta bullpen to begin the year if A.J. Minter (finger) and Tyler Matzek (side) aren't ready for Opening Day, but regardless of where Bummer slots in the pecking order for setup duties, there should be plenty of leads to protect for a team that's won over 100 games each of the last two seasons.

Johnson struck out one in a perfect inning of relief during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The 32-year-old right-hander has looked good this spring, posting a 7:1 K:BB over five innings while allowing just one run. Johnson spent some time closing for the Rockies last season before being acquired by Atlanta, and he excelled in a setup role for the NL East champs, delivering a 0.76 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB through 23.2 innings while picking up one win and eight holds in 24 appearances. He should resume those duties in 2024 as one of the primary bridges to closer Raisel Iglesias.

Sale allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Tampa Bay. He struck out six.

After a great beginning to his first spring with Atlanta, Sale has given up five runs over his last seven innings, albeit with a still-sharp 8:2 K:BB. The 34-year-old southpaw has been healthy though, which is the most important thing for a pitcher who hasn't thrown more than 102.2 innings in a season since 2019. Sale is on track for a mid-rotation spot to begin the year, and the reigning NL East champs can afford to go easy on his workload in 2024 given their pitching depth. Expecting more than 25 starts from Sale this season might be asking too much, but he should still be good for plenty of whiffs when he's on the mound after posting a 29.4 percent strikeout rate for Boston last year.

Antone allowed two unearned runs on one hit and two hit batters over one inning in Thursday's spring game against the Rangers. He struck out one.

Antone was called on to open the game after starter Nick Martinez (rib) was scratched. He nearly got out of a first-inning mess, but a TJ Friedl fielding error allowed the two unearned runs to score. Antone appeared in just five games in 2023 after rehabbing from Tommy John elbow surgery and forearm issues, but he's been healthy thus far in camp and will hold down a bullpen spot if that remains true.