MLB Player News

Anderson indicated Saturday that the MCL sprain in his left knee that he played through for most of 2023 is no longer an issue, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

"[The injury] took a toll," Anderson said prior to Saturday's Grapefruit League game. "You're talking about the front side of an MCL sprain. I had nothing to hit up against. It led to a lot of ground balls. No excuses. I kept working. I feel good today. I feel healthy, and I'm ready to go, and I'm excited." The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Marlins this week to be the team's starting shortstop, and while injuries are part of the package with Anderson -- he hasn't played more than 123 games in a season since 2018 -- if he is healthy again, he could rediscover the form that saw him slash .318/.347/.473 for the White Sox between 2019 and 2022. His running should provide the first clue whether Anderson is all the way back. After recording a sprint speed of greater than 28.0 feet per second every year of his career through 2022, ranking in the 78th percentile or greater each season, his speed plummeted to 27.2 ft/s, and a 46th percentile ranking, in 2023.

Nelson allowed two hits and struck out five over two scoreless innings in Saturday's spring start against the Rockies.

Nelson's 33-pitch performance was the talk of the post-game discussion. The right-hander threw mostly fastballs and sliders and induced eight swing-and-misses. "The velocity looked like it was spiking," manager Torey Lovullo told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. "He started mixing in a really quality secondary pitch with that slider, I know that was something I've been emphasizing. I know he's been working hard on it and he got a ton of swing-and-miss." It was an impressive showing for Nelson, who logged a 15.5 strikeout percentage (sixth percentile per Statcast) and 6.0 K/9 in 2023. It was also a timely response after Tommy Henry's impressive Cactus League debut Friday. Nelson and Henry are seen as the main competitors for the final spot in the rotation.

Harris went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The 22-year-old center fielder went yard to lead off the game on the first pitch he saw from minor-leaguer Nathan Wiles. Harris will likely be hitting down toward the bottom of a stacked Atlanta lineup when the regular season begins, but he still scored 76 runs over 138 games in 2023 while mainly batting ninth, so that assignment is only a yellow flag for his RBI totals from a fantasy perspective. Harris still offers 20-20 upside, and perhaps even more if he takes a step forward with his production in his third MLB campaign.

Senga (shoulder) received a platelet-rich-plasma injection Sunday and will be shut down from throwing for the next three weeks, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 31-year-old was diagnosed with a moderate posterior capsule strain in his right shoulder Thursday, and he's now received the necessary treatment. Senga will require a significant buildup period following the multi-week shutdown and seems likely to be sidelined for at least the first month of the regular season.

Strider struck out four batters over two scoreless innings in his first Grapefruit League action of the spring Saturday against the Rays.

The right-hander allowed one hit and and one walk, and per David O'Brien of The Athletic, he was already hitting 98-99 mph with his fastball even though it isn't even March yet. Strider also incorporated the curveball he's been working on, throwing three of them and liking the results. "I think every time [the curve] was effective," Strider said after the start. "And it's a pitch that, similarly to the changeup, is an effective pitch any time I throw it, regardless of what the outcome is. Because my strengths are my fastball and my slider. So everything I'm doing is trying to help those pitches. And so that's how today was very educational, starting to see the sequencing and the feedback from hitters in a competitive environment." Strider threw his fastball and slider almost 93 percent of the time in 2023, and while that likely isn't going to change significantly this season, having another pitch he trusts in his repertoire could allow the 25-year-old ace to become the first pitcher to record 300 strikeouts in a season since Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander both reached that mark in 2019.

Cruz (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

Cruz didn't play Saturday in the Pirates' 5-3 loss to the Twins in the spring opener, but he'll be back in action for his first start at shortstop since April 9, when he suffered a fractured left ankle that required season-ending surgery. The 25-year-old reported to spring training at full strength and will look to get in as many game reps as possible to prepare himself for Opening Day on the heels of a lost season.

Chisholm (toe) is starting in center field and batting cleanup for Sunday's spring game against the Nationals, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Chisholm played through turf toe for much of 2023 and underwent surgery to address the injury in October, but he's game-ready early in spring training, as expected. The 26-year-old played in 97 games last season and posted a .250/.304/.457 slash line with 19 home runs and 22 steals.

Gallagher signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Sunday that includes an invitation to major-league camp, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Rafael Marchan (back) is a bit banged up early in camp, so the Phillies elected to bring aboard Gallagher for some extra catching depth. Gallagher appeared in 56 games for Cleveland last season but was awful at the plate with a .126/.154/.168 slash line and 30.9 percent strikeout rate.

Perez (finger) is scheduled to start Monday's spring game against the Cardinals.

The right-hander suffered a laceration on his middle finger during a session of live batting practice Thursday, but it appears that won't affect his availability for his first spring start. Perez is coming off a rookie campaign during which he had a 3.15 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 108:31 K:BB across 91.1 innings, though an innings restriction for 2024 will cap his ceiling a bit after he totaled 128 frames between the majors and minors last year.

Winn (upper body) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff in Sunday's spring game against the Astros, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn has been dealing with tightness in his upper body but went through a full workout Friday and has now been cleared for game action. The 21-year-old shortstop is poised to start Opening Day for the Cardinals, assuming he avoids further injury issues.