MLB Player News

Law signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Wednesday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Law posted a 3.60 ERA and 1.38 WHIP through 55 innings with the Reds last season, yet the team opted to non-tender him in November. Now with the Nationals, Law has a strong chance to make the team's Opening Day bullpen and would likely serve in middle relief.

Milwaukee placed Woodruff (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday after he finalized a two-year contract with the club, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Woodruff will be guaranteed $17.5 million in the deal, which includes a $20 million mutual option or a $10 million buyout for the 2026 season. Just over four months removed from right shoulder surgery, Woodruff said that he began throwing program last week. He noted that the operation went better than expected and that he feels completely normal now, but the rehab process will be slow and steady and a potential return before the end of the 2024 season will be decided by doctors. In all likelihood, Woodruff won't get on a major-league mound again until 2025.

Smith told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic this week that he and his representation have not had any contract extension talks with the Dodgers.

Smith is set to earn $8.55 million in 2024 and will be arbitration eligible once more in 2025 before reaching free agency. It's not clear whether the team intends to eventually engage with Smith regarding a long-term deal, but at the moment it doesn't seem to be a priority. The Dodgers have Dalton Rushing, Diego Cartaya and Thayron Liranzo in the minors, but Cartaya is coming off a disappointing season and Rushing and Liranzo might not be ready to take over after 2025.

Sanchez finalized a one-year contract with the Brewers on Wednesday, with the deal guaranteeing him $3 million rather than the initial $7 million that the two sides had agreed upon two weeks earlier, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal will feature incentives that will allow Sanchez to get back to the $7 million figure, provided he stays healthy after the Brewers had some concerns about his right wrist following a physical. The deal also contains a mutual option for 2025, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sanchez batted .218/.292/.500 with 19 homers over just 260 plate appearances last season with the Padres. He's slated to see ample time at designated hitter while also backing up William Contreras at catcher.

Bednar (back) hasn't been taking part in workouts with the Giants thus far in spring training and is "still working his way back," Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The Giants are expected to provide another update on the young right-hander's status in the coming days, but he looks as though he's still in the midst of an extended shutdown period that dates back to the Arizona Fall League. The 2021 first-round pick has yet to pitch above the Single-A level through his first three seasons in the professional ranks, with injuries playing a major part in his slow ascent through the San Francisco farm system.

The Brewers designated Jones for assignment Wednesday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Milwaukee needed to clear a spot on its 40-man roster after announcing the re-signing of Brandon Woodruff, and Jones ended up being the casualty. Jones, 26, has a career .460 OPS in 90 plate appearances across parts of three major-league seasons. His versatility could make him appealing to some clubs once he hits waivers.

Bart appears unlikely to break camp with the Giants and is out of minor-league options, making him a candidate to be traded or otherwise moved off the 40-man roster prior to Opening Day, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chosen with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, Bart was seen as the heir apparent to Buster Posey at the time he was selected, but the now-27-year-old backstop has struggled to meet expectations since reaching the big leagues for the first time in 2020. Due to groin injuries and his own struggles at the dish, Bart appeared in just 30 games for the Giants in 2023, mustering a .207/.263/.264 slash line across 95 plate appearances. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Patrick Bailey surpassed Bart on the organizational depth chart, and the Giants bolstered their catching ranks with the signing of veteran Tom Murphy, who is expected to serve as the No. 2 option and should play regularly versus left-handed pitching. Unless the team elects to keep three catchers on the Opening Day roster or unless Bailey or Murphy succumb to an injury in spring training, the Giants don't look like they'll have room for Bart, whose pedigree should be reason enough for another catching-needy team to acquire him via trade or a waiver claim.

Garrett (fibula/ankle) is running at full speed and taking live batting practice during the early stages of spring training, but the Nationals don't have a timeline for when he'll be cleared to make his Grapefruit League debut, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Zuckerman previously reported last week that Garrett would be a full participant at camp, and while that's largely been the case thus far, the Nationals are still easing the 28-year-old along slowly to some degree as he makes his way back from late-August surgery to repair a broken left fibula and address related ankle damage. In addition to delaying Garrett's inclusion in the spring lineup, the Nationals have also been holding him out of certain running drills, including one Wednesday that all of the team's other healthy position players took part in. Garrett thus far hasn't reported any setbacks with his left leg and remains a realistic option for the Nationals' Opening Day roster, but his status won't be officially known until the latter stages of spring training.

Rodriguez is scheduled to start the Diamondbacks' spring opener Friday versus the Rockies, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Rodriguez will likely work just an inning or two before turning the game over to the bullpen. After joining Arizona on a four-year, $74 million deal in free agency this winter, Rodriguez is projected to open the season as the No. 3 starter behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly as the Diamondbacks look to build on last season's surprise run to the National League pennant.

Winn said Wednesday that he's not overly concerned about his sore right elbow and is still expecting to be ready for Opening Day, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Winn was sent in for an MRI after experiencing soreness following his most recent bullpen session of spring training, but those tests apparently didn't reveal any structural or ligament damage. The right-hander will still be shut down from throwing for the time being, putting him behind the Giants' other healthy rotation options as Cactus League play gets underway this weekend. If Winn avoids an extended shutdown period and is able to build up to a starter's workload by the end of March, he should still have the inside track on a rotation spot.