MLB Player News

Carlson (ankle) will run the bases Wednesday in addition to taking live batting practice and shagging flyballs, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol noted that running the bases is the final box Carlson needs to check before being fully cleared following last September's left ankle surgery. It's not clear when Carlson might play in his first Grapefruit League contest, but he would appear to be only slightly behind a normal spring training routine.

Middleton (illness) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Middleton was a late arrival to camp after he battled a stomach bug last week, but the fact that he's taking the mound to face hitters Wednesday suggests he's overcome the illness. After signing a one-year, $5 million contract in free agency, Middleton is projected to be a key part of the late-inning bridge to closer Ryan Helsley in 2024.

Edman (wrist) could be several weeks away from being cleared for full baseball activities, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Edman missed one workout with a stomach bug, but it's his surgically repaired right wrist that has the Cardinals slow-playing him thus far during the spring. While Edman is able to go through normal fielding drills, he's currently limited to one-handed swings designed to build strength and range of motion in his wrist. He will eventually progress to soft toss and then batting practice before being cleared for game action. The Cardinals still believe Edman has enough time to be ready for Opening Day, but he seems to be working with a tight window.

Ashcraft is a few days behind other starters after undergoing right big toe surgery last September, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Atheltic reports.

The delay doesn't sound like a major concern; the team said it's mostly about Ashcraft's conditioning. If he's only be a few days behind other starters, Ashcraft's bid for a rotation spot should not be affected.

Greene worked on adding a curveball to his repertoire during the offseason, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Greene thew mostly his fastball (54.4 percent) and slider (40.3 percent) last season while occasionally mixing in a changeup (5.3 percent). The numbers were similar to 2022. "It's exciting," Greene said Sunday about the new pitch. "(I'll) continue to refine it and work on it, but looking forward to being able to have a good offering this season." Cincinnati pitching coach Derek Johnson said Greene needed a slower pitch, which will make his fastball play better. How much Greene throws the curve, which is in the low-80s this spring, will depend on how it looks against live batters during Cactus League games. The 24-year-old right-hander, who is expected to lead the Reds' rotation, has not thrown more than 125.2 innings in either of his first two seasons in the majors.

Kelly is expected to make his spring debut March 8 against the Cubs, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Kelly is set to open the regular season as the No. 2 starter behind Zac Gallen. Including the 2023 postseason, Kelly threw 201.2 innings, marking the second straight year the right-hander crossed the 200-inning threshold. As such, manager Torey Lovullo plans a measured buildup during the Cactus League season. "[We're] really trying to limit the overall innings. We're not trying to empty the tank so quickly," the manager said. Kelly was 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 30 regular season starts last year.

Gallen is set to make his first Cactus League start March 1 against the Reds, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Gallen, projected as Arizona's No. 1 starter, tossed a career-high 243.2 innings in 2023, including the postseason. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talked about building up both Gallen and No. 2 starter Merrill Kelly, who threw a career-high 201.2 innings. "Obviously the buildup is of maximum concern -- we want to make sure they are at a certain pitch limit for their first start of the year," Lovullo said. Gallen was 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP over 34 regular-season starts last season.

Pfaadt threw his first live batting practice session Tuesday, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Pfaadt is looking to build off a strong finish to the 2023 season, including the postseason in which he recorded 5.2 scoreless innings in a Game 3 win over the Phillies in the National League Championship Series. The Diamondbacks point to that game -- Arizona was down 2-0 in the series -- as pivotal to their run to the World Series. Arizona pitching coach Brent Strom credited Pfaadt's better pitch mix for the right-hander's success over the second half and playoffs. Pfaadt expected to slot in at third or fourth in the rotation, depending on where manager Torey Lovullo wants to insert left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who signed a four-year deal with the D-backs during the offseason. Given that the top two members of the rotation -- Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly -- are right-handers, the manager may want to break it up with Rodriguez third and Pfaadt fourth.

Marte (hamstring) will miss the Reds' first five spring training games, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds have put Marte on a more "deliberate'" spring training schedule to avoid setbacks, and they still expect him to be ready by Opening Day.

Moll experienced some shoulder soreness in his offseason throwing program and thus is behind the other Reds pitchers in camp, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Moll is still expected to be ready for the start of the season and is playing catch, but he's the one pitcher behind his teammates so far this spring.