MLB Player News

Padres manager Mike Shildt said last week that Darvish (elbow) will have no limitations in spring training, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Shildt noted that Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions without issue and has even faced a few hitters already. It's certainly a good sign after the 37-year-old missed the final month of last season with a bone spur in his right elbow. Darvish finished 2023 with a disappointing 4.56 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 141:43 K:BB through 136.1 innings. While he looks to be trending in a good direction, Darvish will remain a health risk in 2024 given his age and how last season concluded.

The Padres plan to play Merrill both at shortstop and in the outfield during spring training, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Merrill is a good defender at shortstop and might be the future at the position for the Padres. However, Xander Bogaerts is expected to play there in 2024 and the team is light on established options in the outfield, so Merrill may have a clearer path to reaching the big leagues if he can emerge as a viable defender in the outfield. Merrill already made five starts in left field in 2023 with Double-A San Antonio and has the athleticism to handle center field if the Padres want to go that route. There's no indication at this point that a long-term position switch is on the table for the top prospect, but it's something to monitor in spring training.

Spiers worked on being more consistent with his slider during 18 innings in the Arizona Fall League, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Spiers added additional innings in the Fall League after throwing 98 combined innings between the minors and majors in 2023, including stints as a starter and reliever. The right-hander said he pulled his slider while in the majors and was unable to get hitters chase it like minor-league batters. It's unclear in which role the Reds plan for him this spring, but Spiers is part of a big crowd of hurlers looking to stick with the parent club.

With January trade addition Michael Busch likely to play first base, per Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com, Mervis may have to settle for a bench role to begin the season.

Busch is not considered a great defender, but the team seems to want his slugging bat in the lineup, which could come at the expense of Mervis at first base. Mervis and Busch are young players with some upside, though both struggled during their respective MLB debuts last season, with strikeouts a key problem for each player. The situation at first appears to be fluid, but for now consider the outlook for Mervis to be somewhat dampened by the arrival of Busch.

Smyly is likely competing with Hayden Wesneski, Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks for the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Smyly made 41 appearances, including 23 starts, for Chicago last season and struggled with a 5.00 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. The veteran lefty can still miss some bats, as he recorded 141 strikeouts in 142.1 innings in 2023, and the team may want to deploy him in a relief role to see if his stuff plays up in favorable matchups. Smyly can still have some limited fantasy value in the right spots, though he's likely best used as a streamer if he's starting.

Assad is likely competing with Hayden Wesneski, Drew Smyly and Jordan Wicks for the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Kyle Hendricks, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and newcomer Shota Imanaga figure to be locked into rotation spots to begin the season, which leaves the No. 5 spot open. Assad made 10 starts and 32 total appearances for the Cubs last year, and the righty posted a strong 3.05 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 109.1 innings. While fantasy managers would prefer that Assad is starting, he did give the Cubs a good multi-inning bullpen weapon in 2023, and they may decide to stick him back in that role in 2024 if it helps the club win games.

Wesneski is likely competing with Javier Assad, Drew Smyly and Jordan Wicks for the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Kyle Hendricks, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and newcomer Shota Imanaga should all be locked into rotation spots, which leaves the No. 5 role up for grabs. Wesneski made 34 appearances for the Cubs last year, including 11 starts, and posted a 4.63 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 89.1 innings. He doesn't profile as a particularly exciting fantasy option, though he would have more value if he's starting instead of serving as a long reliever.

Wicks may be slated to start the season with Triple-A Iowa following the offseason addition of Shota Imanaga, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Bastian notes that Wicks is likely competing with Javier Assad, Drew Smyly and Hayden Wesneski for the fifth rotation spot, with Imanaga, Kyle Hendricks, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon already locked in. Assad, Smyly and Wesneski all spent time in the team's bullpen last year and could serve in swing roles as needed. For the 24-year-old Wicks to continue developing as a starter, the team may put him in the Triple-A rotation to begin the year, though he should be an option for the majors at some point after showing promise during his MLB debut in 2023.

Alzolay will likely begin the year as the Cubs' closer, though new addition Hector Neris gives manager Craig Counsell a possible alternative for the late innings, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Alzolay excelled as Chicago's closer last season, converting 22 of 25 save opportunities and posting a strong 2.67 ERA across 64 innings. However, Neris posted an even better 1.71 ERA over 68.1 innings for Houston in 2023, and he has 89 career saves in 10 MLB seasons. At the very least, the veteran should serve as a solid setup option, and he could emerge as a candidate for saves if Alzolay struggles.

Medina signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Friday.

Medina posted a 5.35 ERA over 19 appearances (two starts) in the majors from 2020-22 before spending last season pitching in Korea. The 27-year-old figures to report to Triple-A Rochester to begin 2024 where he'll provide either rotation or bullpen depth.