MLB Player News

Imanaga allowed three hits across two scoreless innings in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Padres. He struck out one.

Making his spring debut, Imanaga looked sharp as he logged 33 pitches. Most notably, his fastball velocity was 93 mph on average in the contest, which is up from last season's 90.8 mph average, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. This supports reports coming out of camp about increased velocity for Imanaga. It remains to be seen if this is just a blip for the southpaw in a short start or something he can actually sustain throughout the year. If Imanaga can regularly throw harder, he might be able to improve upon last season's 7.3 K/9, which was down from the 9.0 K/9 he recorded during his 2024 rookie campaign.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Long (elbow) took some swings Tuesday and feels better, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Long suffered a sprained left (non-throwing) elbow on a collision at first base over the weekend, but he's on the mend. The 24-year-old had planned to leave Tuesday for Japan to join Team Chinese Taipei for the World Baseball Classic, but he will delay his departure until Friday. It would appear the Cubs plan to give the go-ahead for Long to play in the WBC.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Kelly has undergone additional testing on his injured back, including a CT scan, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Kelly -- who is battling mid-back tightness -- has also had an MRI. Lovullo said Monday that Kelly was feeling good, so the additional tests could be a precautionary measure. The Diamondbacks hope to know more about the veteran right-hander's condition by Wednesday.

Padres manager Craig Stammen said Tuesday that Waldron is "week-to-week" after undergoing hemorrhoid surgery, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Waldron is in competition for a spot in the Padres' rotation and threw two scoreless innings in his first Cactus League appearance. However, it's going to be difficult for the knuckleballer to earn one of those spots now. Waldron is coming off a rough 2025 season, as he was knocked around in his lone start for the Padres and posted a 6.67 ERA in 18 starts with Triple-A El Paso.

Santos allowed two hits and two walks across one scoreless inning during Monday's 6-2 Cactus League win over the Athletics.

Santos surrendered a double, a single and two walks but was able to escape the third inning without allowing a run. A non-roster invitee to spring training, Santos signed a minor-league pact with San Francisco in mid-December after being non-tendered by the Mariners following a forgettable two-season stretch in which he made just 16 relief appearances while missing time due to right knee and arm issues. He'll look to earn a spot in the San Francisco bullpen and return to form after his injury problems.

Brubaker didn't factor into the decision during Monday's 6-2 Cactus League win over the Athletics, allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks across one inning.

Brubaker got the start in his first game action this spring but gave up two singles, two walks and a double in his lone frame. The right-hander re-signed with San Francisco on a one-year, $1.8 million pact after joining the club on a minor-league contract in August following his release from the Yankees. The 32-year-old appeared in five outings (one start) with the Giants in 2025, recording a 4.26 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 12:3 K:BB across 12.2 innings. Though he has plenty of experience as a starter, Brubaker appears more likely to operate in long relief to begin the season.

Hence will make his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

It will be the first game action since last July for Hence, who had another injury-shortened 2025 campaign in dealing with a lat strain and shoulder impingement. The Cardinals plan to keep Hence in a starting pitcher role for now, but an eventual move to the bullpen can't be ruled out if he's unable to improve his durability. The 23-year-old has yet to reach 100 innings in a pro season.

O'Brien (calf) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

It will be the first time O'Brien has thrown from the mound since he went down with a minor right calf strain a week ago. The injury is expected to prevent the reliever from pitching for Team South Korea in the World Baseball Classic, but O'Brien should not have trouble ramping up in time for Opening Day if he can avoid setbacks.

The Brewers say Woodruff (lat) is "on track to begin the season in the rotation," Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Woodruff is scheduled for a two-up live batting practice session Sunday and then he will begin game progression, per Rosiak. This report comes one day after Woodruff said his Opening Day availability is "up in the air," so expect many more reports on Woodruff's status between now and the start of the season. Woodruff hasn't thrown 70-plus innings in the majors since 2022, so the Brewers will proceed with caution this spring in hopes of having him available for the postseason.

Irvin allowed one hit and two walks over two scoreless innings in the Nationals' Grapefruit League game against the Phillies on Monday. He struck out two.

The 29-year-old right-hander is one of only two pitchers to make 33 starts each of the last two years, with the other being Giants ace Logan Webb, but the 2025 results for the two couldn't have been more different. Irvin's 5.70 ERA and 38 homers allowed over 180 innings were the worst marks in the majors among qualifying pitchers, and his 1.43 WHIP and 15.8 percent strikeout rate were both significantly worse than the season before as well. With the Nationals having signed Miles Mikolas and Foster Griffin this offseason to bolster their rotation, and Josiah Gray expected back from Tommy John surgery, Irvin may need a strong spring training performance to hang onto his spot.