Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Braves Sign Hector Neris To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Braves have signed right-hander Hector Neris to a minor league deal with a non-roster invitation to big league Spring Training, according to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Toscano adds that Neris will be in camp today with the club.

Neris, 36 in June, signed with the Phillies as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic and made his big league debut back in 2014. That was a cup of coffee that lasted just one inning, however, and he’d have to wait for the 2015 season to get a more substantial look in the majors. He did well enough with the opportunity, posting a roughly average 3.79 ERA in 32 relief appearances despite some lackluster peripheral numbers. It was still enough to earn Neris a regular role with the Phillies the following year, however, and the 2016 season kicked off the best stretch of the right-hander’s entire career.

From 2016 to 2019, Neris pitched to a 3.23 ERA (133 ERA+) with a 3.68 FIP in 270 1/3 innings of work. He struck out 31.3% of opponents during that time and also handled ninth inning duties for Philadelphia on a semi-regular basis, collecting 67 saves along the way. Those are all strong numbers, but a deeper look reveals an interesting twist to Neris’s performance in that stretch; he was a well below-average pitcher in 2018. While 2016, ’17, and ’19 all saw Neris post seasons that were between 43% and 63% better than league average by ERA+, that final year actually saw him pitch to a 5.10 ERA that was 19% worse than league average.

It wasn’t all bad for Neris in 2018, as his 37.4% strikeout rate was incredible and paired with a very manageable 7.8% walk rate, but injuries limited him to just 47 2/3 innings of work and an inflated .354 BABIP combined with an eye-popping 22.9% home-run-to-fly-ball ratio held him back from success that year. All of that combines into a much stronger season when looking at advanced metrics than Neris may get credit for on paper: despite his well below-average ERA, his FIP was actually slightly above average, while metrics like xERA (3.81) and SIERA (2.28) were even more bullish on the righty’s performance.

Neris spent two more years with the Phillies after that, though the results (a combined 3.84 ERA and 3.73 FIP in 98 appearances) were fairly unremarkable. The righty enjoyed a renaissance after signing with the Astros in free agency, however. Between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, Neris posted a brilliant 2.69 ERA (150 ERA+) with a 3.10 FIP in 133 2/3 innings of work. He struck out 29.1% of opponents, walked 9%, and maintained strong numbers according to both xERA and SIERA. While he collected just five saves in that time due to the presence of closer Ryan Pressly, the right-hander returned to free agency last winter in line to receive a strong contract.

He wound up getting a one-year, $9MM guarantee from the Cubs last winter. Unfortunately for both Neris and Chicago, it proved to be an up-and-down season for the right-hander. Though he stepped into the club’s closer job when incumbent Adbert Alzolay went down with Tommy John surgery, Neris struggled with his command throughout his time with the Cubs. The right-hander walked a whopping 13.3% of his opponents in Chicago while striking out just 23.5% of them. While his 3.89 ERA and 4.10 FIP in 44 innings of work were more or less league average, it was hardly a surprise when the Cubs ultimately designated the veteran for assignment due to the wildness.

Neris was picked back up by the Astros for the stretch run and seemed to get his command under control for the most part with a 28.1% strikeout rate and a 3.1% walk rate. Unfortunately, his on-field production actually got substantially worse, as he was torched to the tune of a 4.70 ERA and 4.80 FIP in 15 1/3 innings of work after giving up four home runs in just 16 games. The lackluster season led Neris to linger on the free agent market this winter, and now he’ll ultimately have to battle his way back into a big league bullpen in camp this spring.

He’ll get the opportunity to do that in Atlanta, for a club that lost a key piece of its late-inning mix back in November when it was announced that right-hander Joe Jimenez would miss 8-12 months after undergoing knee surgery. That left a void in the Braves’ bullpen by removing the club’s top right-handed set-up man for closer Raisel Iglesias, and a return to form could see Neris challenge Pierce Johnson for that role in 2025. Even if he can’t recapture the production he flashed during his first stint in Houston, however, Neris could provide quality veteran depth to a Braves bullpen without much of it after losing Jimenez to injury and Grant Holmes to the starting rotation.

Cora: Garrett Whitlock “100 Percent” Slated For Opening Day Roster

By | at

Garrett Whitlock underwent an internal brace procedure last May 30, which ended the right-hander’s season and seemingly ensured that he would miss some time at the start of the 2025 campaign.  However, Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated that Whitlock is on pace to rather handily beat the initial recovery timeline, as Cora told MLB.com’s Ian Browne and other reporters that Whitlock is “100 percent” going to be part of Boston’s roster on Opening Day.

Cora’s statement comes before Whitlock has even pitched to live batters this spring, though Whitlock is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session tomorrow.  The reliever has thrown multiple bullpen sessions already, in line with the deloading rehab strategy the Red Sox have used with Whitlock this offseason.  As detailed by The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey last week, the plan saw Whitlock alternate between “weeks of heavy throwing” and “weeks of recovery.”  This portion of Whitlock’s rehab is now over, and he is expected to have a normal ramp-up for the rest of Spring Training.

The work seems to be paying off, if Whitlock is already viewed as a lock to break camp.  Internal brace procedures are a relatively new variant on the traditional Tommy John surgery, and can be performed in certain cases when the UCL damage isn’t quite as severe.  The benefit is that brace surgeries come with a slightly shorter timeline — whereas pitchers who get TJ procedures usually face 13-14 months of recovery, internal brace surgeries have a timeline of roughly 11-12 months.

Because this procedure has only become more common in the last few years, there isn’t yet quite such thing as a “normal” timeline for a brace procedure, or at least the rehab process is more fluid than the more established recovery time associated with Tommy John surgeries.  Still, the fact that Whitlock is on pace to return to action just 10 months after his surgery is rather eye-opening, particularly since he has a history of past elbow problems.  Whitlock underwent a Tommy John surgery in 2019, and elbow-related issues sent him to the injured list twice during the 2023 season.

It probably helps that Whitlock is being brought back strictly as a relief pitcher, so his arm strength doesn’t have to be built up to handle a starter’s workload.  The Red Sox used Whitlock on-and-off as a starting pitcher over the last three seasons, but the right-hander’s greatest success came out of the bullpen in his 2021 rookie season, when he posted a 1.96 ERA over 73 1/3 innings as a multi-inning relief weapon.

His production from 2022-24 was more erratic, with a 4.01 ERA over his 168 1/3 innings during those three seasons.  Injuries certainly hampered Whitlock’s performance on the whole, but he still generally pitched better as a reliever than as a starter.  This planned return to the bullpen might well help Whitlock stay healthy and return to his old consistent form, which would give Boston’s relief corps a major boost.

Whitlock will slot in behind closer Liam Hendriks, who is making his own return from a lengthy absence after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2023.  The Red Sox also added Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson to reinforce a bullpen that underwhelmed last season.

NL Injury Notes: Smith, Gomber, Minter

By | at

Will Smith has been dealing with a bone bruise in his left ankle for almost nine months, as the Dodgers catcher revealed to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters this weekend.  Smith hurt his ankle while sliding into second base to try and break up a double play in the Dodgers’ 11-3 win over the Yankees on June 8, and he has been dealing with some level of discomfort ever since, though Smith didn’t go on the injured list or even miss really any time in the aftermath of the injury.  The issue has persisted even after an offseason of rest, resulting in Smith being held out of Spring Training games until last Friday.

Smith said his ankle is only sore when he runs, and he is otherwise able to catch and hit normally.  As Ardaya notes, Smith’s post-injury numbers imply otherwise — Smith hit .292/.361/.498 in 238 plate appearances though June 8, and then only .213/.301/.382 in 306 PA afterwards, plus a .568 OPS over 65 more trips to the plate during the playoffs.  Los Angeles GM Brandon Gomes implied that the team might be more open to giving Smith extra off-days to keep him healthy and more well-rested in general for what the Dodgers hope is another deep postseason run.

This might not be the most prominent Will Smith-related news item to ever arise on an Oscar night, but let’s move onto some other notes from around the National League…

  • Austin Gomber was scratched from a scheduled start today due to some soreness in his throwing shoulder, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes.  Testing revealed no structural damage, though Rockies manager Bud Black wasn’t sure when Gomber might be back on the mound.  While Gomber isn’t a high-velocity pitcher, his fastball was also down a tick during his first Spring Training start last week, so the matter didn’t solely arise today.  Gomber viewed the situation as “a reset” rather than anything too serious, saying “maybe I would have tried to push it a little bit more if we were in a different spot on the calendar.  But it being so early in the year, I just felt like I wanted to take a few days to try to get a touch better and not have something that’s like nagging throughout the year.”  The veteran southpaw has been part of Colorado’s rotation for the last four seasons, and he posted a 4.75 ERA in 165 innings in 2024.
  • A.J. Minter underwent season-ending hip surgery last August, and he hit a big checkpoint in his rehab process by throwing 20-25 pitches during a live batting practice session.  Minter told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters that he “felt good” in the aftermath, and figures he’ll have at least one more live BP session before taking part in a proper Spring Training game setting.  Despite Minter’s injury, his track record as a reliable bullpen arm led to plenty of interest on the free agent market, and he joined the Mets on a two-year, $22MM deal (with an opt-out after the first year).  His progress hints that he might be able to be part of New York’s roster on Opening Day, but “we’re going to be smart about this.  If I have to miss a few days or a couple weeks, my goal is to help this team at the end of the season.”

Cardinals’ Zack Thompson Shut Down 3-4 Weeks Due To Lat Injury

By | at

Cardinals left-hander Zack Thompson suffered a tear in his left lat muscle, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) today.  Thompson will be shut down and then re-evaluated in three or four weeks, so Thompson will surely start the season on the Cards’ injured list.

It’s a tough setback for Thompson, who was competing for a job in the St. Louis bullpen and is still trying to find a niche for himself at the big league level.  The 19th overall pick of the 2019 draft has amassed 118 career MLB innings over the last three seasons, topping out at 66 1/3 innings in 2023 while working first as a reliever and then as a starter over the season’s last six weeks.

Thompson had a 2.08 ERA in 34 2/3 frames in 2022, but then a 4.48 ERA from that larger workload in 2023.  His peripheral numbers were still interesting enough to suggest that Thompson might take another step forward last season, yet the opposite happened — the southpaw was rocked for a 9.53 ERA over 17 innings as a starter and reliever, and didn’t return to the majors after being optioned to Triple-A Memphis in late April.  Things didn’t exactly stabilize in the minors, as Thompson had a 4.40 ERA and 14.2% walk rate over 90 innings in Memphis, starting 20 of his 21 games.

While these struggles didn’t remove Thompson from the Cardinals’ future plans, there wasn’t any space for him in a rotation that is still full of veteran arms, plus other youngsters have now seemingly passed Thompson on the depth chart if a rotation spot did open up.  Working as a long reliever or possibly a swingman would have allowed Thompson to build up more experience and confidence in the Show, unless St. Louis preferred to let him get on track as a starter in Memphis.

The league granted the Cardinals a fourth minor league option on Thompson during the offseason, giving the team the ability to send him back and forth between Triple-A and the majors during the 2025 campaign.  It is quite possible Thompson would have started the season in Triple-A anyway, though today’s injury news will delay the lefty entirely until he is able to get back onto a mound.  Thompson will then need to rebuild his arm strength, so it seems likely he’ll be sidelined until at least late April given the time he is set to miss in his shutdown period.

Mariners Claim Seth Martinez

By | at

The Mariners announced that right-hander Seth Martinez was claimed off waivers from the Marlins.  Righty Jackson Kowar was placed on the 60-day injured list in Seattle’s corresponding roster move.

Miami designated Martinez for assignment earlier this week, and today’s move makes it four different organizations in a little under four months’ time for the 30-year-old reliever.  After spending his first four MLB seasons with the Astros, Martinez was designated for assignment in early November and claimed by the Diamondbacks.  He then went to the Marlins on another waiver claim on February 20 before being DFA’ed again a week later, and now Martinez finds himself back in the AL West.

Martinez is out of minor league options, which somewhat explains his carousel of an offseason.  With teams prizing flexibility within their bullpens, Martinez’s status makes him something of the proverbial 26th man, while also still having enough value that several teams are interested in having him on their rosters.

Over 111 appearances and 137 1/3 innings with Houston, Martinez often worked as a multi-inning reliever, so the Mariners would deploy him in that same capacity if he ends up on the Opening Day roster.  Martinez has a career 3.93 ERA, though his strikeout rate fell rather sharply from 23.1% in 2023 to just 16.2% last season.  Between that dropoff and other uninspiring Statcast metrics, the Astros felt comfortable in exposing Martinez to DFA waivers, leading to his busy winter of changing teams.

An innings-eating reliever always carries some usefulness, even on a Mariners team with an unusually durable starting rotation.  A good Spring Training performance might help Martinez break camp with the team, or he might find himself on the waiver wire yet again before Opening Day.

Kowar underwent a Tommy John surgery almost exactly one year ago, so he was expected to miss some time at the start of the 2025 season as he finishes up his rehab.  The 60-day IL placement means that Kowar won’t make his 2025 debut until late May at the earliest.

Brewers Hire Billy Eppler As Special Advisor

By | at

The Brewers have hired Billy Eppler as a special advisor, according to a report from Andy Martino of SNY. Eppler’s full title is Special Advisor, Scouting and Baseball Operations.

The role marks Eppler’s return to baseball after being placed on the ineligible list just over a year ago. That placement lasted only through the end of the 2024 World Series, and he’s been eligible to return to an MLB front office in the months since then. Eppler’s suspension was, in the words of MLB at the time of its announcement, for “improper use of Injured List placements, including the deliberate fabrication of injuries; and the associated submission of documentation for the purposes of securing multiple improper Injured List placements during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.”

Eppler’s violation occurred during his tenure as Mets GM, which lasted from shortly after the 2021 season until shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 campaign. Eppler was the club’s head of baseball operations during the vast majority of his tenure, but immediately after the 2023 season concluded the Mets announced the hiring of president of baseball operations David Stearns, who was set to take the reins and push Eppler into a number two role. That arrangement lasted a matter of only days, however, as Eppler almost immediately stepped down from his role with the Mets when news of MLB’s investigation into improper use of the injured list by the Mets first became public.

So-called “phantom IL” stints have been commonplace in the league for decades and have occurred on every team at one point or another, with some players even openly admitting that they aren’t actually injured while on the shelf. More nebulous diagnoses such as soreness or fatigue can be used by a club to offer a struggling player a physical and mental reset while clearing their roster spot for a period of time. The practice is technically illegal, but those rules have not typically been strictly enforced by the league. This made MLB’s investigation into the Mets and subsequent suspension of Eppler a cause for confusion for both many fans and even some within the game.

With Eppler’s suspension now a thing of the past, he’ll join a Brewers front office headed by GM Matt Arnold that was, coincidentally, run by Stearns until he eventually stepped down as the club’s top decision-maker and later took over baseball operations from Eppler. The specific duties of Eppler’s role as special advisor to Arnold are not yet clear, though his title falls in line with his past experience. Prior to serving as Mets GM, Eppler served as GM of the Angels from 2015 to 2020 and as assistant GM and director of pro scouting for the Yankees from 2005 to 2015.

Eppler’s teams have had relatively little success in the past, with his tenure as Angels GM going by without any playoff appearances while his two years with the Mets were split between a 100-win campaign and a missed postseason. Overall, that’s good for a 508-524 record and a .492 winning percentage over his seven seasons leading a baseball operations department. Even with that somewhat middling track record, the 49-year-old sports a long resume of high-level front office work, and his decades of experience figure to be a valuable resource for the Brewers going into the 2025 campaign.

Reds Notes: Extensions, Steer, Abbott

By | at

The Reds are in the midst of a youth movement, with a number of key young players within their years of team control. Despite that reality, the only player they’ve managed to secure a long-term extension with who fits that description is right-hander Hunter Greene, who agreed to a six-year deal back in 2023. Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported yesterday that the club is unlikely to add another extension alongside Greene’s this spring after an offseason where the club focused on creating depth in hopes of avoiding a campaign derailed by injuries like they suffered in 2024.

“We certainly have guys in that service-time range,” general manager Brad Meador said (as relayed by Wittenmyer) when asked about extensions. “We’ve talked about some of it. We haven’t gone into real specifics with anyone. It’s been pretty vague with the agents.”

In particular, Wittenmyer notes three players who have expressed interest in getting a longer-term extension done with the Reds: veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who reportedly discussed an extension with the Reds before accepting their Qualifying Offer back in November, as well as youngsters Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson. Those extension talks between Martinez and the Reds fizzled out once the right-hander accepted the QO, while Wittenmyer notes that both Steer and Stephenson expressed openness to the idea of an extension but there have not been talks between them and the Reds about the matter to this point.

Stephenson would appear to be the more urgent extension target should the Reds have interest. The 28-year-old was a first-round pick by the Reds back in 2015 and has five seasons in the majors under his belt. He rebounded from a down season in 2023 to establish himself as one of the better offensive catchers in the game last year, hitting .258/.338/.444 in 138 games. A free agent following the 2026 season, it wouldn’t be a shock if another solid offensive season from Stephenson put him outside of the Reds’ financial comfort zone as an extension target, though the 2026-27 free agent class features a number of interesting catching options as discussed by MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald last week. That could make Steer a more logical candidate for an extension in the long run, given that he’s under team control through the end of the 2028 season.

Speaking of Steer, the right-handed slugger received a cortisone injection in his ailing shoulder yesterday as he attempts to combat continued soreness after playing through the issue last year. While a timetable for his return remains unclear, manager Terry Francona emphasized his desire to avoid Steer playing through the issue again this year like he did in 2024, and did not shut the door on the possibility of a trip to the IL to open the season for Steer, as noted by Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.

“We need to discuss the next few days or the next week,” Francona said, as relayed by Sheldon. “Everybody points to Opening Day, and I get it, myself included. I’m not saying he’s not going to be ready, but we’ve got to do what’s right for him.”

If Steer is out of action to begin the season, that could open up more playing time for youngster Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base early in the year. It could also benefit infielder Santiago Espinal by way of opening up third base in the event that Jeimer Candelario shifts across the diamond to cover first.

In more positive injury news, Wittenmyer relayed earlier today that southpaw Andrew Abbott threw his first bullpen session of the spring. Abbot had been behind in camp after a shoulder strain cut his season short last year, but Abbott told reporters (including Wittenmyer) after his bullpen session that it was a “big step” in his progression and that he believes he still has time to be ready to pitch in the first turn through the rotation when the season begins later this month. That would be welcome news for the Reds, particularly given the fact that right-hander Rhett Lowder also entered camp behind schedule. If healthy, Abbott figures to slot into the club’s rotation alongside Greene, Martinez, Brady Singer, and Nick Lodolo.

Jeff Criswell To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By | at

Right-hander Jeff Criswell is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, per an announcement from the Rockies. Criswell will miss the entire 2025 season, and the timing of the injury puts at least the beginning of his 2026 season in doubt as well.

Criswell, 26 next week, made his big league debut with the Rockies just last season. A second-round pick by the Athletics in the 2020 draft, Criswell was traded to the Rockies in December 2022 in a deal that brought reliever Chad Smith to Oakland. At the time, Criswell was a starting pitcher, but the right-hander struggled badly in his first season with the Rockies at the Triple-A level and was torched to the tune of a 7.51 ERA in 121 innings of work. That led the Rockies to move him to the bullpen for 2024, and the results were mixed but largely trended positive.

Criswell’s top level production numbers at Triple-A last year remained unimpressive, even after his move to the bullpen. He surrendered an ugly 6.24 ERA in 57 2/3 innings of work with the club’s Albuquerque affiliate, but a look under the hood reveals a fantastic 30% strikeout rate against a middling but not unmanageable 10.1% walk rate. That largely translated over to his 19 2/3 innings of work in the majors, only with much better results. At the big league level last year, Criswell punched out 31% of opponents while walking 10.3%, leaving him with a sterling 2.75 ERA across 13 appearances.

The right-hander’s biggest bugaboo last year, both in the majors and minors, was the home run ball. Criswell allowed more than two home runs per nine innings in the minor leagues last year, and even in Colorado he surrendered four homers in his aforementioned 19 2/3 frames of work. That 23.5% home run to fly ball ratio is perhaps unsustainable and could lead to positive regression in the future, but a hefty 12% barrel rate leaves plenty of room for concern that Criswell’s more homer-happy nature could be a matter of performance rather than purely luck-based.

Even with those question marks, Criswell appeared likely to be strongly in consideration for a bullpen job with the Rockies this year, particularly after their decision to place right-hander Justin Lawrence on waivers yesterday. Those plans are scuttled now, however, and Criswell will instead return to action at some point in the 2026 campaign and look to pick up where he left off in 2024. In the meantime, the club will have to turn to other options in the bullpen such as Angel Chivilli, Luis Peralta, and Jake Bird.

Cubs Notes: Infield, Pressly, Little

By | at

The Cubs’ infield alignment figures to be in flux throughout both the Tokyo Series and perhaps even into the early days of the season stateside. As noted by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers earlier this week, second baseman Nico Hoerner will not be participating in the Tokyo Series with the Cubs as he recovers from offseason flexor tendon surgery. Instead, Hoerner will stay behind in Arizona in hopes of being ready for the start of the stateside regular season on March 27, which Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun Times notes the infielder currently appears to be “on track” for.

That’s fairly good news overall, as Hoerner entered camp with an unknown timeline for return from surgery and it wouldn’t have necessarily been a shock to see him miss the first few weeks of the regular season. In that context, missing just the first two games of the year would be a notable win. What complicates matters further, however, is the questions surrounding top prospect Matt Shaw. The club’s presumptive starting third baseman, Shaw has been slowed by an oblique issue this spring and has yet to get into a game.

Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network relayed comments from manager Craig Counsell earlier this week on Shaw’s status. Counsell noted that the Cubs “aren’t ruling [Shaw] out for anything,” suggesting he could be in play for the Tokyo Series. With that being said, however, Shaw has not yet made his Spring Training debut despite Counsell referring to Shaw as “not too far” from getting into games last week.

While Hoerner is unavailable, utility man Jon Berti figures to slide into the opening at second base. If Shaw is also unavailable for the Tokyo Series, however, things could get a bit more complicated. The final bench spot for the club’s ultimately 26-man roster remains up for grabs, with Rule 5 pick Gage Workman, trade acquisition Vidal Brujan, and non-roster invitee Nicky Lopez all in the conversation to join Berti, Carson Kelly, and Justin Turner on the club’s bench.

Any of them could be in the conversation to cover for Shaw in the event that both Shaw and Hoerner are unavailable for the start of the season, although it seems as though Turner could be an option as well. The 40-year-old hasn’t played third base on a regular basis since 2022, but the veteran told reporters (including those at Marquee Sports Network) that he’s been taking “a lot of” reps at the hot corner this spring to stretch out his arm in order to be ready to fill in at the position if necessary.

Moving on to the bullpen, veteran right-hander Ryan Pressly was acquired from the Astros this winter to help bolster the club’s bullpen mix. Reporting at the time of the trade suggested that Pressly was assured that he would be the club’s top candidate for saves this season prior to waiving his no-trade clause to join the club. That could certainly be the case, and Lee writes that Pressly remains a favorite for the closer job, though it’s worth noting she also acknowledges young right-hander Porter Hodge as another potential favorite for save opportunities. Hodge dazzled in his rookie season last year, posting a sterling 1.88 ERA with a 2.75 FIP in 43 innings of work while picking up nine saves along the way.

Given that framing of Pressly and Hodge as both being potential favorites for the closer job, it’s possible that the club could utilize both hurlers in the ninth inning depending on matchups. For his part, Pressly expressed a preference for pitching in the ninth inning but made clear that he doesn’t see the role as assured.

‘‘I’ve done every role under the sun in the bullpen, but I really felt like I got my stride when I was in that ninth-inning role,’’ Pressly said, as relayed by Lee. ‘‘And I’m happy for the opportunity to be back in it. And now it’s just a matter of seeing what I can do with it.’’

Elsewhere in the bullpen, Lee reports that southpaw Luke Little threw live batting practice for the first time of the spring yesterday. Little has been slowed throughout camp due to what pitching coach Tommy Hottovy described to Lee as “typical offseason issues” that impacted the southpaw’s buildup this winter unrelated to the lat strain that ended his 2024 season. It’s unclear whether Little will be ready for domestic Opening Day or not, though as a reliever with options remaining in a crowded bullpen the southpaw may wind up starting the season at Triple-A Iowa even if he’s healthy.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top