MLB Player News

Kerkering (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander completed his third side session since having his throwing program delayed by a Grade 1 hamstring strain at the start of camp, per MLB.com. Kerkering, who's expected to be one of Philadelphia's primary setup men for closer Jhoan Duran, still has plenty of time to build up in advance of Opening Day.

O'Brien (calf) will throw another live batting practice session Thursday and hopes to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

O'Brien got through a live batting practice session Monday healthy, though he had trouble with his footing due to a wet mound. He'll face hitters in a shorter live BP session Thursday before progressing to game action. O'Brien has been battling a minor calf strain but is expected to have enough time to prep for Opening Day, barring setbacks. He is in the mix to serve as closer for the Cardinals this season.

Miller (back) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and could return to action as soon as next week, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Miller has yet to make his Cactus League debut this spring due to lower-back tightness, though he's progressing toward a return. The southpaw will aim to start the season at full strength after his 2025 campaign was cut short due to a left elbow injury. Over 36 relief appearances last season, Miller posted a 1.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 22:20 K:BB in 30 innings.

The Reds acquired Nicolas from the Pirates in exchange for Tyler Callihan on Wednesday.

Nicolas will compete for a spot in Cincinnati's bullpen after appearing in 82 games for the Pirates over the past two seasons. Nicolas has a career 4.68 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 96:53 K:BB across 98 innings of relief.

Sanmartin suffered a minor quadriceps strain during a recent exhibition game appearance for Team Colombia, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Sanmartin tweaked his quad while fielding a comebacker. The lefty will be forced to pull out of representing his native country in the World Baseball Classic, and he will be reevaluated before it's determined how much time he might miss. Sanmartin was a waiver claim of the Giants back in November.

Atlanta optioned Munoz to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Munoz made only one Grapefruit League appearance, walking three of the five batters he faced. Control problems are nothing new for the righty reliever, as Munoz issued five free passes in 3.2 frames with the big club last season and has a career 11.2 percent walk rate in the minors. He'll open 2026 in the Gwinnett bullpen.

Uribe struck out the side during a perfect inning of relief Tuesday in Team Dominican Republic's 12-4 exhibition win over the Tigers.

In his final tune-up outing before the World Baseball Classic, Uribe already looked to be in peak form coming off his breakout 2025 campaign. He pumped in 11 of his 19 pitches for strikes, retiring all of Zach McKinstry, Thayron Liranzo and Jake Rogers on swings and misses while hitting 100.7 miles per hour with his sinker. Uribe looks poised to open the season in a closer committee with Trevor Megill, but given Megill's durability concerns as well as Uribe's exceptional skills, it wouldn't be surprising if Uribe ultimately emerges as Milwaukee's preferred endgame option.

Minter (lat) will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.

It will be his first time facing hitters since he underwent left lat surgery last May. Minter hopes to pitch in at least one Grapefruit League game before camp breaks and is aiming for his season debut in late April or early May.

Phillips (elbow) threw to a standing catcher "with noticeably more intensity" Tuesday, Courtney Hollmon of MLB.com reports.

It's a small but tangible step for Phillips, who is recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last June. The righty reliever has already been placed on the 60-day injured list, so he still has a long way to go before making it back to pitching in games. If all goes well for Phillips moving forward, he may be able to join the Dodgers' bullpen in July or August.

Holmes allowed one hit and one walk over 2.2 scoreless innings during Sunday's split-squad game against the Twins. He struck out two.

Facing a good chunk of Minnesota's likely Opening Day lineup, Holmes tossed just 23 of 46 pitches for strikes but escaped jams in the first and third innings. The 29-year-old right-hander worked a career-high 115 innings in 2025 before his season ended in July due to a partial UCL tear in his elbow, but so far in camp it looks like his decision to treat the issue with rest and rehab rather than surgery was the correct one. Through two Grapefruit League appearances, Holmes has thrown 4.2 scoreless frames with a 4:2 K:BB.