MLB Player News

Lamet (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list.

This comes as no surprise, as Lamet is expected to remain sidelined until mid-summer while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander is reportedly progressing nicely in his recovery, though a more concrete timetable for his return likely won't emerge until he's further along in his rehab.

Nelson backed off his throwing program over the weekend after experiencing discomfort, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

General manager David Stearns referred to the issue as arm fatigue, adding that he's "not particularly concerned at this point," per Robert Murray of The Athletic. Manager Craig Counsell also downplayed the situation, calling it a "very minor setback," so it sounds like the Brewers are handling Nelson with caution after he missed the entire 2018 campaign while working back from shoulder surgery. The 29-year-old is scheduled to resume throwing Tuesday, which bodes well for his availability for the start of the season. That said, Nelson's status will be worth monitoring as spring training progresses.

Stewart is scheduled to start Monday's Cactus League contest versus the Cubs, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Stewart entered spring training with no restrictions after finishing the 2018 campaign on the 60-day disabled list with a right oblique strain. The 27-year-old has shuttled between the majors and Triple-A Oklahoma City the past three seasons, but the fact that he has zero minor-league options remaining could help his case for sticking in the big leagues for most of 2019. Even in that scenario, however, the Dodgers' ample rotation depth means that Stewart would likely be ticketed for a bullpen gig.

Castillo was shut down with left forearm tightness Monday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Castillo reportedly felt the issue at the end of his live batting practice session Sunday. Forearm issues are sometimes the initial diagnosis for what is eventually discovered to be a serious elbow injury, so the news is certainly not good for the southpaw. Whether or not this particular injury turns out to be a worst-case scenario remains to be seen.

Morales (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Morales was diagnosed with right shoulder discomfort following his spring debut Sunday versus the Nationals, during which he was touched up for three runs on three hits while recording only one out. The extent of Morales' injury isn't fully known, but the fact that he needs an MRI suggests his setback could be more than a day-to-day concern.

Morales exited Sunday's game against the Nationals with right shoulder discomfort, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The severity of the injury is not yet clear. The 26-year-old recorded a decent 3.88 ERA in 60.1 innings of relief for Triple-A Memphis last season but does not appear to be in serious consideration for a bullpen role.

Koch was scratched from his upcoming spring debut Friday due to arm fatigue.

It's possible that this is just a minor spring maintenance issue, though it's not a great sign for a pitcher to fatigued before game action even starts. Nick Green will start the team's Cactus League opener in his place.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ferguson will work out as a starter during the early portion of spring training, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The 22-year-old acted almost exclusively as a starter in the minors, but he was an integral part of the Dodgers' bullpen down the stretch last season. In 49 innings split between three starts and 26 relief appearances, Ferguson posted a 3.49 ERA and a 59:12 K:BB. The Dodgers will decide whether he'll be used as a starter or as a reliever sometime in early March, though it seems like a bit of a stretch that he'll find a spot in the team's well-established rotation.

Stephenson (shoulder) is still behind his Reds teammates in workouts this spring but is getting closer, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I think he's real close to being back on a normal routine," manager David Bell said.

Stephenson has an uphill battle to make the Reds' Opening Day roster even without the injury, though that he lacks options works in his favor. He'll get stretched out as a starter even though he's not competing for the fifth starter's job.

Hicks has been limited to throwing bullpen sessions thus far in spring training as the Cardinals look to regulate his spring workload, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

There's no injury behind Hicks' restrictions, as the Cardinals merely want to avoid overextending the right-hander with Opening Day still more than a month away. Though the Cardinals seem committed to using Hicks as a high-leverage reliever -- and potentially as their closer -- rather than as a starter at this point, his youth and reliance on premium velocity probably makes monitoring his workload a greater priority for the organization than most of their other bullpen arms. Hicks should face hitters in batting practice in the near future, but he may not make his Grapefruit League debut until next week or later.