MLB Player News

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said there will be no innings limit placed on young standout starters Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha heading into the season. But he added that the team could lessen their workload if they show signs of fatigue.

"If I had to stay who would likely get the nod as far as a few extra innings, it would probably be Shelby," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "But we'll see. I would characterize it as something that we will pay attention to."

Wacha is set in the rotation and the possible loss of Jaime Garcia to lingering shoulder issues could lock another up for Miller.

Opposing hitters might argue that the stuff tossed by Cardinals right-hander Joe Kelly was strong enough. But the 25-year-old improved his curveball over the offseason, which could make him even better. Add the confidence he gained from his 2013 success and there is a reason for the optimism expressed by general manager John Mozeliak.

"I think he started to understand his own identity," Mozeliak told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I think that's the natural maturation of getting experience. I definitely feel like there is more of a comfort level of how he pitched when he pitched. He doesn't quite seem like [he has] the swing-and-miss (velocity) like (Carlos) Martinez or (Michael) Wacha or (Shelby) Miller, but he still has horsepower and as he improves with a style of pitching it could be there."

Kelly's fastball has still been clocked at up to 98 mph. He showed it in a 12-start stint last season in which he went 9-2 with a 2.09 ERA.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday reliever Yimi Garcia has been diagnosed with a bruised kneecap. He doesn't need surgery, but he will be slowly worked back into baseball activities.

Diamondbacks pitcher David Hernandez has reported to camp in better shape, according to the azcentral. 

Hernandez had a rough year in 2013. He posted a 4.48 ERA in 62 1/3 innings, and wasn't happy with his performance. "That was probably the worst season of my life," Hernandez said. 

He explained that part of his struggles were due to being out of shape. "I just felt so slow and out of shape," he said. "I think that had something to do with it." Hernandez weighed 260 at his heaviest last year. He reported to camp weighing 238 pounds. 

Kirk Gibson thinks Hernandez can get things together this time around. "You look at his body; he’s in better shape this year," Gibson said. "He’s a lot leaner. His mind is right. He’s just in a better spot mentally (and) physically."

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty told MLB Network Radio Sunday it is a "possibility" the team could sign Aroldis Chapman to a contract extension.

"We have talked about that and we're trying to take a couple of steps at a time," Jocketty said.

Dodgers reliever Yimi Garcia is sidelined by a sore knee and will be examined before he can resume throwing, according to MLB.com.

Garcia, who has yet to pitch in the majors, was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason.

Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel has signed a four-year extension with the club, the team announced. 

Kimbrel's deal is guaranteed to be at least worth $42 million. If his option is picked up, Kimbrel could make up to $58 million. The club was heading toward an arbitration hearing with Kimbrel, but wanted to get him under contract. The deal would take Kimbrel through his first season of free agency. There's also a report the deal contains a fifth-year option. With the signing, the Braves have no more players eligible for arbitration.

Kimbrel posted a 1.21 ERA in 67 innings last season.

The Braves are expected to avoid arbitration with reliever Craig Kimbrel, according to MLB.com.

Kimbrel was the team's last arbitration-eligible player. His hearing was coming up soon, and the team is motivated to get him signed. They've used similar strategies with both Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman this offseason. Kimbrel is arbitration-eligible through the 2016 season. It's unclear how many years his rumored extension would cover.

Kimbrel had a 1.21 ERA in 67 innings last season. 

The Dodgers avoided arbitration with closer Kenley Jansen, agreeing to a $4.3 million salary for 2014. 

One player in Phillies' camp this spring that could draw plenty of attention is reliever Ken Giles, who is looking to make the jump from high Class A to the majors. Giles grabs attention with a fastball that can hit 100 mph.

Though, control issues have plagued the hard-throwing right-hander, who has walked 5.8 batters per nine innings in his minor-league career.

"When he’s right, it’s fun to watch," Joe Jordan, the Phillies’ director of player development, told CSNPhilly.com. "It’s the stuff that pitches at the end of games in the big leagues. But he’s not there yet. He’s going to have to pitch under control and throw strikes."