MLB Player News

Fulmer agreed to a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Monday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training, which will give Fulmer the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Pirates' Opening Day bullpen. The 32-year-old righty didn't pitch after Aug. 23 last season after sustaining a right elbow strain, but with the offseason to recover, he should be at or near full health. Fulmer made 13 appearances out of the Angels bullpen prior to being shut down with the injury, turning in a 5.83 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 29.1 innings.

Strzelecki recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless inning during Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Strzelecki suffered a right elbow strain last season but has since put the injury behind him. The 31-year-old looked sharp in his first action of the spring, firing 11 of his 13 pitches for strikes. Strzelecki inked a minor-league deal with the Brewers earlier in February and will continue to compete for a bullpen spot as camp rolls on.

Junk (ankle) played catch Saturday without a boot, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Junk began wearing a boot as a precaution after suffering a mild right ankle sprain during a drill Tuesday. Now that he's resumed throwing, he could also soon be cleared to appear in Grapefruit League games, though the Marlins have yet to confirm when that will happen.

Stewart (shoulder) recently began throwing off a mound to a standing catcher, and the Dodgers are aiming for him to progress to full bullpen sessions in early March, per MLB.com.

Stewart continues to rehab from the right shoulder debridement procedure he underwent last September. The veteran reliever isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day, but if he doesn't encounter any setbacks, he could be part of Los Angeles' bullpen sometime during the first half of the campaign. When healthy, Stewart should have a chance to work his way up to high-leverage opportunities.

Hentges (shoulder/knee) has been throwing 40-pitch bullpen sessions, though he has yet to face hitters and does not have an exact timeline for game action, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Hentges is still ramping up after undergoing left shoulder surgery in September 2024 and arthroscopic right knee surgery in August 2025. The left-hander said he hopes to get some games in during spring training, but there's still a chance he won't be ready for Opening Day. Hentges missed the entire 2025 campaign due to the shoulder surgery. During the 2024 season with Cleveland, he recorded a 3.04 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB across 23.2 relief innings.

Adam (quadriceps) remains on track for Opening Day, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Adam's declaration last week on 97.3 The Fan that he thought he could be ready for the opener seemed like mere optimism. However, it appears he does indeed have a chance to avoid a stint on the injured list, with the reliever noting Friday that the Padres' medical staff was "on board." Recovering from left quadriceps tendon repair surgery, Adam has been throwing bullpens since early December and recently began change-of-direction drills, as well as fielding drills while remaining stationary. He's slated to work as one of closer Mason Miller's main setup men.

Matsui cut a live batting practice session short Thursday due to left groin tightness, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Matsui is now questionable to participate in the World Baseball Classic for Team Japan, though he could resume playing catch as soon as Saturday. The left-hander has been a solid contributor in his first two regular seasons with the Padres, posting a 3.86 ERA and 130:60 K:BB over 126 innings.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Friday that O'Brien will be shut down for a few days due to a mild right calf strain, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.

It will take a couple weeks for O'Brien to ramp things back up, so it will be at least the beginning of March before he's ready to pitch in spring training games. O'Brien is also now unlikely to pitch for Team South Korea in the World Baseball Classic, though he will remain in the player pool in case there's a chance he can be added later. The injury could also affect O'Brien's chances at opening the season as the Cardinals' closer. He is in the mix for saves with JoJo Romero and perhaps Matt Svanson.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Imanaga has been throwing harder early this spring, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Counsell didn't offer specifics on Imanaga's velocity, but he believes the left-hander wasn't throwing as hard last season because a hamstring injury caused his mechanics to get out of whack. After averaging 91.7 mph and earning a plus-4 run value by Baseball Savant with his four-seamer in 2024, Imanaga averaged 90.8 mph and netted a minus-10 run value in 2025. The southpaw accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer this offseason to return to the Cubs for 2026.

Lopez sat at 93 mph and touched 94 in the second inning of his live batting practice session Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It's an encouraging spot to be at this stage of spring training for Lopez, who averaged 95.5 mph with his four-seamer during his All-Star 2024 season. The right-hander made just one start in 2025 before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder, but he is without restrictions this spring and has a spot in Atlanta's rotation locked up.