MLB Player News

Mears is back in Brewers camp after battling a stomach bug that caused him to lose nine pounds, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Mears suspects he will need 4-to-5 days in order to regain strength before he's ready to get back on a mound. He's already made three appearances this spring, so he won't be starting from scratch, which should allow the reliever time to ramp back up fore Opening Day.

The Padres optioned Cruz to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

Cruz reached Triple-A for the first time last season, where he logged a 4.42 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 38.2 frames. He performed a bit better in the Cactus League, surrendering just one run in five innings, but San Diego will need a larger sample size from him at El Paso before granting him a bullpen spot.

The Padres optioned Cosgrove to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

Cosgrove never quite got his feet underneath him in the majors last season, turning in an 11.66 ERA and 1.98 WHIP across 14.2 regular-season innings. His struggles followed him into spring training, where he allowed seven runs in just 5.1 frames, so the Friars will keep him in the minor leagues for now.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Thursday that Maton is "fully built up" after working out the last several weeks in Arizona, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Maton was signed to a one-year contract Thursday, just two weeks before Opening Day. However, it sounds like he'll be ready to roll for the Cardinals' March 27 opener against the Twins. Maton will throw a live batting practice session Sunday and should see game action shortly after that. He is projected for a setup role in St. Louis.

Manaea was cleared to play catch earlier this week after an MRI on his right oblique was negative, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

With his oblique strain healed, the left-hander has begun his throwing progression. Manaea will need several weeks to get fully stretched out, but he could be ready to make his season debut sometime in April.

Horn was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on Thursday.

The 27-year-old southpaw endured a rough spring, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one batter over 2.1 innings in the Grapefruit League. Horn will now be subjected to waivers and could attract interest from teams in need of lefty relief help. While he has mostly struggled against big-league competition, Horn put up a 2.15 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 21 appearances with Boston's Triple-A affiliate last season.

Suarez allowed four runs on five hits and one walk over one-third of an inning in a Cactus League contest against Colorado on Wednesday.

Suarez entered in the fourth inning and surrendered a single to five of the first six batters he faced to allow the Rockies to plate three runs. The right-hander walked the final batter of his outing to load the bases before being pulled. Suarez has given up eight runs over 3.2 frames across five appearances this spring while posting a 4:4 K:BB, and it's worth noting that Suarez struggled with a 5.24 ERA over the final two months of the regular season last year. However, he's almost certain to open this season as San Diego's closer, with Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada next in line should Suarez's struggles continue beyond the exhibition slate.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that Graveman has experienced more back tightness following Tuesday's live batting practice session, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Graveman appeared to have turned a corner in his recovery from the back issue, but now he's encountered a setback. The veteran reliever has not yet appeared in a Cactus League game after missing the entirety of the 2024 season following shoulder surgery. Graveman's availability for Opening Day is very much in question.

Holmes allowed one hit and three walks over five scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He struck out five.

The 28-year-old right-hander came into camp penciled into a rotation spot for Atlanta, and Holmes has only tightened his grip on the job since. Over 10 Grapefruit League innings, he's given up one run with a 9:5 K:BB. Holmes will need to keep pitching well through the first month or so of the season in order to stick in the rotation once Spencer Strider (elbow) is cleared to make his 2025 debut.

Minter (hip) will make his Grapefruit League in Wednesday's game versus the Cardinals, Manny Gomez of NJ.com reports.

Minter will be in line for his first game action since he underwent hip surgery last August. He has just over two weeks to ramp up for Opening Day, but since he'll be deployed as a one-inning reliever, he'll likely need only a handful of appearances in spring training to get himself ready. He's projected to help set up for closer Edwin Diaz in the Mets bullpen this season.