MLB Player News

Stephan (elbow) threw a bullpen session Saturday.

Saturday marks the first time Stephan has thrown off a mound this spring while he works his way back from UCL reconstruction surgery. He seems to be trending in the right direction but still has several boxes to check before being cleared for game action, which isn't likely to happen for another couple of months.

Assad (oblique) will begin the season on the injured list, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Assad is aiming to resume throwing off a mound sometime next week, but the Cubs have determined that he won't have enough time to work his way back before the beginning of the season. With Assad now out of the running, Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown will spend the rest of camp competing for the fifth spot in Chicago's Opening Day rotation.

Atlanta reassigned Shreve to minor-league camp Saturday.

Shreve fired three scoreless innings during Grapefruit League play, but Atlanta will opt to keep him in their minor-league system to begin the new season. The 34-year-old southpaw posted a 2.65 ERA and 0.85 WHIP across 34 frames in Triple-A last year, and he could earn a call to the majors with similar production.

Garcia (forearm) is expected to make his Cactus League debut Monday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Garcia has been dealing with some irritation in his left forearm over the past few weeks, but he was able to get through a live session Thursday without any issues and is now cleared to return to a competitive setting. The 28-year-old turned in a 4.22 ERA and 1.19 WHIP alongside a 75:16 K:BB across 59.2 innings with the Nationals last season and is expected to handle high-leverage situations for Texas in 2025.

The Cubs optioned Kilian to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Kilian gave up eight hits and a walk over 3.2 innings during spring training. The 27-year-old righty owns a career 9.22 ERA and 2.01 WHIP across 27.1 MLB frames, and his 40-man spot could be in jeopardy soon.

The Cubs optioned Poteet to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Poteet struggled to find his footing this spring, giving up four earned runs over 3.1 innings. He'll head to Iowa to begin the 2025 campaign but is certainly capable of working his way back to the majors after turning in a 2.22 ERA over 24.1 regular-season frames with the Yankees last year.

The Cubs optioned Neely to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Neely allowed one earned run on two hits and a walk while striking out three batters over his two innings of Cactus League action, but the Cubs will need to see more from him in the minors before adding him to their bullpen. The 24-year-old posted a 3.26 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 19.1 innings in Triple-A last year.

The Cubs optioned Hollowell to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Hollowell made just one appearance for the Cubs during Cactus League play, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two batters over one inning. He'll work as bullpen depth in the minors to open the new season.

Miller (finger) didn't throw his scheduled live bullpen session Saturday due to an illness, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Miller has been battling numbness in a finger on his left (throwing) hand recently, though that isn't what held him back Saturday. The 27-year-old southpaw will take a day or two to recover before continuing to work toward making his spring debut.

Bradford allowed three hits and one walk while striking out three over three scoreless inning in Friday's spring start against the Cubs.

This was Bradford's second Cactus League start, and the left-hander upped his pitch count to 48 (34 strikes). Among those 48 pitches, 26 were the four-seam fastball, which induced eight called strikes or whiffs, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. "Extension helps a lot," the 27-year-old said of his fastball. "It's got a little bit of a hop. There's some vert to it. It's pretty efficient. And, probably, I'd say, command [makes a difference]." Bradford looks primed to push for a rotation spot; he's yet to allow a run over five innings this spring, striking out five and walking one.