MLB Player News

Pivetta allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five over four-plus innings in Monday's spring start against Minnesota.

Pivetta, whose pitch count reached 79 in his penultimate spring outing, was removed in the fifth inning after the first batter reached on a single. For those calendar watchers, Pivetta's five-day schedule lines up perfectly with Opening Day, March 28, on the road in Seattle. The right-hander has a 5.25 spring ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks over 12 innings.

Moll allowed two runs on two hits and two walks over one inning in Monday's spring game against the Giants.

Moll, who was delayed by left shoulder soreness, made his spring debut Monday. Despite the results, Moll is a lock for a bullpen spot provided he can build up over the next week.

Montas allowed one run on three hits while striking out five over four innings in Monday's spring start against San Francisco.

Montas elicited sighs of relief, delivering a strong outing after surrendering four runs in each of his previous two Cactus League starts. The lone run scored on a misplayed grounder up the middle. A wavering breaking ball was the main culprit in his previous outing, but Montas was able to locate the pitch better Monday, per Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Montas will have one more start before taking the ball Opening Day, March 28, at home against the Nationals.

Nelson (groin) allowed one walk over a scoreless and hitless inning in Monday's spring game against Oakland.

Nelson was held back for eight days while dealing with a groin injury, but manager Torey Lovullo never deemed the injury serious enough to impact the pitcher's availability for Opening Day. Nelson is expected to fill a middle-relief role for the Diamondbacks, as he's done each of the last two seasons.

Jarvis is still in the mix for the fifth starter job, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Gilbert re-examined the competition for the No. 5 job after the Diamondbacks optioned Slade Cecconi to minor-league camp Monday. Cecconi was seen as part of a three-man grouping that also includes Tommy Henry and Ryne Nelson, but Jarvis has been building up innings despite not making a Cactus League start. The right-hander was up to 3.1 innings his last time out, when Jarvis allowed two hits and a walk while striking out five without ceding a run. The conventional thought is that Nelson is the leader at this stage of spring.

Alcala looks set to begin the season in the Minnesota bullpen with injuries to Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) and Jhoan Duran (oblique), MLB.com reports. He has a 2.16 ERA this spring with a 10:3 K:BB in 8.1 innings.

Alcala has had a strong spring and looks back to full strength after two injury-plagued seasons. He threw just 17.1 innings last season with an ugly 6.23 ERA and missed more than four months with a stress fracture in his right forearm. He threw just 2.1 innings in 2022 due to an elbow injury that required season-ending arthroscopic debridement surgery. He could become part of the setup mix if his fastball can come close to averaging in the high-90s as it did earlier in his career (97.4 mph average in 2021).

The Athletics released Felipe (elbow) on Monday.

Felipe was designated for assignment Saturday and will now become a free agent after failing to draw any interest on waivers. He's already been ruled out for the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery Friday.

Brebbia (calf) threw one inning in a minor-league game Monday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Brebbia is working his way back from a calf injury and had a successful return to game action. He remained non-committal about his status for Opening Day, noting that he typically needs eight-to-10 innings in the exhibition season to get properly stretched out. Monday's outing marked his first game action of the spring, meaning he may need to start the regular season on the injured list.

Imanaga appears on track to start the Cubs' home opener April 1 versus the Rockies, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Justin Steele will get the ball on Opening Day in Texas on March 28, potentially followed by Kyle Hendricks and Jordan Wicks. Imanaga would then be in line to make his MLB debut when the Cubs kick off a six-game homestand to begin April. The Japanese lefty has posted a 4.66 ERA in three spring starts, but his 19 strikeouts over 9.2 innings showcase the type of potential he possesses in his first season in North America.

Buttrey was assigned to minor-league spring training Monday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Buttrey held his own while at big-league camp, surrendering one run on five hits while striking out five over five frames. He'll now set his sights on preparing for the 2024 minor-league campaign and figures to begin the year at Triple-A Tacoma.