MLB Player News

Williams is working on a slider or cutter this spring, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Williams threw a slider in the minors but hasn't used it much in the majors. His elite changeup is the pitch that carries his profile, but an additional secondary could give him an unexpected additional weapon and could make his changeup even better if hitters aren't able to sit on it quite as much.

Reyes underwent an MRI on his sore right shoulder Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Reyes finally had a healthy season last year and wound up with 29 saves and a 3.24 ERA, but it looks as though he may not be so lucky this season. For now, he and the Cardinals are treating his issue as merely lingering soreness from last season, but the results of the MRI could potentially reveal a more serious injury.

Martin agreed Tuesday with the Cubs on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports. The deal contains $500,000 in performance bonuses.

Martin is expected to slot into a setup role for Chicago, though he could be in the mix for closing chances if the presumptive favorite for the job, Rowan Wick, falters at any point. The 35-year-old right-hander has been effective between stops in Texas and Atlanta over the last three seasons, generating a 3.23 ERA and 25.5 K% over 123 relief appearances during that stretch.

Alzolay's shoulder injury has been diagnosed as a lat strain and will keep him out for at least two months, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Alzolay's injury was previously referred to as merely tightness, but it's now clear that it's a significant issue and will keep him out for an extended period. The righty dealt with the same injury back in 2018. Assuming he'll be able to reclaim a starting role once healthy, he could be a productive pitcher for the final four months of the season, as his mediocre 4.58 ERA last season came with a promising set of peripherals. His 24.7 percent strikeout rate, 6.6 percent walk rate and 45.3 percent groundball rate were all better than league average. In leagues without an injured list, however, he's unlikely to move the needle enough to be worth blocking a bench spot for the first two months of the year.

Nelson (elbow) returned to the Dodgers on Tuesday, Pedro Moura of Fox Sports reports.

Nelson's contract is a major-league one and comes with a team option for 2023, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The 32-year-old recorded an excellent 1.86 ERA and a 37.9 percent strikeout rate last season, but that came in just 29 innings, as he hit the injured list three times and missed almost all of the last two months of the season with an elbow issue that eventually required surgery.

Diekman finalized a two-year, $7 million contract with the Red Sox on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. The contract includes a $4 million club option for 2024.

Diekman and Matt Strahm both reported to Red Sox camp Tuesday, after the two lefty relievers came to terms with Boston on contracts over the weekend. Their additions will give manager Alex Cora some more options in the late innings, as Boston mostly got by with Josh Taylor as its main southpaw reliever in 2021 while Darwinzon Hernandez dealt with injury and ineffectiveness for much of the campaign. Diekman could also factor into Boston's closing picture, though any save chances he might receive would likely come against lefty-heavy lineups. The 35-year-old is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 83:34 K:BB in 60.2 innings while converting seven saves in 14 chances and adding 14 holds.

Cabrera (visa issues) arrived at the Cardinals' spring training complex Tuesday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session later in the day, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Cabrera missed only a few days of camp while he waited to acquire a visa, so he shouldn't need much time to catch up to the Cardinals' other relief pitchers. The 25-year-old lefty was an integral part of the bullpen in 2021, making 71 appearances and delivering a 3.73 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 70 innings.

The Pirates placed Mears on the 60-day injured list Tuesday while he continues to recover from arthroscopic surgery for his right elbow, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Biertempfel relays that Mears had the procedure Feb. 9 for the purpose of cleaning up scar tissue in his right elbow. Since his surgery wasn't a reconstructive one, Mears should have a chance at being available to rejoin the Pirates in June once the 60-day window ends. The Pirates signed veteran reliever Heath Hembree to take Mears' spot on the 40-man roster and in Pittsburgh's bullpen.

The Red Sox signed Diekman on Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Diekman was one of two left-handed relievers recently signed by the Red Sox, the team's first two post-lockout moves. Addressing bullpen needs was the first item both manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom mentioned when first talking with reporters. Pitching coach David Bush said Diekman figures to be in the mix for key spots late in games. "He's had a pretty good track record in leverage innings, leverage opportunities," Bush said. "I think he can get lefties and righties out. We tend not to view guys as specialists, just the way our bullpen works and he fits that." The Red Sox have yet to declare a closer, although Matt Barnes will be prominent late in games if he can shed whatever issues caused him to blow up in the second half of 2021.

Ridings has yet to start throwing due to shoulder and back issues, Max Goodman of SI.com reports.

Ridings has pitched only five big-league innings, though he fared well by posting a 7:2 K:BB and allowing only one earned run across the five frames last season. He could compete for a bullpen role out of spring training if he heals up relatively quickly, but he may otherwise be destined to start the season at the Triple-A level.