MLB Player News

Hernandez was diagnosed with a low-grade UCL sprain Tuesday and won't throw for at least four weeks, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Hernandez isn't currently expected to require surgery, but he'll likely miss a meaningful portion of the regular season. He won't throw until early April at the earliest and will need several weeks to build his arm back up once he's cleared to do so, making late May the most realistic target date for Hernandez to make his 2021 debut. That's bad news for the Rangers, as Hernandez was expected to be at minimum a high-leverage reliever, and at best, the team's top candidate to close games. Jose Leclerc now seems to have a clearer path to reclaiming that role after he missed most of last season due to shoulder issues.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that Wells (oblique) continues to advance through a throwing program but remains without a clear timeline for his Grapefruit League debut, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The Orioles have been taking things slowly with Wells this spring while he manages a sore oblique. The fact that he hasn't been shut down and is continuing to throw suggests that he's making some progress in his recovery, but the time he's already missed during camp will make it difficult for the 24-year-old to secure a spot on the Orioles' Opening Day pitching staff.

Baker (elbow) will be examined by a doctor Tuesday and could be cleared to resume throwing soon, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Baker is dealing with a Grade 1 right elbow strain which reportedly involves some ligament damage, but the Blue Jays still seem hopeful that he can get back on a mound soon. He's yet to make his big-league debut and isn't on the 40-man roster, however, so he isn't expected to break camp with the team even if fully healthy.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Tuesday that the Cardinals are planning on Reyes throwing around 100 innings this season if all goes well, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Reyes was once one of the top prospects in all of baseball and a potential rotation staple, but he's run into a long list of injuries in recent seasons. He debuted with 46 innings back in 2016 but has thrown just 26.2 more in the majors over the last four years. A 100-inning target for him this season indicates that he'll spend most of the year in the bullpen but could enter the rotation at some point later in the campaign. It will be tough for him to have much fantasy value as a reliever unless he can rack up holds or carve out a steady multi-inning role that allows him to accumulate strikeouts.

The Blue Jays announced Tuesday that Merryweather is dealing with lower-back tightness and is considered day-to-day, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Merryweather is expected to be held out of Grapefruit League action as a result of the injury, but the Blue Jays are hopeful that a few days of rest will be all the right-hander needs to overcome the issue. The 29-year-old made his MLB debut in 2020, making eight appearances (three starts) and logging a 4.15 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB across 13 innings.

Pearson (groin) threw long toss from 120 feet Tuesday and is slated to repeat the activity Thursday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Pearson had most recently been playing catch from 90 feet, so he's apparently taken a marginal step forward in his throwing program. If Pearson comes out of Thursday's long-toss session without incident, he could be cleared for a bullpen session this weekend. The 24-year-old may still be facing an uphill battle to make it back for Opening Day, but he shouldn't miss much regular-season action.

Betances spent the offseason trying to regain flexibility in his shoulder and return to the arm slot he used during his peak years, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Injuries over the years dropped the right-hander's release point and had a huge impact on the movement of his fastball in particular, making it both harder to control and easier to hit when it was in the strike zone. Working with trainers at Rockland Peak Performance in New Jersey, Betances got healthier and regained range of motion in his shoulder before using high-speed cameras to break down his mechanics, going so far as to buy his own Rapsodo unit for use while traveling. His velocity has been encouraging to begin the spring, but the 32-year-old still has a long way to go to prove he's once again the pitcher who struck out triple-digit batters in five straight seasons as a late-inning weapon for the Yankees.

Strop (COVID-19 protocols) was cleared to rejoin the Cubs for workouts Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Strop was away from the team for a couple of days after the Cubs were made aware that he violated MLB's COVID-19 protocols. The veteran reliever has continued to test negative for the virus since going into self-isolation, allowing him to get the green light to quickly rejoin the team. The brief absence shouldn't affect Strop's chances of making the Cubs' Opening Day roster.

Puk will throw in simulated games Tuesday and Saturday and should get into Cactus League action soon after that, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Athletics are treating Puk with extreme caution -- a sensible plan given that injuries have limited him to just 36.2 innings over the last three years combined. Shoulder issues wiped out the entirety of his 2020 campaign. He's expected to open the year in the bullpen as the team looks to manage his workload.

Yang made his spring debut Sunday, giving up one run on two hits with a strikeout against the Dodgers.

Yang had been delayed by visa issues but is now in camp and competing for a roster spot. A starter in Korea, Yang pitched the final inning of Sunday's game.