MLB Player News

Strop lost 20 pounds during the offseason and is fully healthy to begin spring training, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Strop dealt with hip and groin injuries last season but is a non-roster invitee during spring training with the Cubs. The right-hander is hopeful that his weight loss will help him avoid some of the lower-body injuries that he's dealt with in the past while also improving his flexibility. The right-hander made 54 relief appearances with the Cubs and Reds across the past two seasons and posted a 4.91 ERA and 52:26 K:BB over 44 innings.

Stiever will stay stretched out and will serve as starting depth in 2021, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Stiever made two starts for the White Sox during the abbreviated 2020 season and allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out three over 6.1 innings. Although he struggled over a limited sample last year, manager Tony La Russa called the right-hander a "future rotation fixture" Wednesday and said that he has no plans to use him as a reliever.

Lambert (forearm) will stay stretched out and should serve as starting depth during the 2021 season, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Lambert missed most of the 2020 campaign due to a right forearm strain, but he threw a live bullpen session Wednesday. Although he served as a reliever in each of his first two major-league appearances last year, manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday that the team intends to use him as starting depth while calling him a "future rotation fixture." La Russa said he has no plans to make him a reliever heading into the season, Vinnie Duber of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Hand threw 25 pitches in a batting practice session Tuesday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. "He threw the ball really, really well. So he's getting close to getting in a game here soon," manager Dave Martinez said afterwards.

The southpaw was signed in the offseason to shore up the back of the Nationals' bullpen after being cut loose by Cleveland in October. Hand has recorded 103 saves over the last four seasons, and while Martinez has been seemingly reluctant so far to definitively state that the 30-year-old is his closer, there's currently no reason to think Hand has any serious competition for the role.

Williams is scheduled to throw his fourth bullpen session of the spring Thursday, Sophia Minnaert of Fox Sports Wisconsin reports.

Williams dealt with right shoulder soreness late in the 2020 campaign but received full medical clearance in October. However, the Brewers continue to bring him along slowly during spring training to protect his health for the regular season. Manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Williams won't pitch in a Cactus League game until after March 17, but the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year remains on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Manager Bud Black said Wednesday that Lawrence has officially been cleared to play following his 80-game suspension in 2020, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Lawrence advanced through the minors rapidly over the past few seasons, but he missed the entire 2020 campaign after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He posted an 8.76 ERA and 2.05 WHIP across 37 innings while making 38 relief appearances for the Double-A and Triple-A clubs in 2019, but the organization is reportedly still optimistic that the hard-throwing righty could develop into a back-end bullpen arm at some point.

Mata was scratched from relief work Wednesday due to right triceps soreness, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Mata was not likely to make the big-league club out of camp, but he could make his MLB debut this year if he's healthy this summer. It's unclear when he will be healthy enough to resume throwing.

Fulmer (personal) is scheduled to start Saturday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Fulmer has been away from the team for a few days following the birth of his child, but he is set to rejoin the Tigers this weekend. Barring any hiccups, he will have plenty of time to build up his pitch count before Opening Day.

Green was originally scheduled to travel with the Yankees and pitch in Tuesday's game, but he instead threw a live batting practice session at the team's minor-league complex, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Manager Aaron Boone indicated that the organization prefers to work some of its higher-leverage relievers into action cautiously, which explains the change in plans for Green. The 29-year-old is expected to fill a setup role in his sixth season with the Yankees.

Alzolay pitched a scoreless inning in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Royals. He struck out one.

Alzolay is competing for a rotation spot this spring, and he followed staff ace Kyle Hendricks, who pitched the Cactus League opener Monday. Despite being second out the gates in the exhibition slate, Alzolay will likely slot in behind the likes of Zach Davies, Jake Arrieta and Alec Mills during the regular season. Veteran Trevor Williams is also in the mix for a back-end spot.