MLB Player News

Jefferies could be needed in the Giants' rotation sooner rather than later if Keaton Winn (elbow) is sidelined, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

A non-roster invitee, Jefferies threw to hitters Tuesday for the first time since May of 2022 following a long rehab after his second Tommy John surgery. Given the length of time that he's missed, the expectation is that Jefferies will head to Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season. However, if he gets off to a nice start with Sacramento he could be needed on the big club in short order, particularly if Winn's elbow injury lingers. Jefferies posted a 5.75 ERA and 37:14 K:BB over 56.1 innings for the Athletics from 2020-22.

Ashcraft is a few days behind other starters after undergoing right big toe surgery last September, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Atheltic reports.

The delay doesn't sound like a major concern; the team said it's mostly about Ashcraft's conditioning. If he's only be a few days behind other starters, Ashcraft's bid for a rotation spot should not be affected.

Greene worked on adding a curveball to his repertoire during the offseason, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Greene thew mostly his fastball (54.4 percent) and slider (40.3 percent) last season while occasionally mixing in a changeup (5.3 percent). The numbers were similar to 2022. "It's exciting," Greene said Sunday about the new pitch. "(I'll) continue to refine it and work on it, but looking forward to being able to have a good offering this season." Cincinnati pitching coach Derek Johnson said Greene needed a slower pitch, which will make his fastball play better. How much Greene throws the curve, which is in the low-80s this spring, will depend on how it looks against live batters during Cactus League games. The 24-year-old right-hander, who is expected to lead the Reds' rotation, has not thrown more than 125.2 innings in either of his first two seasons in the majors.

Kelly is expected to make his spring debut March 8 against the Cubs, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Kelly is set to open the regular season as the No. 2 starter behind Zac Gallen. Including the 2023 postseason, Kelly threw 201.2 innings, marking the second straight year the right-hander crossed the 200-inning threshold. As such, manager Torey Lovullo plans a measured buildup during the Cactus League season. "[We're] really trying to limit the overall innings. We're not trying to empty the tank so quickly," the manager said. Kelly was 12-8 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 30 regular season starts last year.

Gallen is set to make his first Cactus League start March 1 against the Reds, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Gallen, projected as Arizona's No. 1 starter, tossed a career-high 243.2 innings in 2023, including the postseason. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talked about building up both Gallen and No. 2 starter Merrill Kelly, who threw a career-high 201.2 innings. "Obviously the buildup is of maximum concern -- we want to make sure they are at a certain pitch limit for their first start of the year," Lovullo said. Gallen was 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP over 34 regular-season starts last season.

Pfaadt threw his first live batting practice session Tuesday, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.

Pfaadt is looking to build off a strong finish to the 2023 season, including the postseason in which he recorded 5.2 scoreless innings in a Game 3 win over the Phillies in the National League Championship Series. The Diamondbacks point to that game -- Arizona was down 2-0 in the series -- as pivotal to their run to the World Series. Arizona pitching coach Brent Strom credited Pfaadt's better pitch mix for the right-hander's success over the second half and playoffs. Pfaadt expected to slot in at third or fourth in the rotation, depending on where manager Torey Lovullo wants to insert left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who signed a four-year deal with the D-backs during the offseason. Given that the top two members of the rotation -- Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly -- are right-handers, the manager may want to break it up with Rodriguez third and Pfaadt fourth.

Ortiz has shown good movement on his changeup and sinker early in camp, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Ortiz had some hype heading into the 2023 season, but he fell flat and ended up spending a significant amount of time at Triple-A Indianapolis. He relies heavily on his fastball, sinker and slider, so developing another offering could be a key to him taking a step forward. Early on in camp, Ortiz has shown a greater comfort level throwing his changeup, and he drew a whiff with the pitch from Oneil Cruz in a live batting practice session Monday. He'll be battling for a spot in the rotation along with Roansy Contreras, Quinn Priester and Bailey Falter this spring.

Hendricks, who threw a bullpen session Saturday, is ramping up earlier this spring compared to last year, when he was returning from a shoulder injury, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Hendricks had his 2022 campaign cut short due to a capsular tear in his right shoulder, and the injury also impacted him in 2023, as the veteran didn't throw his first spring bullpen until Feb. 24. He then didn't make a regular-season start until May as the team built him up slowly. It looks like Hendricks is healthier to kick off this season, so he stands a decent chance of surpassing the 24 starts and 137 innings he compiled in 2023. If the righty can maintain or improve upon his 3.74 ERA and 1.20 WHIP from last season, he should be a solid fantasy option in 2024.

Giants general manager Pete Pitula said Tuesday that Eldridge will focus his development as a first baseman going forward, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Eldridge was announced as a two-way player when the Giants selected him with the 16th pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, but the team believes he has the potential to be a great hitter and will now abandon hopes of using him on the mound. The 19-year-old prospect slashed .294/.400/.505 across 130 plate appearances between rookie-level Arizona Complex League and the Single-A level last season.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed Monday that Wheeler and the Phillies have been in negotiations on a long-term contract extension, Chris Nelsen of the Associated Press reports. "Zack would not mislead you. Of course, we've talked," Dombrowski said, after Wheeler relayed last Wednesday that he had been in touch with the Phillies on a new deal. "It is a priority. We would love to get that deal done."

Wheeler is heading into the final season of the five-year, $118 million deal he signed with the Phillies in December 2019. Though he's been an All-Star for only one of the first four seasons of his deal, Wheeler has provided an excellent return on the Phillies' investment, going 43-25 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 21.3 K-BB% across 101 starts. He's set to turn 34 years old in May, but Wheeler has shown no signs of decline and has arguably supplanted Aaron Nola -- who inked a seven-year, $172 million deal with the team in November -- as the staff ace. Wheeler said he prefers to have an agreement on an extension in place prior to Opening Day, and both sides should have plenty of incentive to hammer out a deal before spring training comes to a close.