MLB Player News

Bednar (back) hasn't been taking part in workouts with the Giants thus far in spring training and is "still working his way back," Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The Giants are expected to provide another update on the young right-hander's status in the coming days, but he looks as though he's still in the midst of an extended shutdown period that dates back to the Arizona Fall League. The 2021 first-round pick has yet to pitch above the Single-A level through his first three seasons in the professional ranks, with injuries playing a major part in his slow ascent through the San Francisco farm system.

Rodriguez is scheduled to start the Diamondbacks' spring opener Friday versus the Rockies, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Rodriguez will likely work just an inning or two before turning the game over to the bullpen. After joining Arizona on a four-year, $74 million deal in free agency this winter, Rodriguez is projected to open the season as the No. 3 starter behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly as the Diamondbacks look to build on last season's surprise run to the National League pennant.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Senga experienced arm fatigue during his side session Tuesday and is being evaluated by the training staff, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Mendoza didn't sound too concerned that Senga was dealing with an injury that could threaten his availability for the start of the season, but the Mets likely won't know the full extent of the issue until he's evaluated further. Senga walked 11.1 percent of the batters he faced during his first season in the majors in 2023, but he otherwise made a smooth transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB, pitching to a 2.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP while striking out 202 batters over 166.1 innings. The Mets are counting on Senga to serve as the clear No. 1 starter in 2024 after the team shipped out Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in midseason deals last summer.

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.