MLB Player News

Williamson will start the Reds' Cactus League opener Saturday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Williamson seems doubtful to crack the Opening Day roster in Cincinnati, but he is on track to make his MLB debut at some point in 2023. The 24-year-old struggled with command issues last season while working to a 4.11 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 123:77 K:BB in 122.2 innings between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. Recent reports have suggested that he added an encouraging amount of velocity to his arsenal over the winter.

Reds manager David Bell said Tuesday that Ashcraft (ankle) won't have any setbacks to his spring throwing progression, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Ashcraft took a line drive off his right ankle while throwing live batting practice Monday in Reds camp, but he was walking normally soon after and should be ready to hop back on a mound later this week. The 25-year-old right-hander figures to open the 2023 campaign as the No. 3 starter in Cincinnati.

Garrett will start the Marlins' Grapefruit League opener Saturday, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Garrett might have to put on a show this spring in order to claim the final spot in Miami's season-opening starting rotation. Edward Cabrera is thought to be his primary competition for that job. There's also a chance the Marlins will roll with a six-man group of starters in the early going, though that assumes good health on all fronts coming out of camp.

Marquez (hamstring) did some jogging Monday and felt good, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Marquez suffered a left hamstring strain just before arriving to Rockies camp in Arizona, but he made it through a bullpen session without issue over the weekend and appears to be catching back up rather quickly. All current indications suggest that he will be ready for the beginning of the 2023 regular season. Look for him to begin pitching in Cactus League games around early-to-mid March.

Rogers, who missed the end of last season with a lat strain, faced live batters in camp Sunday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw faced Jazz Chisholm among other big-league hitters. Rogers is coming off a disastrous 2022 season that can't be written off as simply a result of injuries, and the 25-year-old will have a lot to prove this year if he wants to hang onto a rotation spot with prospects like Eury Perez coming up through the ranks. The fact that Rogers is healthy to begin spring training is a plus, but he should be viewed as a high-risk fantasy option even if he looks good during Grapefruit League play.

Perez topped out at 99 mph with his fastball during a live batting practice session Monday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The teenage phenom also worked on his slider and changeup, and new Marlin Luis Arraez came away from the session very impressed with Perez. "I don't tell him too much, but he's nasty," Arraez said. "He looks like a veteran there. I know he's [like] Sandy [Alcantara's] son, so he tried to follow Sandy, and he's nasty. I just talked about the changeup. He threw me one changeup -- the first one was bad -- but the last one was a beautiful changeup to roll over. He almost broke my bat. I never break bats sometimes. He almost broke my bat. He's nasty." Perez, who won't turn 20 until mid-April, is projected to begin the season with Triple-A Jacksonville, but after he posted a 106:25 K:BB through 75 innings at Double-A in 2022, it may not be long before he forces his way into Miami's rotation.

Wright (shoulder) played catch Tuesday, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Wright received a cortisone injection in January to help push through a bit of right shoulder discomfort and is currently behind the other pitchers at Atlanta's camp in Florida, but the expectation is that the 27-year-old will be ready for the beginning of the 2023 regular season. He broke out to the tune of a 21-5 record, 3.19 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 174:53 K:BB over 180.1 innings (30 starts) last year.

Ashby (shoulder) said Tuesday he's hoping to return by mid-May, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Ashby revealed the left shoulder injury he's dealing with is an impingement and a slight labral tear, specifically, and also that he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in late January. He's about halfway into a six-week shutdown period before he can ramp things back up again.

Williamson threw his fastball with more velocity than last spring in Saturday's live batting practice session, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "He has a really good feel for all of his pitches," Reds catcher Luke Maile said. "He threw a few changeups that were outstanding. He's moving his fastball around really well. He has such a clean delivery."

Williamson is hoping to win a spot in the Reds rotation, though he's likely behind Luis Cessa and Luke Weaver, among others, for the final two spots. He had a tough 2022 campaign as he advanced levels in a new organization after the Reds traded for him last spring, but said that he's improved his throwing routine and hopes to yield better results in 2023.

Eder (elbow) is feeling 100 percent and doesn't have an innings limit set for spring training, Fish on the Farm reports.

Eder will likely be monitored closely as he nears his first live action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2021. The 24-year-old has only played one year of minor-league ball in the early stages of his career, as he spent the 2021 campaign with Double-A Pensacola and turned in a sparkling 1.77 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with a 99:27 K:BB over 15 starts (71.1 innings).