MLB Player News

Nelson (shoulder) is in the mix for the No. 5 starter job, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Nelson was shut down at the end of the 2022 with a right scapula injury, but at the time, the Diamondbacks did not expect the injury to impact him going forward. The right-hander had a nice three-start run in September before the injury ended his season, posting a 1.47 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over 18.1 innings. His primary competition figures to come from Drey Jameson and Tommy Henry with top pitching prospect Brandon Pfaadt having an outside shot.

Wacha's one-year, $7.5 million contract with the Padres contains a two-year club option for 2024-25 and a three-year player option for 2024-26.

If the Padres decline their two-year, $32 million club option after the 2023 season, then Wacha has the ability to exercise a three-year, $18.5 million player option. There's also a $500,000 incentive for both 20 and 25 games started and a $1 million incentive for games started in 2023 and all player option years. All told, the deal guarantees Wacha at least $26 million and could be worth up to $41.5 million.

Williams is expected to begin the season in the Nationals' rotation, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The veteran right-hander signed with Washington in the hopes of returning to full-time starting duty after making 21 of his 30 appearances last year for the Mets out of the bullpen, and with Stephen Strasburg experiencing a setback in his recovery from thoracic outlet surgery, Williams should be locked into a rotation spot to begin the campaign. Whether the 30-year-old is best suited for the rotation is another question, however -- his FIP was nearly two runs higher in 2022 as a starter rather than as a reliever (5.00 vs 3.03), and he lost more than seven points off his strikeout rate (18.2 percent vs. 25.8 percent).

Senzatela (knee) is expected to make his return to the Rockies' rotation sometime in May, Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette reports.

Senzatela's season was cut short in 2022 after he tore his left ACL in August. Once he fully recovers, the 28-year-old righty figures to reclaim a spot in the back end of Colorado's rotation. Senzatela held a 5.07 ERA and 1.69 WHIP through 92.1 innings last year before suffering the injury.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez noted Wednesday that Cavalli (shoulder) is not guaranteed to make the Opening Day rotation, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

"There's nothing really set in stone," said Martinez. "Everything's wide open." Cavalli is the team's top pitching prospect, but he has struggled with command issues in the minor leagues and got lit up by the lowly Reds in his MLB debut last summer. He then went down with a shoulder injury, though that doesn't seem to be a lingering issue. Martinez wants to see the 24-year-old right-hander "pound the strike zone" on a consistent basis this spring.

Wood (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Wood closed the 2022 season on the 60-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement, but his ability to get back on the mound during the first week of spring training suggests that he's returned to full health. The next injury never seems to be far behind Wood, but when he's been able to enjoy a run of sustained health in the past, the veteran lefty has shown the ability to deliver fantasy-friendly numbers. While that wasn't the case in 2022 -- he finished with a career-worst 5.10 ERA in 130.2 innings -- most other underlying metrics (3.29 xFIP, 3.45 SIERA, 18.2 K-BB%) suggested that Wood pitched far better than his ERA indicated. Assuming he escapes spring training unscathed, Wood should have a spot in the San Francisco rotation and may make for an attractive late-round target in deep-league drafts or an appealing early-season streaming option in shallower formats.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that Strasburg (ribs/shoulder) experienced a nerve-related setback during a recent offseason bullpen session and is currently rehabbing in Washington, D.C., Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

The report follows one earlier in the day from Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com, who noted that Strasburg's name was absent from the list of 34 healthy pitchers at Nationals camp in Florida. Strasburg reached the point in his offseason rehab program where he was able to complete one bullpen session without incident, but Martinez said the right-hander had trouble following the second session. The nerve-related issue can be tied to Strasburg's ongoing struggles with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition he addressed through surgery in July 2021. The veteran is without a clear timeline to join the Nationals following the setback, but he now appears on track to begin the season on the injured list.

Strasburg (ribs/shoulder) is not included among the list of healthy pitchers in Nationals camp, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com.

There are 34 pitchers on that list, and Strasburg's name is absent. He has also yet to be spotted at the Nats' spring training facility in Florida. It's becoming quite clear that the 34-year-old right-hander is not going to be ready for the start of the 2023 season as he continues to work through thoracic outlet syndrome and a stress reaction in his rib cage. He's thrown just 31.1 major-league innings since the start of the 2020 season.

Gore (elbow) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and appears to be entering spring training as a full participant, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

After being shipped to Washington last July in the Juan Soto blockbuster, Gore didn't get a chance to make his Nationals debut while he recovers from left elbow soreness and inflammation. The 23-year-old lefty was at least able to make four minor-league rehab starts in September, and he likely would have been ready to pitch for the big club in October had the season lasted another week or two. With a full offseason to further heal from the injury, Gore should open camp with a good shot at claiming a back-end spot in the big-league rotation. During his first taste of the majors with San Diego in 2022, Gore submitted a 4.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 72:37 K:BB across 70 frames.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters Wednesday that Hendricks (shoulder) is likely to miss the start of the season, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

While the club is preparing for Hendricks to miss the start of the season, Hoyer notes that the team isn't ready to place the right-hander on the 60-day injured list at this point. Although the 33-year-old is obviously behind in his program, it is expected that he will be able to start throwing off the mound soon as he recovers from the capsular tear that sidelined him for the second half of the 2022 campaign. Hendricks wasn't particularly effective in his time with the Cubs last season while posting a 4.80 ERA in 84.1 innings, and there's more risk than reward in his fantasy potential at this stage in his career.