MLB Player News

The Pirates are planning to use Oviedo as a starter in 2023, Rob Biertemptfel of The Athletic reports.

Oviedo has gotten most of his big-league experience as a reliever, though he made seven starts in Pittsburgh to close out 2022 after being acquired by the team at the trade deadline. He posted a solid 3.23 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 30 innings in that span, and he is likely to make starts at some point in 2023. For the time being, he's on the outside looking in for a regular rotation spot, but he should be among the top candidates to fill in if injury or poor performance requires the rotation to be shuffled.

Sanchez (shoulder) is not expected to be ready for game action until the summer, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Sanchez underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in October, and has seen his development stalled by injuries -- particularly over the last couple of seasons. He's expected to start throwing bullpens soon and also reportedly got in significantly better shape over the offseason, but Miami is going to take things slowly with the 24-year-old. There's still reason for optimism in the long term, but Sanchez offers just as much risk as he does reward for 2023, if not more.

Senzatela (knee) threw a bullpen session Friday, Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette reports.

It's a big step for Senzatela as he continues to work his way back from last August's torn left ACL. The big right-hander is hoping to be ready to rejoin the Rockies' rotation at some point in May, although he still has plenty of hoops to jump through before a timetable for his return becomes clearer.

Senga displayed noticeably better command in his latest bullpen session Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

His fastball touched 98 mph during the session. Senga has had a bit of a tough time adjusting to the larger ball and steeper mound in MLB, but per DiComo, the Mets aren't worried. After signing a five-year, $75 million contract out of Japan over the offseason, Senga will be deployed as a mid-rotation starter in his debut big-league campaign.

Hendricks (shoulder) threw a light bullpen session Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

It only lasted 10 pitches and wasn't at full effort, but Hendricks felt good during and after the mound workout. It was his first time stepping on the bump since he suffered a capsular tear in his right shoulder last summer. The veteran starter is not expected to be ready for the beginning of the 2023 regular season, but the hope is that his initial IL stint will be a relatively short one.

Ashcraft (ankle) threw a successful round of live batting practice Friday, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Ashcraft made an early exit from his last round of live BP after taking a comebacker off his right ankle, but the 25-year-old hasn't skipped a beat with his spring training throwing progression. He'll soon begin appearing in Cactus League games as he readies himself for a prominent spot in Cincinnati's starting rotation.

Wright (shoulder) was encouraged by how Friday's bullpen session went, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Wright threw 23 fastballs and wound up unintentionally surpassing the 85 mph mark he was targeting for much of the session. It was his first regular bullpen session of the spring as he works his way back from right shoulder discomfort, and the right-hander said his "arm felt as fresh as it's been in a while." While Wright wasn't ready to definitively say he'll be ready for his first regular-season rotation turn, he appears to be on track.

Marquez (hamstring) will throw live batting practice Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Marquez came into camp with a sore left hamstring, but he's been going through workouts the last several days with no issues and is now ready to test things out against hitters. The veteran right-hander will probably need another week or so before he's ready for game action.

Falter's primary competition for the Phillies' No. 5 starter spot is phenom Andrew Painter, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Falter would be the more traditional selection for the fifth starter's spot, as he has paid his dues and had some success in the rotation last season, but he obviously can't match Painter's upside. The 25-year-old southpaw had a 3.76 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 71 strikeouts in 76.2 innings as a starter last season.

Painter has a legitimate chance to win the Phillies' No. 5 starter spot in spring training, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Painter will be primarily competing with Bailey Falter for the fifth starter spot, while Cristopher Sanchez, Nick Nelson and Michael Plassmeyer are emergency depth options. Painter is arguably the No. 1 pitching prospect in the game, and his skills belie his youth, as evidenced by his 1.8 percent walk rate in 28.1 innings as a 19-year-old at Double-A. He took part in a live batting practice session earlier this week and has been bonding with veterans Zack Wheeler and Kyle Schwarber so far in camp.