MLB Player News

Reds GM Nick Krall said that Castillo will not be traded at this time, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Krall also said that fellow rotation-mate Tyler Mahle would stay put for the time being. We'll see if it's just a question of whether the Reds could find the right market for Castillo, or if they truly intend to hold on to him for a while.

Nola is scheduled to start and throw around 35 pitches in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The projected 35-pitch count signals that Nola is well on his way to getting stretched out for a starter's workload by the time the Phillies' April 8 regular-season opener versus the Athletics arrives. Nola is coming off a down 2021 fantasy season in which he submitted the second-worst ERA of his career (4.63), but most underlying indicators (3.37 xFIP, 3.26 SIERA, 24.6 K-BB%) point to him pitching just as effectively as he had in previous years. He likely won't come at a major discount at the draft table, but fantasy managers can invest in Nola with a good deal of confidence that his ERA will bounce back to some degree.

Atlanta placed Soroka (Achilles) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Soroka's move to the 60-day IL clears a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Eddie Rosario, whom Atlanta re-signed Wednesday to a two-year, $18 million deal. Though Atlanta hasn't provided a definitive recovery timeline for Soroka's return after he underwent his second surgery in as many seasons last June to repair a torn right Achilles' tendon, he was never expected to be ready to go for the start of the upcoming season. To that end, Atlanta's decision to officially rule him out for the next two months comes as little surprise, but Soroka said Wednesday that he's optimistic he'll be ready to pitch at some point during the second half of the season, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Soroka has since been cleared to resume running and throwing, but he has yet to get back on the mound.

Corbin (finger) said Wednesday that he expects to be ready to pitch in time for the start of the 2022 season, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Corbin missed the end of the 2021 campaign due to a blister on his finger, but he hopes to be built up to around 100 pitches by the time the regular season gets underway in 2022. The southpaw has made 30-plus starts in each of the last four full seasons, but he struggled last year, posting a 5.82 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 171.2 innings across 31 starts.

Flaherty (shoulder) underwent an MRI on Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Flaherty was absent from Tuesday's team workout since he was having his right shoulder evaluated, and the Cardinals are hopeful that Flaherty's MRI will provide a diagnosis for the extent of his injury. Even if the issue is deemed to be minor, any potential delay in the right-hander's spring training workload could limit his availability to begin the regular season.

Gallen (shoulder) threw off a mound Tuesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Gallen reported feeling fine following the session, which is an encouraging sign for the right-hander who started feeling stiffness when he ramped up throwing in December. He's expected to throw one or two more bullpens this week, which puts him slightly behind other starters. Gallen added it was too soon to tell if he'll be delayed at the start of the season, but he told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that if he is behind schedule, it would not be by much.

Paddack (elbow) has been throwing bullpen sessions and is expected to compete for a spot in the Padres' starting rotation this season, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Paddack was shut down in September of last season due to a slight UCL sprain in his right elbow, and he consequently started his offseason throwing program later than normally planned. However, he is said to be ready for game action and has already been tossing bullpen sessions in camp. San Diego's top four starters appear to be set in stone, so Paddack will likely compete with Nick Martinez, among others, for the final spot in the rotation.

Darvish said Tuesday that he worked on his mechanics during the offseason and that his hip has healed "nicely," Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Darvish had a fantastic start to his debut campaign with the Padres in 2021, posting a 2.44 ERA and 115:23 K:BB though his first 96 innings. Things fell apart after that, however, as he registered a 6.65 ERA from July 3 onward. His struggles were at least partly due to back and hip issues that affected him throughout the second half of the campaign, so it makes sense that his offseason mechanical alterations were intended to help place less stress on the lower back and hip area. Darvish was outstanding in 2020 and for the first half of 2021, so there's certainly the possibility of a bounce-back performance this season. However, fantasy managers should keep in mind that the veteran is 36 years old and that back and hip injuries tend to be tough to entirely shake.

Stroman will make his spring training debut Friday against the Giants, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Stroman joined the Cubs in the offseason and will look to make a strong first impression with his new club. Kyle Hendricks will make his spring debut a day earlier, so perhaps that will be the order heading into the regular season. Either way, Stroman will be expected to be a key contributor in the rotation. After not pitching in the shortened 2020 season, the righty registered a solid 3.02 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 179 innings with the Mets last year.

Hendricks will make his spring training debut Thursday against the White Sox, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Hendricks likely won't pitch too deep into the game, as the team will want him to shake off some rust but still stay fresh for the regular season. The 32-year-old, who posted a subpar 4.77 ERA across 181 innings in 2021, will work as the Cubs' No. 1 or No. 2 starter this season, with newcomer Marcus Stroman filling the other spot atop the rotation. Stroman is set for his spring debut on Friday, so Chicago may be tipping its hand with this order, but more clarity will emerge closer to Opening Day.