MLB Player News

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.

Urias said Tuesday that he reported to spring training at 223 pounds, about 20 pounds lighter than he was at the end of the 2021 season, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. "I always come to spring training lighter," Urias said. "I don't know. I've lost more weight in the past."

The weight loss doesn't seem to be borne out of a desire for better results, coming off a breakout 2021 campaign in which Urias compiled a 2.96 ERA and 195 strikeouts over 185.2 innings. Instead, Urias attributed his svelter body to approaching his career with more maturity and professionalism. Still just 25 years old, Urias might yet be able to reach another level, but even if he merely maintains his strong form from 2021, he'll have an argument for being the majors' top No. 3 pitcher in any rotation. The Dodgers re-signed Clayton Kershaw last week to pair with budding ace Walker Buehler atop the rotation, while the pitching staff could get stronger yet if and when Trevor Bauer (personal) returns from administrative leave.

Manager David Ross said Tuesday that Steele and Keegan Thompson will be the primary competitors for the fifth and final spot in the Cubs' Opening Day rotation, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Ross left the door open for the Cubs to add another starting pitcher or two via trade or free agency before the start of the season, but for now, the club is looking internally to fill the void in the rotation created by the injury to Adbert Alzolay (lat), who is expected to miss at least two months. Both Steele and Thompson saw most of their initial appearances with the big club last season as relievers, but the two got the chance to pick up regular starts in the second half while the non-contending Cubs shifted into evaluation mode. Over his nine starts in 2021, Steele posted a 4.95 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 38:20 while coughing up 10 home runs over 43.2 innings.

Wheeler (shoulder) skipped his scheduled Thursday bullpen session due to the flu, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Wheeler has already been ruled out for an Opening Day start, as his throwing program was delayed over the winter by shoulder soreness. There haven't yet been reports that he's dealing with any significant shoulder issue, so he wasn't expected to miss much more than one start, but another slight delay from the flu could push him back further. A brief trip to the injured list could be in play if his buildup process keeps getting delayed.

Flaherty didn't participate in Tuesday's team workout after he was sent in for a medical evaluation of his right shoulder, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

The results of Flaherty's tests aren't yet known, but any arm-related injury for a pitcher this close to Opening Day is obviously concerning. The Cardinals are hoping to gain more clarity on Flaherty's health situation in the next few days, but even if he's diagnosed with minor soreness, it could delay his throwing schedule enough to put his availability for the start of the season in jeopardy.

Strasburg (neck) acknowledged that though he felt good while facing hitters during Tuesday's live batting practice session, he may not be ready to go by Opening Day due to the compressed spring training caused by the MLB lockout, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. "I think for me, it's about sticking to the program, and my routine is having a six-week spring training," said Strasburg, whose 2021 season was cut short after he underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last July. "I think of all years to try and be aggressive, I don't know if that's necessarily the right year, the right time to do it."

Based on the comments made so far this spring from general manager Mike Rizzo, manager Dave Martinez and himself, Strasburg seems to be in an excellent spot health-wise following a procedure that has been known to derail pitchers' careers in the past. Even though Strasburg isn't behind any of the other starting pitchers in camp, the veteran right-hander and the Nationals both appear to be on the same page about not pushing things during the buildup process at the risk of negating all the good progress he's made in his recovery thus far. If Strasburg stays committed to the six-week buildup program and he feels mentally ready to pitch by the end of it, he'll still be on pace to make his season debut by mid-to-late April, which would put him on track to make 30-plus starts over the course of a full campaign.

Castillo (personal) arrived at camp Tuesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Castillo's arrival was delayed slightly by a family issue. The delay probably wasn't significant enough to meaningfully affect his preparation for the season.

May (elbow) said Monday that he hopes to resume throwing bullpen sessions next month before potentially making a return to the Dodgers' active roster at some point over the final third of the season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

May was cleared to play catch shortly after the Dodgers were eliminated from the postseason last fall, and he's since been gradually expanding his throwing distance and the intensity of his workouts over the winter. Once he's cleared for mound work, he'll likely need to complete several bullpen sessions, and then several live batting practice sessions and simulated games before he's sent out on a minor-league rehab assignment, which would mark the final phase of his recovery from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last May. If May is able to start his rehab assignment at some point around the All-Star break, he would theoretically have time to ramp up for starting duty, though it's unclear if the Dodgers would be interested in bringing him back in that capacity down the stretch. A multi-inning relief role may be the preferred way for the Dodgers to manage his workload coming off surgery, as well as extracting better results from him.

Gomber said Tuesday that he's back to full health after missing the final month of the 2021 due to a stress fracture in his back, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports. "I've been pretty much 100 percent healthy since about mid-October," Gomber said. "Had a fairly normal offseason when it comes to build up and workouts."

Assuming his back doesn't present any further problems over the course of his ramp-up program at spring camp, Gomber should be in strong position to crack the Rockies' Opening Day rotation, after he turned in a respectable 4.53 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 113:41 K:BB in 115.1 innings over 23 starts a season ago. Of course, pitching his home games at elevation in Coors Field will likely continue to limit his upside in the two ratio categories, and a middle-of-the-road strikeout rate may not make him a must-start option in pitcher-friendly road venues either.

Walker (knee) said Tuesday that he believes he's about a week or two behind the Mets' other starting pitchers, but he's not yet willing to rule himself out from being part of the Opening Day rotation, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Though Walker has thrown off a mound since reporting to big-league camp at the conclusion of the lockout, he doesn't appear to have as many bullpen sessions under his belt as his fellow starters at this point in the spring. He underwent a debridement procedure on his right knee Jan. 14, and though he's since made a recovery from that injury, he wasn't able to do his typical offseason buildup program while he was on the mend from surgery. Walker noted that he won't try to rush to be ready for the start of the season, so at this point, it seems more likely than not that he won't break camp with the big club. If Walker ends up on the injured list to begin the season, Tylor Megill and David Peterson would likely represent the top candidates to step in as the Mets' temporary No. 5 starter.