MLB Player News

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.

Carrasco said Tuesday that he feels fully healthy and in good shape after undergoing surgery in October to remove a bone fragment in his right elbow, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Carrasco noted that his improved health has been apparent in his initial bullpen sessions at spring training; his fastball reached 92 miles per hour during Tuesday's session, whereas the right-hander said his velocity typically sits at around 86-to-88 mph at this stage of camp. The 34-year-old's first season in Flushing was delayed until late July after he dealt with a significant hamstring injury, and he never seemed to look right over the course of 12 starts, posting a 6.04 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. A healthy spring training coupled with his past track record of excellence could be enough to make Carrasco an intriguing flier in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

Clevinger (elbow) said Tuesday that he expects to be ready for Opening Day, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. "I feel healthier than I have in my entire career," Clevinger said.

After being acquired from Cleveland on Aug. 31, 2020, Clevinger made just five starts -- four in the regular season and one in the playoffs -- for the Padres before developing an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in November of that year. The right-hander didn't pitch at all in 2021, but he advanced to throwing off flat ground by season's end and now looks to be on track for the start of the 2022 campaign now that he's approximately 16 months removed from surgery. San Diego could still look to ease Clevinger along slowly during the spring, but barring any setbacks during his buildup program in camp, he should be part of the team's season-opening rotation. Over his last four active seasons from 2017 through 2020, Clevinger has pitched at a borderline-ace level, producing a 2.96 ERA (3.39 FIP), a 19.0 K-BB%, and a 1.15 WHIP across 82 starts.

Eflin (knee) threw a couple of simulated innings in a bullpen session Tuesday and looks to be trending toward being ready to go for Opening Day, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

When he underwent surgery in early September to address patellar tendon damage to his right knee, Eflin was given a loose 6-to-8-month recovery timeline. Given where he currently stands in his recovery in the early stages of spring training, Eflin appears on pace to return at the short end of that timeline, which would be a major boon for the Phillies with the availability of ace Zack Wheeler (shoulder) for Opening Day uncertain due to his slow buildup during the offseason. Before picking up the knee injury in September, Eflin submitted a 4.17 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while striking out 99 over 105.2 innings.

Dunn (shoulder) will be delayed at the start of camp but ultimately will compete for an open rotation spot with the Reds, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Clearly, Dunn is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, but that's just a starting point for the start of the season. It's possible that the Reds will want to delay the debuts of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and now Brandon Williamson, which would buy Dunn a little bit of time in the rotation once he's ready. Moreover, more moves are likely to be coming for the Reds, potentially including Luis Castillo.

Gallen is questionable for Opening Day after dealing with shoulder issues this offseason, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. He is scheduled to throw off the mound in the coming days, per manager Torey Lovullo.

Lovullo said Gallen underwent an MRI on his own during the lockout and was diagnosed with bursitis (inflammation). We shouldn't assume he will throw off a mound in the coming days until it actually happens, and he's got almost no margin for error at this point to get built up for Opening Day.

Dunn (shoulder) was sent from the Mariners to the Reds on Monday along with Brandon Williamson and Jake Fraley, with Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez heading the other way, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Dunn was being eased into camp by the Mariners after missing most of last season with a strained right shoulder. The Reds' plan for him is not yet known. While the move represents a large downgrade in home park for Dunn, it could also give him a much easier path to a rotation spot. The value Dunn would have even with a clear starting role may not be particularly high, however, as his career 3.94 ERA comes with a poor set of peripherals. His 20.6 percent strikeout rate, 15.5 percent walk rate and 33.7 percent groundball rate have given him a 5.61 FIP and an even worse 6.05 xFIP.

Williamson, Jake Fraley and Justin Dunn were traded from the Mariners to the Reds on Monday in exchange for Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Williamson was one of Seattle's top pitching prospects and is a key piece of the deal for Cincinnati. The 23-year-old began 2021 at the High-A level before being promoted to Double-A, where he rebounded from tough start and finished with a 3.48 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 94:23 K:BB across 67.1 innings (13 starts). A 2019 second-round pick, Williamson has limited professional experience but could debut later this summer if he has continued success in the upper levels.

Walker (knee) is throwing off a mound and going through a running program as he returns from a debridement procedure on his right knee in January, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Manager Buck Showalter said earlier in the day there's a chance the 29-year-old is ready for the first turn through the rotation, and there's now a better idea of where Walker currently stands in his rehab program. The right-hander will continue the mound work and running progression until receiving clearance to further ramp up his rehab.