MLB Player News

Lugo (toe) expects to throw off a mound over the weekend, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Lugo suffered a fractured pinky toe in his hotel early in the week, but the issue was never considered particularly serious. He's already thrown off flat ground, and by returning to the mound over a month before Opening Day, it seems as though he'll have plenty of time to build up for the start of the regular season.

Urias will not be restricted this season, Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider reports.

Urias has bounced between the bullpen and the starting rotation throughout his major-league career as he has dealt with both injuries and age-related innings limits. After compiling a 2.49 ERA in 79.2 frames last season, he has a legitimate chance to begin the campaign as one of the Dodgers' five starting pitchers. Though that may seem like a long time coming, Urias is still young by MLB standards -- he won't turn 24 until mid-August.

Mikolas (forearm) is encouraged after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection earlier in the week and feels he will miss minimal time this season, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Mikolas got the PRP injection Tuesday and feels it honed in on where most of the inflammation in his forearm is. The right-hander also underwent an MRI and ultrasound that showed his ligament is in great shape, which was further reason for optimism. While Mikolas arm is still tight due to fluid, he's due to return to running Friday and Saturday, followed by gym days Sunday and Monday. The earliest Mikolas can resume throwing is Wednesday, but that date is subject to change.

Castillo threw live batting practice Thursday, and his changeup was especially effective against new teammate Mike Moustakas, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Pitchers are typically ahead of hitters at this stage, and that would especially be the case when they can alter the hitter's timing with offspeed pitches. Nonetheless, it's good to see Castillo's go-to pitch working well early this spring.

Lorenzen was clocked at 97.7 mph with his fastball in Thursday's live batting practice, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lorenzen wants to be able to throw 103 mph this season, and is ahead of other pitchers in Reds camp right now in terms of velocity. Last year his average fastball velocity was 96.9 mph. He's positioned to be one of Raisel Iglesias' top setup relievers, and perhaps the most likely to supplant him as the closer as needed.

DeGrom completed his first live batting practice session of the spring Thursday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

DeGrom threw approximately 30 pitches to Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes during the session, inducing several swinging strikes from both hitters, per Thosar. The 31-year-old looks to have picked up right where he left off following back-to-back Cy Young-winning seasons, and he'll have a valid case for being the first pitcher off the board during fantasy drafts this spring.

May (side) was scheduled to play catch during Thursday's workout, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

May won't be in the clear until he's able to complete a bullpen session without any discomfort to his right side, but his ability to work out in any capacity Thursday is a sign his injury isn't particularly serious. The right-hander remains in the mix to claim a spot in the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation.

Wood is scheduled to start Sunday's Cactus League game against the Giants, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Wood's main goal this spring might be just be to get through the exhibition slate unscathed. As a member of the Reds last season, Wood experienced back stiffness in early March and struggled to move past the issue, with his regular-season debut for Cincinnati not coming until late July. The injury cropped up again in September, but the Dodgers were apparently confident enough with the lefty's health to bring him back in free agency on a one-year, $4 million deal. Wood was a mainstay in the Dodgers' rotation from 2016 through 2018 and submitted a 3.29 ERA over that stretch, but he'll be forced to compete for a starting role coming off his down year in Cincinnati. If Wood is unable to crack the Opening Day rotation, he'll likely move into a long-relief role.

Gonsolin is slated to start the Dodgers' spring opener Saturday versus the Giants, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Gonsolin will likely only throw an inning or two Saturday, but manager Dave Roberts said that the right-hander will be built up for a normal starter's workload as the spring unfolds, per Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA. Roberts' comments would seem to indicate that Gonsolin is in the mix for the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation, though the wealth of established starting options Los Angeles has on hand in addition to the fact that he still has two minor-league options remaining work against him winning a spot with the big club.

Keller will start Pittsburgh's Grapefruit League opener against the Twins on Saturday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Keller will open up Grapefruit League play for the Pirates, and the plan is for him to go one or two innings before exiting. The 23-year-old struggled in his first taste of the majors in 2019, though his underlying numbers suggest he deserved better results.