MLB Player News

Wood's back stiffened up after his simulated game Friday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Initial reports following the simulated game were positive, but Wood's injury persists. Manager David Bell had said previously that a realistic target for Wood would be to return within the first 10 days of the season. A trip to the injured list to begin the year now appears likely in light of this latest development.

Manager Gabe Kapler announced Friday that Nola would start the Phillies' Opening Day game March 28 versus the Braves, ESPN.com reports.

The news hardly comes as a surprise after Nola finished third in the National League Cy Young balloting a season ago. The Phillies rewarded Nola for his breakout 2018 campaign by lavishing him with a four-year, $45 million contract extension last month.

The Cubs reassigned Rea to their minor-league camp Saturday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Rea was a prospect of some repute while coming up in the Padres organization, but multiple injuries have derailed his development. The right-hander didn't appear in any Cactus League games while tending to an unspecified issue, making it uncertain if he'll be ready to pitch once the minor-league season gets underway.

The Cubs optioned Steele to Double-A Tennessee on Saturday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Steele has only made two starts above the High-A level, but the Cubs saw enough potential in the 23-year-old lefty to protect him from the Rule 5 draft this winter. He'll likely stick in the Tennessee rotation for the majority of the season, though a midseason callup to Triple-A Iowa is a possibility if he performs well early on.

Musgrove tossed 53 pitches and covered three innings in a simulated game Saturday.

Though Musgrove reported to camp at close to full strength after undergoing abdominal surgery in October, the Pirates have been treating him with kid gloves so far this spring. Musgrove has faced hitters only in controlled settings to date, but unless he reports renewed discomfort coming out of the simulated game, his next outing should come in the Grapefruit League. Manager Clint Hurdle said Saturday that Musgrove is tentatively in line to make his spring debut March 15 against the Rays in what will likely be a four-inning start, according to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Buehler faced teammates Brad Miller and Omar Estevez on Saturday in a 21-pitch simulated game, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The media members that observed the outing offered positive reviews for Buehler, who ended his day with strikeouts of both players. Buehler has yet to make his Cactus League debut, but that's merely a result of the Dodgers' preference to manage his workload carefully ahead of the regular season. Per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, Buehler will throw one more live batting practice session or simulated game before being incorporated into the Dodgers' spring pitching schedule.

Gray (elbow) will start Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

Gray experienced no unexpected soreness in his right elbow following his live batting practice session Tuesday, clearing the way for him to re-enter Cincinnati's spring pitching schedule. After taking the hill for his Cactus League debut this weekend, Gray will likely make another appearance or two in exhibition play to get his arm sufficiently conditioned for the start of the regular season.

Freeland (illness) tossed a 25-pitch simulated game Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Freeland had been scheduled to start Friday's Cactus League game against the Rangers but was scratched after falling ill shortly before game time. After getting a day off to recover from the stomach bug, Freeland felt good during Saturday's session and should slot back into the Rockies' pitching schedule March 13 versus the Diamondbacks.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that he hasn't ruled out Kershaw (shoulder) for the Dodgers' Opening Day assignment March 28 versus the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Kershaw has yet to resume mound work since first experiencing shoulder discomfort in late February, but he's at least made some progress in his recovery. He most recently played catch off flat ground from 60 feet Friday and will extend his distance to 150 feet Saturday before potentially getting the green light for a bullpen session in the days to follow, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News. Given how many benchmarks Kershaw still needs to clear and with Opening Day less than three weeks away, it remains more likely than not that Roberts will be forced to turn to a different starter to kick off the season.

The Pirates optioned Keller to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.

The Pirates' top pitching prospect always looked destined to open 2019 in the minors with the front office only considering Jordan Lyles, Steven Brault and Nick Kingham for the final spot in the Opening Day rotation. None of the trio will be assured a starting gig all season, however, so Keller could easily push his way into the Pirates' rotation plans with a strong showing at Triple-A early on. The 22-year-old had a rough go of the International League in 2018, supplying a 4.82 ERA and 1.55 WHIP across 10 starts.