MLB Player News

Urias will pitch two simulated innings with live batting practice Thursday against Chase Utley, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and Justin Turner, Eric Stephen of True Blue LA reports.

That's not a bad group of opponents to help the lefty get tuned up. Los Angeles likely wants to manage the 20-year-old's innings this season, but the timing of that remains up in the air. Urias will log some Cactus League games, so perhaps the Dodgers will have him skip some starts during the year. Despite the concerns that he may only register 150 to 160 frames, Urias deserves consideration late in mixed drafts. He oozes upside, even in a limited campaign.

Gomber is slated to see action in Saturday's Grapefuit League opener against the Marlins, Glenn Sattell of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw, who was the Cardinals' 2015 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, will get an early opportunity to start building on his impressive 2016 campaign in High-A Palm Beach and Double-A Springfield, as well as his solid Arizona Fall League stint. Gomber carries some intrigue this spring, considering the Cardinals' prospective starting rotation is exclusively composed of right-handers. The 23-year-old is slated to follow starter Luke Weaver and John Gant on Saturday and will likely work at least two frames.

Maeda has added 10 pounds of muscle to his frame in an effort to reach his goal of 200 innings pitched this season.

Maeda had a strong major league debut last season but faded down the stretch, posting a 4.25 ERA in the second half compared to a 2.95 ERA in the first. The added muscle could help prolong his effectiveness and give a better representation of the pitcher he could be over the course of a whole season. Maeda is also working on adding a cutter to his repertoire in an effort to deal with left-handed batters better, who he allowed over 30 more batting average points against last season compared to righties. Even with last year's second-half slump he still turned in usable fantasy numbers, so these changes made during spring training could result in improved numbers in his sophomore season.

Ryu is slated to throw another live BP session this week, and if he comes through well, he could pitch in a game as the next step, the Los Angeles Times' Andy McCullough reports.

Ryu is pain-free and has been throwing bullpen sessions, sitting in the mid-80s with his fastball, as he works this spring to build up arm strength for the upcoming season. He does not like throwing on the side, so pitching coach Rick Honeycutt was encouraged by his desire to get back out there for another session this week. If he makes it through the spring in tact, a big-league rotation spot should be waiting for him.

Manager Pete Mackanin said he is pleased with how Nola has been throwing thus far in camp, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

Nola was diagnosed with a sprained UCL last July which ended his season early. He was given a platelet-rich plasma injection and rehabbed his injury during the offseason. Nola has said he is fully healthy, but he hasn’t truly tested his arm yet. That will happen when he starts pitching in games this spring. His first appearance in game action should come within the next week. He’s a risky investment this year given his elbow issue, but he could return significant value if he finds his form from early last season.

Lyles has a good chance of making the Opening Day roster due to the fact that he's out of minor league options, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Lyles broke camp last season with a rotation spot in hand, but he was simply atrocious in five starts (8.55 ERA, 2.05 WHIP). However, the right-hander picked things up after he rejoined the major league squad as a long reliever in June, posting an improved 4.42 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He doesn't strike out enough batters to warrant much excitement if he does make the team as a reliever, but a roster spot is better than being designated for assignment and could also lead to a few spot starts over the course of the year.

Anderson seems to be a lock for a rotation spot heading into 2017, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

At this time last year, the left-hander was rehabbing an elbow injury and was expected to get more seasoning against hitters at Double-A and Triple-A, but after a strong 2016 campaign in the big leagues, he officially gained the organization's trust with a major league roster spot. Anderson is especially intriguing heading into the 2017 season given his excellent numbers at Coors Field (3.00 ERA, 68:18 K:BB ratio). If he can improve his performance on the road, the 2011 first-rounder could put together a stealthily solid stat line.

Marquez is one of the leading competitors for the Rockies fifth rotation spot, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Saunders adds that Jeff Hoffman as well as Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela to some extent are also in the mix as well. Manager Bud Black already said that he isn't against using the losers of the competition in the bullpen at first as well, so Marquez's value isn't completely null if he doesn't crack the rotation out of spring training, although he doesn't have the high-strikeout stuff that would create a lot of value as a reliever. His control is impeccable, though, which could help him land the final starter spot over Hoffman if the latter continues to struggle in that category.

Manager Dave Roberts says he expects Ryu to pitch in games later this spring, but there is no definitive schedule, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Ryu has been hampered by injuries for the past two seasons, including an elbow ailment that sidelined his 2016 campaign. GM Farhan Zaidi said this offseason that if the left-hander was healthy he would be in the rotation and, so far, this has been the case. Ryu's fastball has reached the mid-80s during his bullpen sessions this spring, but it's too early to make assumptions without a timetable. Depending on how he progresses, his first game action could come in the minor leagues.

Thompson (wrist) successfully threw an indoor bullpen session Wednesday, Ryan Lawrence of The Philly Voice reports.

The young right-hander has been held back from pitching activities while dealing with soreness in his right wrist. Thompson made 10 starts for the Phillies last season, posting a 5.70 ERA and a 32:28 K:BB ratio. Expect him to begin the year at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, barring any major injuries to the starting rotation.