MLB Player News

Ryu (shoulder) hasn't thrown off a mound in five days and will rest a few more days after experiencing discomfort in his surgically-repaired shoulder, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

According to manager Dave Roberts, the discomfort is only normal soreness and is not a setback in his recovery. It's not great to hear that he's having issues, but the Dodgers are playing it safe with the left-hander, which could help him stay on schedule for his mid-May targeted return date.

Urias will "definitely pitch" more than 100 innings this year according to Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports.

Urias tallied 80 innings last year and 87 in 2014 as the Dodgers continue to treat their potential future ace with kid gloves. Look for Urias to debut late this year, but most of his 2016 innings are likely to come at the Triple-A level.

Wood appears to be the favorite to open the season as the Dodgers' fifth starter, the Los Angeles Times' Andy McCullough reports.

It is an open competition while Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder) continues to rehab, but it is not surprising to hear that Wood is the best bet to win the job, given his experience. Ryu could be out until mid-to-late May, so by then Wood could have established himself as an indispensable part of the rotation, or another member of the rotation could be injured, so there's a chance he is able to stick in the rotation all season. That said, there is a little added risk in investing in Wood, given the Dodgers' rotation depth, which also includes Brandon McCarthy (expected back in late June) and prospects like Julio Urias and Jose De Leon.

Eickhoff (thumb) expects to face hitters before the end of the week, the PhillyVoice reports.

Eickhoff has thrown a couple of bullpen sessions since he was briefly shut down last month. The Phillies think he will get enough work in this spring to be ready to pitch during the first week of the regular season.

Smoker tossed two perfect innings with one strikeout in a Mets' intrasquad game Tuesday, the NY Post reports.

Smoker resurrected his career in the independent leagues after being derailed by shoulder woes following his selection by the Nationals in 2007. He continued that success in the minors last season for the Mets, almost earning a September call-up. Smoker was added to the 40-man roster in November, and while most of the bullpen spots are taken, he could force his way onto the squad with a strong preseason.

Cabrera hit triple digits on the radar gun during Tuesday's Grapefruit League opener, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "I mean, that's a free-and-easy 100 (mph)," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "Free-and-easy arm, and he threw some breaking balls for strikes. That's exciting."

Working the ninth inning Tuesday, Cabrera fanned two and did not allow a hit or a walk. It sounds like the skipper was impressed with what he saw, but Cabrera will need to continue to make strides with his control before the team thinks about entrusting him with major league innings. The 22-year-old has issued 174 walks in 322.2 minor league innings. He was added to the team's 40-man roster last offseason.

Perez is competing for one of the two open spots in the Braves' rotation, MLB.com reports.

Julio Teheran, Bud Norris, and Matt Wisler appear to be the only locks for the Opening Day rotation at this point. Perez finished strong last year with quality starts in four of his final five turns, but he will face competition this spring from the likes of Kyle Kendrick and Jhoulys Chacin (both on minors deal) as well as Manny Banuelos and top prospect Aaron Blair. The 24-year-old Perez gave up one run on two hits in an inning of work against Baltimore on Tuesday in the Braves' Grapefruit League opener.

Hendricks will pitch Thursday in the Cubs' spring opener Thursday, the team's official site reports.

Hendricks is in a battle with Adam Warren for the fifth spot in the rotation, though he's currently considered the heavy favorite. That he's pitching Thursday and Warren isn't pitching until Saturday might be another check mark in his column, but obviously there is a long way to go before such a decision has to be made.

Taillon, who completed two innings of an intrasquad game Monday, is progressing well early in spring training. "More than anything, I'm excited that I'm not being treated differently and I'm moving along quickly," Taillon told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "In the back of my head I was a little worried that I would be throwing a little slower (routine) than most. But I'm pretty much on the same schedule as everybody else."

He'll throw a bullpen session later in the week and then make a couple of appearances in the Grapefruit League. Taillon is expected to begin the season at Triple-A with a good chance of a midseason recall to Pittsburgh. He's missed much of the last two seasons, undergoing Tommy John surgery and hernia surgery. Early reports have Taillon throwing with the same velocity (96 mph) that he showed prior to getting hurt.

Lyles, who is competing for a rotation spot this spring, will start Thursday's Cactus League game against Arizona, the Rockies' official site reports.

After missing most of 2015 with a toe injury that required surgery, Lyles enters camp with a career 5.10 ERA in 104 big league appearances (552.2 innings), and he can no longer be optioned to the minors without getting exposed to waivers. If he's unable to stick as a starter this spring, the Rockies may elect to hold onto him in middle relief as he's still just 25 years old.