MLB Player News

Lorenzen is among the candidates vying for a place in the Reds' rotation this spring, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Anthony DeSclafani and Raisel Igleisas are the two locks to begin the season, leaving three vacancies until Homer Bailey and John Lamb are ready to rejoin the staff. Lorenzen seemingly has an edge over the field after making 21 starts for the Reds last season, but he'll compete with the likes of Jon Moscot, Brandon Finnegan, Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed, and others this spring.

Ryu (shoulder) threw change-ups for the first time since surgery in a bullpen session Friday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Ryu hasn't started throwing breaking balls yet, but his recovery appears to be going according to plan and he is still expected to return around mid-April. The 28-year-old had a 3.38 ERA over 26 games started in 2014 and will look to pick up where he left off once healthy.

Ryu (shoulder) is slated to throw a bullpen session Friday, David Vassegh of Dodger Talk reports.

Ryu continues to work back from offseason shoulder surgery and is reported to be roughly two weeks behind the rest of the Dodgers' staff at this point. His rehab is progressing smoothly, however, and the team looks to be targeting a potential debut sometime in mid-April, barring a setback.

Eickhoff (thumb) reported no problems Thursday after throwing a bullpen session, CSN Philadelphia reports.

Eickhoff said he still felt some minor discomfort in his thumb, but nothing that would stop him from throwing. He is expected to be ready to pitch during the first week of the regular season.

Urias may decide to not skip the WBC qualifying round next month with team Mexico if he feels he has a shot to make the big leagues out of camp, the Dodgers' official site reports.

Urias tallied just 80.1 innings in the minors last season, and though he's considered baseball's #1 pitching prospect in many circles, the most likely scenario has him opening in Triple-A to build up his innings count. He should see the big leagues at some point in 2016, but his days as a full-time rotation option may not come until 2017 or 2018.

Eickhoff (thumb) could throw his first bullpen session of the spring before the weekend, the PhillyVoice reports.

Eickhoff has been sidelined with a small displaced fracture in his thumb. Manager Pete Mackanin said Eickhoff has been "progressing nicely." Despite the delayed start, the Phillies think he will be stretched out enough to pitch when the regular season begins.

Wood is competing for the fifth spot in the Dodgers' rotation this spring -- a position that is open while Hyun-Jin Ryu recovers from shoulder surgery, the Los Angeles Times reports.

With the addition of Kenta Maeda and Scott Kazmir via free agency to help offset the loss of Zack Greinke, the Dodgers have more depth for their rotation. Assuming a full return to health from Ryu, Wood will have to impress this spring and early on this season in order to keep a starting job throughout 2016. A bone bruise in his foot suffered in his final start with the Braves contributed to his struggles last season. The injury caused a deterioration of his delivery, which he worked to fix during the offseason after the pain in his foot subsided in December. Mike Bolsinger and Brandon Beachy appear to be the greatest threats to Wood's chances of beginning the year with an opportunity to start.

Cole is throwing without restrictions, the Pittsburgh Tribune's Rob Biertempfel reports.

After throwing a 20-pitch bullpen session earlier in the week, it seems clear that the issue with his ribs that slowed him earlier in camp is no longer holding Cole back. He remains a viable SP1 in mixed leagues and should take the ball on Opening Day for the contending Pirates.

DeGrom (leg) returned to the rubber Wednesday, tossing a bullpen session without issue, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

The right-hander remained on schedule Wednesday by taking the mound. There's no reason to believe the setback was anything more than minor at this point, but prospective owners may want to keep an eye out until the 27-year-old proves his health by pitching in a spring training game.

Ryu (shoulder) experienced "normal soreness" a day after a bullpen session, Eric Stephen of True Blue LA reports.

So far so good for Ryu in his return from shoulder surgery. He's behind the other pitchers right now, and though it's early, a best-case scenario for his 2016 debut could be April 15. Alex Wood could make a spot start or two if Ryu opens the season on the disabled list.