MLB Player News

Dodgers pitchers Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu could face hitters on Friday or Saturday, according to MLB.com.

Both players are dealing with injuries, and remain one start behind the other pitchers on the roster. Greinke has an elbow issue. Ryu is dealing with back stiffness. If they are able to face pitchers this weekend, both players could appear in games as early as Wednesday or Thursday. 

Mets reliever Bobby Parnell said he wasn't trying to embarrass starting pitcher prospect Noah Syndergaard when he threw out his lunch plate in the clubhouse Tuesday in an effort to inform the highly touted prospect he needed to be in the dugout for an intrasquad game. Third baseman David Wright also talked to Syndergaard about being in the clubhouse.

"We try to keep those things behind closed doors, but the media was there and saw it," Parnell said in a statement released by the team, per NJ.com. "But it wasn't about embarrassing anyone. Again, it goes back to creating that culture on and off the field."

Parnell said he talked with Syndergaard since the incident became public.

"It's a clubhouse issue that needed to be handled," Parnell said. "We are trying to create a winning culture around here and that what's the whole situation was about."

Mets manager Terry Collins said he has no issue with how Parnell handled the matter.

"I think it's the perfect way he dealt with it," Collins told NJ.com. "Perfect. I think Bobby did what I would do and a number of other guys would've have done. The captain made a statement and it wasn't really adhered to and Bobby said, 'Maybe he didn't hear it'."

Mets third baseman David Wright apologized to prospect Noah Syndergaard on Wednesday for scolding him Tuesday "within earshot" of the press, according to the New York Daily News.

However, Wright was not apologetic about the message he delivered to the highly touted pitching prosect.

"I talked to Noah yesterday, that's the thing I apologized to him for not realizing that obviously I choose to do it, so it's not the media's fault by any means, but I didn't notice the media was within earshot. So that's what I apologized to Noah for," Wright said.

"Now he has to answer questions, I have to answer questions, (Mets manager) Terry (Collins) has to answer questions, that's not the way that I like to handle things. I wasn't aware of my surroundings. As far as the content of it, I think that's something that I think Noah did an excellent job understanding the situation, he was very remorseful of the situation."

On Tuesday, Wright and reliever Bobby Parnell were upset Syndergaard went into the clubhouse to eat lunch while the Mets were in the middle of an intrasquad game. Wright told Syndergaard he needed to be on the bench during the game, but Parnell went one step further by throwing out the plate of food Syndergaard was eating.

Syndergaard, who added staying in the clubhouse was "straight up" ignorance on his part, said Wright has spoken to him twice since the incident.

"He wanted to make sure I knew that Bobby (Parnell) and he were not picking on me," Syndergaard said Wednesday. "He just wanted to make it clear, they care about me, they want me to be a part of the team, they think I can contribute in the future."

Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha has had his share of ups and downs throughout his young career, which have included being a postseason standout to having been limited to 19 starts last season due to injury.

"It has been a crazy last couple of years," Wacha said, per MLB.com. "Honestly, I couldn't have imagined everything that's happened since I've been drafted. Just making the big leagues, it's obviously a dream come true."

Having experienced the highs and lows of Major League Baseball, Wacha has his supporters in St. Louis, including manager Mike Matheny.

"Yeah, he's had some success and he's had some adversity," Matheny said about Wacha. "He's a young player, but from the first time he was here, he's got a presence to him that seems like he's been around a lot longer. He's responded really well, and everything we've thrown at him, he seems to be ready for."

Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke completed another bullpen session on Tuesday, per MLB.com. Manager Don Mattingly told reporters he's progressed "steadily" since receiving a routine injection into his elbow in late February. He remains without a timetable for game action.

Mets third baseman David Wright had a harsh exchange with starting pitcher prospect Noah Syndergaard for not being on the bench during the club's intrasquad game on Tuesday, per the New York Daily News.

Syndergaard was eating lunch in the clubhouse while the intrasquad game was taking place. As soon as the intrasquad game was over, Wright confronted Syndergaard and reporters heard the third baseman use the word "bench" at least twice during the exchange. Wright declined to address the incident to the media.

"If there is a young player that is here (in major-league camp) there is a reason, they have talent and potential," Wright said. "I would encourage them to use this chance to take every opportunity to learn from it. If you are a young pitcher, you can learn from sitting in with meetings with Dan (Warthen) or watching a Zack Wheeler, who I know is young, but he has experience.

"That's what I think all young players should be doing," Wright said. "That's all."

Syndergaard, who is in his first big-league camp, told Marc Carig of Newsday that he took it as a teaching moment, and that Wright was clear and "made his point."

"I really wasn't expecting it to be that big of a deal," Syndergaard said.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told reporters that starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu came out of Monday's bullpen session "fine," and that his next step will likely be throwing batting practice, according to SB Nation.

Ryu is dealing with a back injury, but has been throwing the last couple of days without pain. At this point, Ryu remains without a timetable for his first spring game. He went 14-7 in 2014 with a 3.38 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 152 innings pitched last season.

Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks, who was awarded the No. 4 spot in the starting rotation, told MLB.com that he's targeting 200 innings in 2015.

"That's one of the biggest goals I have for myself is consistency, No. 1, but then eating up innings," Hendricks said. "That's something I pride myself on is staying in ballgames and giving my team a chance to win. I think with the number I threw last year, 200 shouldn't be out of the question for me."

Hendricks put together a solid rookie campaign in 2014, registering a 2.46 ERA and 47:15 K:BB ratio over 80 1/3 innings with the Cubs. Overall, he totaled 183 innings between his time at Triple-A and the majors.

The Red Sox and Phillies have not made progress on a deal for pitcher Cole Hamels, according to the Boston Herald. 

The Red Sox have been mentioned as a contender for Hamels in the past, but the club is hesitant to give up their top prospects for the pitcher. Though Phillies' special assistant to the general manager Charley Kerfeld was spotted at Red Sox facilities on Monday, two sources told the Herald that no progress has been made on a deal. 

The Phillies are said to covet either Mookie Betts or Blake Swihart, but Boston has refused to include either player in a deal.

Hamels, 31, posted a 2.46 ERA over 204 2/3 innings last year.

Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez will get the start on Thursday against the Marlins, according to MLB.com.

Martinez is expected to throw around 40 pitches during the start. The club is hoping Martinez goes two innings. Martinez prepared for the start by throwing two simulated innings against the Cardinals on Monday. Martinez, who is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, said he just needs to go out and perform. 

"I need to go out and perform," he said. "I'm going to keep focused and have the same mentality to do my best even though it's the first [start]. Every time I take the mound, I'm going to feel like it's the last one."

Martinez, 23, posted a 4.03 ERA over 89 1/3 innings last year.