MLB Player News

The Padres placed Musgrove (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Musgrove will miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October, so the Padres will strip him of his spot on the 40-man roster and give it to camp standout Gavin Sheets. Musgrove has been working out using plyometric balls this spring, but he isn't expected to begin a proper throwing program until around midseason.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that Suarez (back) "felt a lot better today" and will play catch Friday, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Suarez underwent testing due to back stiffness, but nothing alarming was found and he's been cleared to resume throwing. The left-hander isn't out of the woods yet, particularly since he dealt with back issues last season, too, but it looks like he will have a chance to avoid a stint on the injured list.

Cavalli (elbow) is scheduled to throw against live hitters Thursday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Thursday will mark the first time Cavalli has faced hitters this spring. The 26-year-old righty is already slated to begin the season on the injured list as he finishes up his rehab from the Tommy John procedure he underwent two years ago, though it may not be long before he returns to a competitive setting if he gets through a few more live sessions with no setbacks.

Gallen will start Opening Day, March 27 against the Cubs, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Many anticipated Corbin Burnes to make his Diamondbacks debut in the first game of the season, but the team will instead give the Opening Day start to Gallen for the third consecutive year. The 29-year-old has made three appearances in the Cactus League this spring, giving up two earned runs while striking out eight batters and walking three over five innings. While Gallen may never return to his 2022 form (2.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), he hasn't lost his strikeout stuff and should be able to comfortably reach double-digit wins with Arizona's high-scoring offense behind him.

The Cubs optioned Wicks to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Ryan Herrera of JustBaseball.com reports.

Wicks was included on the Cubs' roster for their two-game set in Tokyo versus the Dodgers earlier this week, but he didn't make the cut for their domestic opener. The left-hander will be part of the rotation at Iowa as he waits for another big-league opportunity. With Wicks being sent down, Colin Rea appears to be locked into the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation.

Weathers will begin the season on the injured list due to a left forearm strain, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.

Weathers had been having a fantastic spring, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out 11 batters through 11.1 frames. However, he came away from his last start with discomfort in his forearm and is expected to miss the first 4-to-6 weeks of the regular season. The Marlins now have an open spot in their rotation to fill before Opening Day, and manager Clayton McCullough has mentioned Janson Junk as a leading candidate to fill in while Weathers is out, per Azout.

The Reds optioned Richardson to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Richardson has had a nice spring with a 2.00 ERA and nine strikeouts over nine innings, but he will nonetheless begin the season at Louisville. The 25-year-old will be part of Louisville's rotation.

Ashcraft will open the season in the Reds' bullpen, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Ashcraft was stretched out this spring as a potential starting option, but he will begin the season in a bullpen role. It's possible he will still get a look as a starting pitcher again down the line, but Ashcraft's repertoire might be better suited for the bullpen, anyway.

Abbott (shoulder) will begin the season on the injured list, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Abbott was able to make his spring debut Monday after spending most of camp working through the same shoulder issue that put an early end to his 2024 campaign. He was able to go three innings during his first spring start, but the Reds will send him to the 15-day IL at the start of the season to ensure he has enough time to build up his workload -- ideally to around five frames. While Abbott is out, Carson Spiers will serve as the fifth member of Cincinnati's rotation.

Spiers will open the season as the Reds' fifth starter, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

It could be temporary until Andrew Abbott (shoulder) is ready, but Spiers will have at least a couple starts to convince the Reds he should remain in the rotation. The right-hander has had a strong showing this spring, collecting a 2.70 ERA and 10:4 K:BB across 10 frames.