MLB Player News
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Corbin Burnes SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes: Throws two innings
Burnes allowed three hits and struck out three over two scoreless innings in Wednesday's spring game against Milwaukee.
Burnes made his second Cactus League appearance and pushed his pitch count to 29 (20 strikes). He told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that other than a couple of breaking balls he left over the plate, he was pleased. The right-hander has struck out six over three innings thus far.
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Max Meyer SP | MIA
Marlins' Max Meyer: Reaches 97.7 mph in spring debut
Meyer topped out at 97.7 mph while completing a scoreless inning Wednesday against the Mets in his Grapefruit League debut, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Meyer issued a two-out walk in the frame but needed only 13 pitches to get out of things unscathed. The right-hander's four-seamer averaged 96.4 mph in the outing, which is up more than two mph from what he averaged with the pitch last season. Meyer attributed the velocity increase to "a big offseason in the weight room," Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports. He had an up-and-down 2024 season which featured a 5.68 ERA and ended prematurely due to a shoulder issue, and Meyer is essentially still a prospect as he competes for a spot in the Marlins' rotation for 2025.
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Andrew Painter SP | PHI
Phillies' Andrew Painter: Changes up repertoire, preparations
Painter has ditched his cutter and added a changeup as his fourth pitch, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
Painter is in camp with the big-league club but will not pitch in spring games, as the Phillies look to preserve the workload of their prized prospect in his return from 2023 Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old threw 15.2 frames in the Arizona Fall League last year, posting a 2.30 ERA and 18:4 K:BB, and he impressed his pitching coach, Caleb Cotham, in the process with a refined pitch mix that Painter is expected to carry forward into 2025. Painter is also reportedly throwing bullpens at a lower intensity this spring compared to past camps as he prepares to make his major-league debut this summer. Gelb previously suggested back in January that 80 or so big-league innings could be the target for Painter in his debut season.
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Evan Reifert SP | WAS
Nationals' Evan Reifert: Dominant in spring outing
Reifert struck out the side in the third inning of Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.
The 25-year-old righty needed 16 pitches (nine strikes) to carve up Miami's 9-1-2 hitters, including Xavier Edwards. Reifert is in camp as a Rule 5 pick from the Rays organization, giving him a leg up on winning one of the final spots in the Nationals' bullpen if he shows he's ready to get big-league hitters out. Over 40.1 innings for Double-A Montgomery in 2024, Reifert posted a 2.01 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 64:16 K:BB.
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Dedniel Nunez RP | NYM
Mets' Dedniel Nunez: Not close to pitching in games
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Nunez (elbow) will not appear in a Grapefruit League game "anytime soon," Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
The Mets maintain that Nunez is healthy and still can be ready in time for Opening Day, but they are taking things extra slowly after the reliever battled a flexor strain in the second half last season. Nunez is projected to see leverage innings in the Mets' bullpen this season, if he can stay healthy.
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Bobby Miller SP | LAD
Dodgers' Bobby Miller: Slated for bullpen session
Miller (concussion) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Miller remains in concussion protocol as a result of a line drive he took off the head during his first Cactus League appearance last week. He's been cleared to throw this week, however, and he'll continue to ramp up with the goal of returning to game action before long.
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Edward Cabrera SP | MIA
Marlins' Edward Cabrera: Shaky command to begin spring
Cabrera gave up three runs on four hits in just one inning during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.
While the right-hander didn't walk anyone and tossed 15 of 21 pitches for strikes, he failed to record a strikeout and uncorked a wild pitch. Cabrera also had trouble hitting his spots, leaving too many pitches over the heart of the plate. The Marlins are counting on Cabrera to take a step forward in 2025 and become a reliable rotation arm, but over parts of four big-league seasons he's never finished with a walk rate below 11.3 percent, and without better control and command his impressive raw stuff isn't going to translate into consistent results.
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Roki Sasaki SP | LAD
Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Throws three simulated innings
Sasaki threw three simulated innings against White Sox hitters Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Sasaki only induced four swings and misses on 38 pitches, per Plunkett. The right-hander also gave up a homer to prospect Kyle Teel on the second pitch he threw, but regardless manager Dave Roberts seems pleased with where Sasaki is in his buildup process, saying that the 23-year-old's fastball velocity is "right where we'd expect it to be." It remains to be seen when exactly Sasaki will make his Cactus League debut, but the expectation is still that he will toe the rubber March 19 in the second game of the Dodgers' season-opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo.
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Blake Snell SP | LAD
Dodgers' Blake Snell: Hurls scoreless frame in LA debut
Snell threw one scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one batter in a Cactus League contest against Seattle on Tuesday.
Snell threw at least eight pitches to three of the four batters he faced, so he racked up a hearty pitch count of 30 despite allowing just one baserunner. Per Statcast, the lefty's fastball sat at 95-to-96 mph, which is right in line with where it's been over the past several seasons. After signing a five-year contract in November, Snell is slated to be part of a revamped Dodgers rotation that, on paper, looks to be one of the best in the big leagues.
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Spencer Schwellenbach SP | ATL
Braves' Spencer Schwellenbach: Sharp in spring debut
Schwellenbach gave up a hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's split-squad game against the Pirates.
The 24-year-old right-hander tossed 14 of 23 pitches for strikes in his first Grapefruit League action this spring. Schwellenbach exploded onto the fantasy radar last season, rising from High-A to make 21 starts for Atlanta and posting a 3.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 127:23 K:BB in 123.2 big-league innings. He's being counted on to fill a key role in a rotation that will be missing Spencer Strider (elbow) early in the schedule.