MLB Player News

Gray (elbow) began a throwing program Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Gray did some casual tossing on flat ground in what was his first time throwing since he underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure in July. He's got a long road to recovery ahead of him but is hoping to be available to pitch for the Nationals by the end of the 2025 season.

Hence will enter spring training without limitations after he threw just 79.2 innings in 2024 due to back and right lat discomfort, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Hence had to be pulled early from a couple starts in June and then missed nearly a month around midseason due to the injury. He also exited his final outing of the season with another injury, although it's unclear if the same back/lat issue was the culprit. Durability is the only real negative with Hence's outlook, as he also missed time in 2023 with tightness in his chest and neck area. The 22-year-old was superb in 2024 when on the mound, posting a 2.71 ERA and 109:26 K:BB over 79.2 frames with Double-A Springfield. Hence was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster this offseason and should begin 2025 in the rotation at Triple-A Memphis.

The Rockies have extended Dollander an invitation to big-league camp during spring training, Kyle Newman of the Denver Post reports.

Dollander had an excellent first professional season in 2024, posting a 2.59 ERA and 169:47 K:BB over 118 innings covering 23 starts between High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford. The 23-year-old has a good chance to be part of the Rockies' rotation at some point in 2025.

The Nationals signed Ogasawara to a two-year contract Friday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

The financial details of the deal are not yet known. Ogasawara, 27, posted a 3.12 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 82:22 K:BB over 144.1 innings in his most recent of nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. The left-hander figures to be given an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Nationals' rotation but could ultimately settle into a relief role.

Strider (elbow) has completed four bullpen sessions and is on track to have a mostly normal spring training, Lindsay Crosby of AthlonSports.com reports.

Strider's progress is notable and a strong sign of his potential to contribute significant innings in 2025. However, general manager Alex Anthopoulos reiterated that the current plan is that Strider will not open the season on the active roster. More details about his timeline should emerge as spring training begins and progresses.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes downplayed Kopech's right forearm injury Wednesday and said, "I don't think there's anything of concern at this point," Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

A report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Monday indicated that Kopech could miss the first month of the season due to right forearm inflammation he began experiencing during the playoffs. While Gomes conceded that Kopech was "grinding" through the postseason, the GM doesn't seem to believe it will be a long-term issue. Whether Kopech will indeed get a late start to the 2025 season is not clear. When healthy, Kopech will be part of the late-inning mix in the Dodgers' bullpen.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that the Dodgers plan to use Sasaki in their major-league rotation from the beginning of the season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Sasaki officially signed a minor-league contract with Los Angeles on Wednesday, but there are seemingly no plans to ease him into his first year with the Dodgers. However, the 23-year-old righty never pitched more than 129.1 innings in a year over his four seasons in Japan, so the Dodgers may look for other ways -- such as a six-man rotation -- to limit his rookie-season workload.

The Reds have extended Burns an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Burns has yet to make his professional debut after being taken with the second pick of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, but the Reds will give the young right-hander a look-see in spring training. Cam Collier, Sal Stewart and Edwin Arroyo are among the team's other top prospects that will be in big-league camp.

Kopech could miss the first month of the season due to right forearm inflammation, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Kopech battled a forearm issue during the playoffs, although it never got to the point where he was unavailable to pitch. There's no indication the injury has gotten worse since then, with Nightengale noting that Kopech does not have any structural damage. However, the Dodgers are opting to take things slowly with the hard-throwing reliever. Once healthy, Kopech figures to be in the mix for saves, along with Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen and perhaps others.

Horton (shoulder) has been throwing light "touch-and-feel" sessions off the mound, Ryan Herrera of Just Baseball reports.

Horton didn't pitch after late May last season following a Grade 2 right subscapularis strain. However, he's been able to go through a normal throwing progression this offseason and said he's "feeling good and ready to go for spring training." Horton likely would have debuted in 2024 if not for the injury, and while he's slated to begin 2025 back at Triple-A Iowa, the 23-year-old could play an important role with the Cubs this season, if healthy.