MLB Player News

Thompson signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Oct. 19.

Thompson spent the 2024 season rehabbing after he underwent surgery to address a partially torn flexor tendon He'll toe the rubber for Atlanta's final exhibition game of the spring Tuesday against the Cubs before presumably being reassigned to the minors. Thompson is likely to open the season in the rotation at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Roupp will open the season as the Giants' fifth starter, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

He was locked in a heated battle with Hayden Birdsong, who will open the season in the Giants' bullpen. Roupp received the nod after allowing five runs with a 14:1 K:BB over 12 innings during Cactus League play. The 26-year-old made four starts and 19 relief appearances with the Giants last season, finishing with a 3.58 ERA and 47:26 K:BB over 50.1 innings. Roupp doesn't have Birdsong's upside, but he is an interesting arm in his own right and deserves consideration in deeper fantasy leagues.

Birdsong will serve out of the Giants' bullpen for the start of the 2025 season after Landen Roupp was named as the fifth starter Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Birdsong and Roupp were the final two candidates for the Giants' fifth-starter spot after Kyle Harrison was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday. Birdsong recorded a 0.75 ERA across 12 Cactus League innings this spring, but he'll begin the 2025 regular season in the bullpen, possibly in a long reliever role.

Birdsong is expected to be fine after dealing with a cracked right middle fingernail during an appearance Sunday in an exhibition game versus Triple-A Sacramento, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Birdsong noted that it's something he battles with a lot and he expects to be fine after getting a fake fingernail put on the finger. The right-hander has made the Giants' Opening Day roster and is the team's presumed fifth starter, although the club has not yet confirmed what Birdsong's role will be.

Gray has been battling the flu recently, which has sapped him of his strength, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

It could help explain why Gray's velocity has been down this spring, though the righty suspects that starting his offseason throwing program later than usual also played a part. Gray said Monday that he's feeling better, and it does not seem as though his availability for Opening Day on Thursday is in question.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that Painter will begin pitching in extended spring training games in a couple weeks, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Painter is considered healthy, but the Phillies slow-played him this spring after he missed nearly all of the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery in July 2023. He will build up in extended spring training games and eventually the minors before becoming an option to join the Phillies' rotation around midseason.

Birdsong has made the Giants' Opening Day roster, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Birdsong has been in a battle with Landen Roupp for the final spot in the Giants' rotation, and while the team has yet to confirm it, it appears Birdsong will break camp as the fifth starter and Roupp will be used in the bullpen. The 23-year-old Birdsong earned the spot following a fantastic Cactus League showing that saw him allow just one run with an 18:0 K:BB over 12 innings of work.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday that he is hopeful Suarez (back) "would pitch sometime in April," Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Suarez is dealing with a back injury and will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. He is throwing on flat ground but will need time to get built back up, which Dombrowski believes will take "three weeks or something at least." Philadelphia will use Taijuan Walker as its fifth starter until Suarez is ready.

Cabrera (blister) will throw a bullpen session Monday ahead of a simulated game Wednesday, Justin Morris of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander last pitched in a Grapefruit League game March 13 before being shut down due to a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Cabrera is aiming for a mid-April return to the rotation, and he likely won't need too many outings to build back up for the regular season -- he threw 51 pitches, albeit only 24 of them for strikes, on March 7 in the spring start prior to developing the blister.

Boyd allowed three runs on six hits across 5.2 innings in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Athletics. He walked one and struck out three.

It was an uneven start for Boyd, who served up a pair of Oakland home runs. However, the veteran southpaw also had his longest outing of the spring, which is a positive step for a player who has dealt with numerous injuries the past few years. Boyd is in line to serve as the Cubs' No. 4 starter this season and projects to make his debut next Sunday against the Diamondbacks on the road. If healthy, he could be a sneaky fantasy option, though Chicago will likely monitor the 34-year-old's workload closely.