MLB Player News

Elder could begin the season as Atlanta's No. 5 starter with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) on the 60-day IL, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta's pitching depth will be tested right out of the gate, with Elder, Joey Wentz and prospect Hurston Waldrep viewed as the top candidates to fill in for Schwellenbach. Elder made 28 starts for the team in 2025, and while his overall 5.30 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 131:51 K:BB over 156.1 innings weren't very encouraging, the right-hander did have a strong finish to the campaign with a 2.82 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 41:8 K:BB over his final seven starts and 44.2 innings. Both Wentz and Elder are out of minor-league options, giving them a leg up on Waldrep for a spot on the 26-man roster -- either as the fifth starter or as a long man in the bullpen.

Wentz could begin the season as Atlanta's No. 5 starter with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) on the 60-day IL, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta's pitching depth will be tested right out of the gate, with Wentz, Bryce Elder and prospect Hurston Waldrep viewed as the top candidates to fill in for Schwellenbach. Wentz looked very good in his first month with the team last season after being claimed off waivers from the Twins in July, but by the end of the campaign the southpaw had a 4.92 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 64:23 K:BB through 64.0 innings for Atlanta. However, Wentz and Elder are both out of minor-league options, giving them a leg up on Waldrep for a spot on the 26-man roster -- either as the fifth starter or as a long man in the bullpen.

Feltner feels 100 percent healthy after dealing with back and shoulder injuries in 2025, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Feltner was limited to only six starts due to a combination of injuries, but he spent his offseason in Florida, working out for six hours most days to improve his durability. His regimen included some traditional strength work, but he also worked with a personal trainer to better understand his movements and the strain placed on his body while on the mound. The Rockies have added several veterans to their pitching staff this offseason, but Feltner should still be a strong candidate to contribute if he can remain healthy.

Marquez signed a one-year contract with the Padres on Saturday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Marquez struggled mightily during his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, finishing 2025 with an unsightly 6.70 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 126.1 innings with the Rockies. Leaving the pitcher-unfriendly environment of Colorado should help to improve the 30-year-old's numbers, but he still likely faces an uphill battle to make the Padres' rotation.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday that Kelly will start the Diamondbacks' March 26 season opener versus the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

The 37-year-old entered camp as the favorite for the Opening Day nod, but the re-signing of Zac Gallen on Friday made the decision less obvious. Kelly posted a 3.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 128.2 innings with Arizona last season but failed to match that production after being traded to Texas, where he put up a 4.23 ERA across 55.1 frames.

Canning (Achilles) signed a one-year contract with the Padres on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Canning was on his way toward having one of the best seasons of his MLB career in 2025, posting a 3.77 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 76.1 innings before rupturing his left Achilles tendon in late June. It's unclear where the 29-year-old is in his rehab process, but when healthy, he will likely claim a spot in San Diego's rotation.

Gallen signed a one-year, $22.025 milion contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

After not receiving the level of interest he might have expected on the open market, Gallen will officially return to the Diamondbacks for another season on a contract that will pay him the same amount as the qualifying offer he declined earlier this winter. The 30-year-old righty is coming off the worst season of his big-league career, as he finished 2025 with a 4.83 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while serving up 31 homers -- tied for fourth-most in MLB. He remains a reliable option from a health standpoint, however, making at least 31 starts in three of the past four years.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough announced Friday that Paddack will be included in Miami's starting rotation to begin the season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The right-hander signed with the Marlins earlier this week and will be guaranteed a rotation spot despite posting a 5.35 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 112:37 K:BB across 158 regular-season innings between the Tigers and Twins last year. That workload was a career high and was the first time since Paddack's rookie year in 2019 that he topped 110 frames. He's never come close to replicating the 3.33 ERA he posted during his debut campaign, however.

Ritchie has drawn "some excitement" with how he's looked early on in spring training, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Ritchie is a long shot to break camp as part of Atlanta's rotation, but he could push to make his major-league debut sooner rather than later. The 22-year-old began the 2025 season at High-A Rome and finished it at Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 2.64 ERA and 140:54 K:BB over 140 innings across three levels. It was his first full pro season, as he missed much of the previous two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery after being the 35th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft.

Alcantara is incorporating a sweeper into his pitch mix, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 30-year-old righty began working on the pitch this offseason, and Alcantara is already comfortable enough with it that he threw nine of them during a pitch-design session Thursday, getting a swing and miss from Javier Sanoja on one sweeper. "Me and [pitching coach Daniel Moskos] had a conversation last year about that," Alcantara said. "We need a pitch that breaks more and is more slow. Finally, we have it." Alcantara has a strong finish to 2025 even without the new offering, going 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 52:10 K:BB in 53.2 innings over his last eight starts -- numbers comparable to his 2022 campaign, when he won the NL Cy Young Award.