MLB Player News

The Dodgers optioned Knack to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Knack struck out three over two scoreless innings and picked up a win in Wednesday's victory over the Cubs in the second game of the Tokyo Series. However, it appears he will not be included on the Dodgers' roster for their domestic opener. Knack should operate as a starter with Oklahoma City but could rejoin the Dodgers later in the season either in the rotation or bullpen.

The Dodgers optioned Sauer to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Sauer was included on the Dodgers' Tokyo Series roster, but he didn't make an appearance in either game versus the Cubs and will not be part of the active roster for his team's domestic opener. The 26-year-old will be used in Oklahoma City's bullpen.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Schmidt (shoulder) will not be built up to 75-to-80 pitches for the start of the season, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Curry adds that the Yankees are likely to be cautious with Schmidt, so it's possible, if not probable, that he won't be ready for his first turn in the rotation April 3 versus the Diamondbacks. If Schmidt is indeed not ready, both Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren could open the season in the Yankees' rotation. Schmidt will throw a live batting practice session Thursday as he works his way back from a shoulder issue and a potential absence for the righty could be brief if he avoids setbacks.

Tiger (elbow) will miss the 2025 season after undergoing internal brace surgery in September, MLB Pipeline reports.

Tiger has a pair of plus pitches in his fastball and slider and also throws a decent splitter. He will head into his age-25 season in 2026 with just 46 pro innings under his belt and zero experience above High-A.

Steele (0-1) took the loss against the Dodgers in Tokyo on Wednesday after he surrendered five runs on five hits and one walk across four innings. He struck out five.

Steele struggled to a 9.35 ERA in three spring appearances, and those troubles carried over to his 2025 debut. The left-hander had a 0.7 HR/9 in the previous three seasons, but he was taken deep Wednesday by Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez. Steele built up to 67 pitches and could face some minor workload limitations for his first couple starts stateside as he continues to build up his arm.

Mahle allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out six over five innings in Tuesday's start against the Guardians.

Mahle was back in a major-league setting, making his fourth Cactus League start, after spending time with minor leaguers following a minor forearm issue. While Mahle worked his way back from forearm soreness, the Texas pitching staff was hit hard by injuries to Cody Bradford (elbow) and Jon Gray (wrist). That means Mahle becomes an even more important piece in the rotation. The right-hander looks ready for the regular season with a 3.21 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 14 Cactus League innings.

Sasaki didn't factor in the decision Wednesday against the Cubs in Tokyo after giving up one run on one hit and five walks over three innings. He struck out three.

The 23-year-old appeared to be battling some nerves as he threw just 25 of his 56 pitches for strikes, but he buckled down after issuing a bases-loaded walk during the third inning with two straight strikeouts to end the frame. The control issues aside, it was a good debut for Sasaki, who was able to limit the damage to a single run despite the significant traffic. The right-hander will now have some time before the Dodgers start their domestic schedule against the Tigers next Thursday. Sasaki will likely continue to have some pitch restrictions as he builds up his workload over his next few starts.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Jones experienced elbow discomfort during his most recent bullpen session and won't be able to make his final Grapefruit League start later this week, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Shelton said that the Pirates will have internal conversations regarding when Jones will be able to make his first start of the season, but given that elbow discomfort can often foreshadow a more significant injury, the young right-hander would seem at high risk of landing on the injured list. Before a decision is made on Jones' next steps, the Pirates will presumably wait and see how his elbow responds to a few days of rest. If Jones is shelved to begin the season, the Pirates could open up a spot in the rotation for prospect Thomas Harrington, who wasn't expected to break camp with the big club but excelled in his first Grapefruit League start Tuesday.

Ortiz allowed four runs on two hits and six walks while striking out two over four innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Rangers.

It was another rocky outing for Ortiz, who made his fifth Cactus League start. The free passes continued a trend that has seen him walk 11 batters over his last 10.1 spring innings and 12 overall in 14.2 innings. Unsurprisingly, the walks have wreaked havoc on his spring ERA (11.66). Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt told Tim Stebbins of MLB.com that the right-hander's stuff plays when he's in the zone, but Ortiz needs to work on being more consistent with his delivery. "Because when we see him in the zone, we see what he can do. And that's to be an elite pitcher," Vogt said. Ortiz is short on experience in the majors, having appeared in 59 games (34 starts) since his debut in 2022. He'll continue to work with pitching coach Carl Willis to bring out the 2024 version of Ortiz, who posted a 3.32 ERA in 37 games (15 starts) for Pittsburgh.

Miley (elbow) faced hitters Tuesday for the first time since undergoing surgery last June, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Miley threw 20 pitches to three teammates, using his entire repertoire. The left-hander underwent what was termed a "hybrid procedure" which is similar to the traditional Tommy John surgery but has a shorter recovery time. The Reds are hopeful he'll be ready to pitch in big-league games at some point in May. Naturally, there will be a progression that includes more live batting practice sessions and extended spring games in Arizona. It's unclear where Miley fits on Cincinnati's pitching staff.