MLB Player News

Perales (elbow) said Thursday that he's been cleared to throw off flat ground up to 90 feet, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Perales still appears to be in the early stages of his throwing program as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last June. Though the right-hander is unlikely to pitch in games at any point in 2025, the Red Sox recognized enough potential to keep him on the 40-man roster for the second season in a row. Before sustaining the season-ending elbow injury, Perales turned in a 2.94 ERA and 48:11 K:BB in 29.2 innings between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland.

Barco (lower body) completed a bullpen session Thursday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Barco didn't make any appearances after July 28 of last season due to what Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk termed as a "left lower-extremity" injury, but the 24-year-old lefty doesn't appear to be operating with any restrictions to begin spring training. He'll likely open the 2025 season at Double-A Altoona, with whom he struck out six over four innings of one-run ball across his two starts last summer before landing on the injured list.

Oviedo (elbow) threw a bullpen session Thursday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Oviedo was sidelined for the entire 2024 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in December of 2023, but he was regularly doing long toss off flat ground in September and has now reached another checkpoint in the recovery process by throwing off a mound. According to MLB.com, Oviedo is being viewed as a "full go" for spring training, but because he's returning from a major injury, the Pirates could bring him along more slowly than their other rotation candidates. The right-hander could build up his pitch count in simulated games on the backfields of camp before he makes his Grapefruit League debut.

Stroman has yet to report to spring training as of Thursday, and the Yankees haven't yet determined when he might be ready to participate in workouts, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

According to the terms of MLB's collective bargaining agreement, Stroman isn't required to take the field for spring training until Feb. 22, but his voluntary absence is noteworthy with all other pitchers and catchers having reported to camp. Stroman was still present in Tampa on Tuesday to take his pre-camp physical, and he's expected to continue working out on his own over the next few days before joining the Yankees. The 33-year-old's decision not to report to camp comes while his role entering the 2025 season is uncertain, after the Yankees signed Max Fried to an eight-year deal over the winter to give the team a projected five-man rotation that also includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil. Unless the Yankees head into Opening Day with a six-man rotation or lose one of the other five pitchers to an injury, Stroman could find himself in the bullpen after he turned in a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 154.2 regular-season innings during his first season with New York in 2024.

Montgomery said Thursday that he lost 20 to 25 pounds over the offseason, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Montgomery appears motivated following a disastrous 2024 campaign which saw him collect a 6.23 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 83:44 K:BB across 117 innings. It's been no secret that the Diamondbacks have attempted to trade the lefty this offseason, but his $22.5 million salary has made that difficult. Arizona plans to operate with a traditional five-man rotation again in 2025, which could mean Montgomery being used in long relief if he's still with the club on Opening Day.

Hart signed Thursday with the Padres on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $5 million club option for 2026, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

After reaching a four-year deal with Nick Pivetta on Wednesday, the Padres have further bolstered their rotation depth with the addition of Hart, a 32-year-old lefty whose lone MLB action came back in 2020, when he tossed 11 innings for the Red Sox. Hart was able to secure an MLB deal on the back of his standout performance this past season in the Korea Baseball Organization with the NC Dinos, as he took home the league's equivalent of the Cy Young Award while turning in a 2.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 182:38 K:BB in 157 innings. The lower caliber of competition in the KBO certainly helped Hart achieve his lofty results, but it's been increasingly common in recent years for American pitchers to find MLB success upon returning stateside following impressive stints in Korea, with Erick Fedde and Merrill Kelly both standing out as notable examples. Hart will likely still have to impress in spring training to secure his spot in the San Diego rotation, with knuckleballer Matt Waldron representing Hart's top challenger for the No. 5 spot.

The Reds placed Aguiar (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Scott Barlow, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Aguiar underwent Tommy John surgery last October and will miss the entire 2025 season.

Sugano has yet to report to Orioles camp due to visa issues but is expected to arrive this weekend, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Assuming he does indeed report this weekend, Sugano's brief tardiness shouldn't affect his spring training prep much. The Japanese right-hander inked a one-year, $13 million contract with Baltimore in December and is expected to open the 2025 season in its rotation.

Rogers is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day after suffering a right knee subluxation in January, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Per general manager Mike Elias, Rogers is weeks behind schedule and it's not clear when he might be ready to ramp things up again. The left-hander was looking like a long shot to make the Opening Day rotation, anyway, and now he's facing an additional hurdle. Rogers held a 4.92 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 97:56 K:BB across 124.1 innings in 2024 between the Marlins and Orioles before spending the final month of the regular season in the minors.

Alcantara will be the Marlins' Opening Day starter on March 27 versus the Pirates, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

He'll likely be opposed by Paul Skenes, although the Pirates have not officially announced their Opening Day starter yet. The Marlins are sure to limit Alcantara's workload to some degree in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, but he's more than 16 months removed from the operation and was the only real option to take the ball Opening Day.