MLB Player News

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that McDermott (lat) will begin his throwing progression Monday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

McDermott is recovering from what's been described as a mild lat/teres strain, but the injury still seems to be significant enough to remove him from the competition for an Opening Day rotation spot. He'll likely be limited to playing catch off flat ground for the next week before advancing to throwing bullpen sessions and eventually facing hitters. McDermott may not have enough time to get fully ramped up to pitch in games before the Orioles' Grapefruit League schedule comes to a close.

Nikhazy could make the Guardians' bullpen out of spring training, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports.

Nikhazy is already on the 40-man roster and has gotten off to a great start in Cactus League play, throwing four hitless innings with four strikeouts across two relief appearances. Pitching coach Carl Willis said Sunday that Nikhazy would make the club's bullpen, not the rotation, if he were to win a job. Nikhazy is a starter by trade and had a strong 2024 season, logging a 2.98 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 124:53 K:BB in 123.2 innings split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. He is working on improving his control and could be a multi-inning relief option early in the year if the club's starters aren't all ready to go five-plus innings consistently.

Cecconi allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out one over 1.2 innings in Sunday's spring start against the Brewers.

Cecconi breezed through the first inning on 11 pitches before trouble came knocking in his second frame. He allowed five runs on three hits, two walks and a fielding error before he was pulled early. The right-hander came back out for the third but surrendered three more hits and two runs. He threw 50 pitches (30 strikes) in what was his first Cactus League start (second appearance). Cecconi is being built up as a starter this spring and is a long-shot to claim a rotation spot. A long relief job is also a possibility.

Bieber (elbow) threw his fourth bullpen session Feb, 28 and progressed to throwing five times a week, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports.

Whether it's Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis or associate manager Craig Albernaz, observers of Bieber's bullpens state the right-hander is right where he needs to be. Nothing has changed regarding his return window, which is pegged for some point this summer.

Spiers allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out three over three innings in Sunday's spring start against the Cubs.

Spiers, making his second Cactus League start, became the first Cincinnati starter to reach three innings. The right-hander threw 37 pitches (26 strikes) and told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com following the game that he got another up-and-down in the bullpen to get "more pitches under my belt." He entered camp as a depth starter, likely destined for Triple-A Louisville, but injuries to Andrew Abbott (shoulder) and Rhett Lowder (elbow) could factor into where Spiers lands to open the regular season.

Gray allowed four hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings in Sunday's spring start against Arizona.

Gray worked around two hits in each of the first two innings before retiring the side in order in his final frame. The right-hander threw 40 pitches (29 for strikes). He also worked on mechanical issues during his second Cactus League start after experiencing a drop in velocity his first time out. As Gray described it to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News following Sunday's outing, he was standing "tall" on the mound, which means he kept his right leg straight instead of it buckling as he pushed forward to deliver the ball. Gray's fastball averaged 93.7 mph during his first start; it averaged 94.4 on Sunday.

Rodriguez allowed one walk and struck out one over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring start against the Rangers.

Rodriguez cruised through his first Cactus League start, setting down the side in order in the first inning and working around a two-out walk in the second. He threw 31 pitches (18 strikes). The left-hander told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com following Sunday's outing that he threw all of his pitches and feels everything is right where he wants it to be, which suggests the pitcher will be ready to go come Opening Day. Rodriguez opened the 2024 season on the injured list due to a shoulder issue and was limited to just 10 starts in the first year of a four-year contract.

Miller is out of concussion protocol and has returned to throwing bullpen sessions, per MLB.com.

Miller had a scary incident in which he was struck in the head by a comebacker Feb. 20, and the righty hurler was subsequently placed in concussion protocol. However, he's since been cleared to resume throwing and is back to ramping up. Miller threw about 35 pitches in a bullpen session Friday and said he'll likely need to take part in one more bullpen before returning to game action, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Stroman allowed four runs on four hits while striking out one batter over 2.2 innings in a Grapefruit League game against Atlanta on Sunday.

Stroman gave up solo homers to Austin Riley and Matt Olson in the first inning and exited with two outs in the third after giving up a pair of doubles in the frame. The veteran hurler has been adamant about wanting to be in the rotation rather than coming out of the bullpen this season, and there may be a starting spot available with Luis Gil's Opening Day status in question due to a shoulder injury. However, Stroman hasn't made much of a case for such a role this spring, as he's posted a 9.82 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through 3.2 frames covering two appearances.

Wrobleski pitched three perfect innings, striking out two batters in a Cactus League contest against the Athletics on Sunday.

Wrobleski allowed just two balls to leave the infield, as he induced five groundouts to go along with his two punchouts. The southpaw contributed six starts among eight regular-season appearances in his first taste of the majors last year and posted a 5.70 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 26:16 K:BB over 36.1 innings. Wrobleski's opportunities with the big club in 2024 were precipitated by a rash of injuries to the team's pitching staff, and he's likely to begin 2025 at Triple-A.