MLB Player News

Kershaw (shoulder) began a throwing program last week, Andy McCullough of The Athletic reports.

Kershaw is about three months removed from surgery to repair the gleno-humeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder. The expectation is that he will not be game-ready until at least sometime in the second half. Kershaw has agreed to a new one-year contract with the Dodgers, a deal which will become official after he takes a physical Thursday.

Kershaw (shoulder) signed a one-year contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday, Andy McCullough of The Athletic reports.

The contract also contains a player option for 2025. Kershaw will take a physical Thursday before the deal is made official. That also happens to be the first day the Dodgers can place players on the 60-day injured list, which would preclude them from having to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. Kershaw had surgery on his left shoulder in November and won't be ready to pitch until at least the second half, with a clearer timetable likely not available for months.

Kershaw (shoulder) re-signing with the Dodgers is considered increasingly likely, Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post report.

Sherman notes that the two sides could be waiting until Thursday to finalize a contract, as that's the first day the Dodgers would be able to place Kershaw on the 60-day injured list, thereby not taking up a spot on the 40-man roster. Kershaw underwent surgery in November to repair the gleno-humeral ligaments and capsule in his left shoulder and is not expected to be game-ready until sometime after the All-Star break. The future Hall of Famer will turn 36 next month.

Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said Mena is "not a finished product" and is expected to start the season at Triple-A Reno, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Hazen said the right-handed Mena's slider and curveball are "really good," adding that the pitcher has a "decent" changeup. "We felt like this was an opportunity for us to add a really young starting pitcher, already been to Triple-A, and we think he has really good stuff," the GM said. What the organization will be looking for when spring training opens is an increase in velocity, as well as a refinement of all offerings and development of pitch sequencing. Mena, who turned 21 in December, made four starts at the Triple-A level while with the White Sox organization in 2023.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said last last week that Musgrove (shoulder) will not have any limitations in spring training, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

San Diego's new skipper revealed that Musgrove has already thrown some bullpen sessions and even faced some hitters and has bounced back with no issues. The veteran right-hander missed the final two months of last season with right shoulder inflammation and also dealt with elbow bursitis earlier in the year. Musgrove was highly effective in 2023 when on the mound, collecting a 3.05 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 97:21 K:BB over 97.1 frames. It's certainly encouraging that it looks like he'll enter spring training with no limits, but Musgrove will remain a health red flag going into 2024.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said last week that Darvish (elbow) will have no limitations in spring training, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Shildt noted that Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions without issue and has even faced a few hitters already. It's certainly a good sign after the 37-year-old missed the final month of last season with a bone spur in his right elbow. Darvish finished 2023 with a disappointing 4.56 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 141:43 K:BB through 136.1 innings. While he looks to be trending in a good direction, Darvish will remain a health risk in 2024 given his age and how last season concluded.

Cueto is continuing his normal offseason throwing program and hopes to sign with a team for the 2024 season, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Cueto will turn 38 this month and is coming off a 2023 campaign which saw him post a 6.02 ERA over 52.1 innings. It seems likely that he will have to accept a minor-league contract in order to continue his career, but Cueto does not appear eager to retire just yet.

Spiers worked on being more consistent with his slider during 18 innings in the Arizona Fall League, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Spiers added additional innings in the Fall League after throwing 98 combined innings between the minors and majors in 2023, including stints as a starter and reliever. The right-hander said he pulled his slider while in the majors and was unable to get hitters chase it like minor-league batters. It's unclear in which role the Reds plan for him this spring, but Spiers is part of a big crowd of hurlers looking to stick with the parent club.

Manning (foot) has had a normal offseason throwing routine and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, MLB.com reports.

Manning sustained a fractured foot after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton in September. The injury ended his 2023 season, though it doesn't seem like it should impact the righty in 2024. Manning finished last year with a solid 3.58 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 78 innings (15 starts), though he struck out only 50 batters.

Smyly is likely competing with Hayden Wesneski, Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks for the fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation to begin the season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Smyly made 41 appearances, including 23 starts, for Chicago last season and struggled with a 5.00 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. The veteran lefty can still miss some bats, as he recorded 141 strikeouts in 142.1 innings in 2023, and the team may want to deploy him in a relief role to see if his stuff plays up in favorable matchups. Smyly can still have some limited fantasy value in the right spots, though he's likely best used as a streamer if he's starting.