MLB Player News

McKenzie said at the Guardians' FanFest event Saturday that he's "feeling great" physically, Leah Doherty of Cleveland 19 News reports.

McKenzie was limited to just four starts for the Guardians in 2023 due to shoulder and elbow problems, but he finished the season healthy and has thrown without issue this winter. The right-hander noted that he's thrown more this offseason than he normally would in order to make up for lost time. McKenzie represents a buy-low option for fantasy managers, but he will remain a health risk heading into 2024.

Cobb (hip) began a throwing program Thursday, Evan Webeck of The Mercury News reports.

Cobb played catch from 60 feet in what was his first bit of throwing since he underwent left hip surgery in October. The veteran right-hander is hopeful of rejoining the Giants' rotation prior to the All-Star break, although there's no clear timetable for him at this point. Cobb held a 3.87 ERA and 131:37 K:BB over 151.1 frames for San Francisco in 2023.

Gutierrez held a private workout for interested clubs Friday in Miami, Francys Romero of MLB.com reports.

It's not clear which teams specifically were in attendance. Gutierrez, 28, threw just 6.1 rehab innings in 2023 and 36.2 frames in 2022 due to elbow issues but is healthy now and could make for a decent rotation depth piece.

Bello said Saturday that he has been working on commanding his slider during the offseason and plans on making it a "significant part of his mix" this season, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Bello was able to significantly improve his walk rate last season; however, he saw his K/9 drop from 8.6 in 2022 to 7.6 in 2023. The 24-year-old righty has developed a reputation as a groundball pitcher during his two seasons in the majors, relying mostly on his sinker and changeup. If Bello is able to successfully fine-tune his slider, he may be able to produce the strikeout totals necessary to join the next tier of fantasy starters.

McCullers (forearm) said Saturday that he expects to return toward the end of the summer, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

McCullers missed all of 2023 while dealing with a right forearm injury and opted to undergo surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in June. McCullers resumed throwing on flat ground from 80 feet out during the offseason and has yet to run into any issues. The 30-year-old righty still has a long way to go in his rehab process, but he could provide a significant boost to Houston's rotation or give the team another multi-inning relief option late in the season.

Mize signed a one-year, $840,000 contract with the Tigers on Friday to avoid arbitration Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Mize's deal also includes a $3.1 million club option for 2025, though he would remain under team control if Detroit declined to pick up the option. Mize sat out all of last season while recovering from a Tommy John procedure, but he's been deemed healthy and should be ready to go for the start of spring training. The 26-year-old right-hander holds a 4.29 ERA and 1.21 WHIP through 188.2 career big-league innings.

Cobb (hip) hopes to begin a flat-ground throwing program in the next few days, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Cobb underwent surgery in late October to repair a torn labrum and remove three bone chips from in his left hip. He's been keeping his arm in shape by throwing plyo balls from his knees and hopes to play catch soon. Cobb thinks he'll be able to return sooner than expected, although there's no clear timetable for when it might happen, with the right-hander saying only that "I fully expect to be back in the first half." The 36-year-old was a first-time All-Star in 2023 after posting a 2.91 ERA in the first half, but he stumbled to a 5.25 ERA after the break while dealing with nagging hip pain.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli named Lopez the team's Opening Day starter Wednesday, Lexi Schweinert of Twins Radio reports.

It's on the early side to be naming an Opening Day starter, but Baldelli evidently saw no reason to wait with Lopez representing an obvious choice. The right-hander's first season in Minnesota was the best of his career, with Lopez collecting a 3.66 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 234:48 K:BB over 194 innings. Minnesota opens its regular season on March 28 in Kansas City.

May (elbow) began a throwing program Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

May broke the news himself with a post on his Instagram account. The right-hander underwent flexor tendon surgery and a UCL revision last July and will be sidelined at least until the second half of the 2024 campaign. May holds a 3.10 ERA over parts of five seasons in the majors but has had his career sidetracked numerous times by injury.

Urena signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

Urena made a combined 10 starts for the Rockies and White Sox last season, producing an ugly 6.45 ERA and 29:22 K:BB over 44.2 innings. The 32-year-old veteran will probably begin the 2024 season as part of Triple-A Round Rock's rotation.