MLB Player News

Orioles GM Mike Elias said Sunday he expects Rodriguez to make the team's Opening Day starting rotation, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

The 23-year-old was poised to make his big-league debut last summer before a Grade 2 lat strain resulted in a three-month absence, though he returned from the injured list to make six appearances in September. Rodriguez made 14 starts for Triple-A Norfolk in 2022 and had a 2.20 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 97:21 K:BB across 69.2 innings, and he should crack Baltimore's Opening Day rotation with a decent showing during spring training. The young right-hander's reduced workload last year likely means he'll face some workload limitations in 2023.

Maeda (elbow) will have no restrictions during spring training, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Maeda missed all of the 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in September of 2021. The right-hander struggled to a 4.66 ERA in 21 appearances before the injury that season, but he has been an effective option in previous seasons. He's someone to monitor in the Grapefruit League, as a return to prior form could pay dividends for fantasy managers in 2023.

Rea signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers on Friday and received an invite to major-league spring training, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Rea spent last season in Japan with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, where he recorded a 3.96 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through 100 frames. The 32-year-old will now likely begin 2023 in Triple-A Nashville, where he found success in 2021 to the tune of a 2.27 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 35.2 innings.

Kaprielian (shoulder) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, Athletics general manager David Forst told Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday.

The question on Kaprielian's status came in relation to the A's recent trade of Cole Irvin to the Orioles. That move was quite clearly a salary dump, but Oakland does have the depth to deliver a respectable Opening Day rotation if there are no setbacks on the health front. Kaprielian is said to be moving in the right direction in his recovery from offseason surgery to repair the AC joint in his throwing shoulder.

Hamels (shoulder) held a showcase for interested teams Friday in Arlington, Texas, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Per Heyman, Hamels looked very good during the workout and could generate a decent amount of free-agent interest coming out of it. The veteran southpaw hasn't pitched in the majors since 2020 because of lingering complications with his throwing shoulder. If he is now indeed healthy, Hamels might get a camp invite from someone at age 39.

Irvin was traded from the A's to the Orioles on Thursday in exhange for minor leaguers Darell Hernaiz and Kyle Virbitsky, ESPN.com's Jeff Passan reports.

Irvin put together the best season of his career in 2022, working to an overall 3.98 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 30 starts covering 181 innings. He's never been a big strikeouts compiler, which stunts his fantasy appeal, but the 28-year-old lefty looks like a solid mid-to-upper rotation pickup for the O's as they aim to continue gaining ground in the AL East.

Springs signed a four-year, $31 million contract extension with the Rays on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The deal can max out at $65.75 million if Springs gets his club option picked up for 2027 and reaches all of the included performance-based incentives. The 30-year-old left-hander impressed his way into a full-time rotation spot in Tampa Bay last season, delivering a 2.46 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 144 strikeouts (31 walks) across 135.1 innings. With his projectable workload on the rise, Springs should have late-round appeal in all standard fantasy drafts leading into the 2023 campaign.

Perez has received an invitation to the Marlins' major-league spring training camp, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Perez is the best prospect in the Marlins' system and one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball. The 19-year-old finished last season with a 3.97 ERA and 110:25 K:BB ratio over 77 innings over 18 starts. Perez is a long-shot to make the Marlins out of spring training, but the right-hander has a great chance to make starts in 2023, and his swing-and-miss stuff gives him the potential to be fantasy-relevant immediately.

Clevinger is being investigated by MLB due to allegations of domestic violence and child abuse, Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic report.

The allegations include physical, verbal and emotional abuse toward the mother of Clevinger's 10-month-old daughter. The White Sox were reportedly unaware of the allegations when they signed Clevinger to a one-year, $12 million deal in November. Details regarding a potential suspension for the righty have not yet been announced.

Painter will join the Phillies' major-league camp this spring.

The invitation was an expected one, as it appears as though Painter will be given a shot to win a spot in the Phillies' Opening Day rotation. That may seem like quite the jump, as Painter is just 19 years old and has five Double-A starts and no Triple-A outings under his belt, but given the pace of Painter's rapid rise, the team may not want to waste any more of his innings in the minors. In 26 total starts as a professional, the 2021 No. 13 overall pick owns a 1.48 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, numbers he's backed up with a 39.6 percent strikeout rate and 5.9 percent walk rate. Bailey Falter looks like his top competition for the fifth starter job.