MLB Player News

Hendricks allowed two runs on five hits across two innings in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners. He struck out one.

For the second straight spring start, Hendricks pitched only two innings. He's allowed eight hits in four total innings of work, so he hasn't been particularly sharp yet. After a down 2021 campaign in which he recorded a career-worst 4.77 ERA, it would be nice to see Hendricks pitch a little better in the early going, but it will of course be much more telling how he looks to begin the regular season.

Taillon signed a one-year, $5.8 million contract with the Yankees on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

Taillon returned to the mound in 2021 after missing a year for his second Tommy John surgery, and he had a solid campaign with a 4.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 140:44 K:BB across 144 innings (29 starts). He's in his final year of arbitration eligibility and is set to be a free agent at the end of the season.

Ray tossed four innings in his Cactus League debut against the Cubs on Tuesday, allowing two earned runs on a hit and two walks. He struck out five.

The prized offseason acquisition was originally slated for three frames, but thanks to his efficiency, he was able to work the extra inning and still log a relatively modest 57 pitches. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports Ray's fastball topped out at 95 mph and he frequently complemented it successfully with his trademark slider, allowing him to strike out five of the 16 hitters he faced. Manager Scott Servais has implied he won't begin thinking about his Opening Day starter until he's had a chance to see each starting pitcher once this spring, but he emphasized how impressed he was with Ray's initial performance.

Montas agreed to a one-year, $5.025 million contract with the Athletics on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Montas made only $1.8 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility last season, so he'll receive a raise for 2022 after posting a 3.37 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 207:57 K:BB over 187 innings. The right-hander has been a popular name in trade discussions given the A's selloff of key players, but for now he'll remain in Oakland.

Williams and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal Tuesday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Williams is entering his final year of team control. He posted a career-best (but still below average) 22.2 percent strikeout rate last season, helping him to a 4.35 ERA in 91 innings.

Urias signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Dodgers on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Urias made $3.6 million in 2021 and received a solid bump in pay for his second-to-last year of arbitration eligibility. The 25-year-old southpaw had a 2.96 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 195:38 K:BB over 185.2 innings last season.

Castillo (shoulder) signed a one-year, $7.35 million contract with the Reds on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Castillo is entering his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility and was able to agree with Cincinnati on a figure for 2022. However, that's the minor news of the day, as it was reported earlier Tuesday that the right-hander is dealing with shoulder soreness and may not be ready for the start of the season. Castillo recently advanced to long toss and will need to get back on a mound before there's a firm idea of when he'll be cleared for game action.

Bieber and the Guardians agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract Tuesday, avoiding arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Shoulder issues limited him to 16 starts last season, but he excelled when available, riding a 33.1 percent strikeout rate to a 3.17 ERA.

Springs (knee) and the Rays agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $947,500 contract to avoid arbitration, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Before he tore the ACL in his right knee July 31 and required season-ending surgery, Springs proved to be a weapon out of the bullpen for the Rays. Over his 44.2 innings, Springs was prone to the long ball (nine home runs allowed) but otherwise dominated hitters to the tune of a 3.43 ERA and 63:14 K:BB. He picked up 10 holds and two saves along the way, but the Rays' wealth of quality relievers and manager Kevin Cash's preference to mix and match in the ninth inning will make it tough to extract consistent value from Springs or any of the team's other bullpen options. Springs threw a live batting practice session Monday and plans to test out his surgically repaired knee next week by jumping off the mound and fielding bunts, but his availability for Opening Day is in flux at the moment.

Keller agreed Tuesday with the Royals on a one-year, $4.825 million deal, avoiding arbitration, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

The righty will get a raise of just shy of $1.5 million despite a 2021 season in which he struggled to a 5.39 ERA. He finished the campaign on the 60-day injured list due to a lat strain, but he's scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday against the Rockies, according to Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Kansas City.