MLB Player News

Ryu is participating in spring training with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO in the midst of the MLB lockout and completed his first bullpen session Sunday, Daniel Kim of MBC Sports+ reports.

Ryu will remain in his home country of South Korea with no end to the lockout in sight, and he'll continue his preparation for the season with the Eagles. The 34-year-old had a 4.37 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 143:37 K:BB across 169 innings last season and will look to rebound for the Blue Jays in 2022.

Maeda (elbow) told The Tokyo Mainichi on Jan. 7 that he's realistically targeting a return to action in the final month of the 2022 season. "Even if I can return, it will be around September. It's not a zero percent chance," Maeda said.

Maeda underwent a modified Tommy John surgery Sept. 1, 2021, with his procedure involving the insertion of an internal brace into his right elbow. The innovative procedure was expected to reduce Maeda's recovery timeline to 9-to-12 months rather than the typical 12-to-16, but the 33-year-old still looks as though he plans on requiring a full year to complete his rehab. With the pitcher himself ruling out a midseason return, Maeda doesn't look to be an appealing fantasy investment, even as a final-round selection in AL-only leagues or best-ball drafts. On a more positive note, Maeda seems to have avoided any setbacks since having the procedure, as he said that he plans to resume playing catch at some point during spring training.

The Reds extended Ashcraft an invitation for major-league spring training Wednesday.

Ashcraft split 2021 between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville, and he found success at both levels with a combined 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 129:37 K:BB across 111 innings (22 starts). The 23-year-old will be a longshot to open the season in Cincinnati's starting rotation, but he is a likely bet to make his big-league debut at some point in 2022.

Lodolo was invited to major-league spring training by the Reds on Wednesday.

General manager Nick Krall said in November that Lodolo would be in the mix for a rotation spot in 2022, so it's not a major surprise the left-hander will be in big-league camp. The 23-year-old posted a 1.84 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 68:9 K:BB over 44 innings at Double-A Chattanooga last year before a late-season promotion to Triple-A Louisville.

Lively signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Thursday.

Lively's deal with Cincinnati includes an invitation to major-league spring training this year. The right-hander has spent the last three seasons in the KBO, and he posted a 4.14 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 202.1 innings across 36 starts with the Samsung Lions.

Rea will sign a contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball, Yahoo Japan reports.

Rea was released by the Cubs in January of 2021 and failed to land a contract in the majors for the first half of the 2021 campaign. However, he joined the Brewers in mid-August and posted a 2.27 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 35.2 innings across seven starts at Triple-A Nashville. The 31-year-old will now attempt to carve out a role overseas.

McCullers (forearm) will start throwing in "about a month," Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers suffered the injury to his throwing arm in mid-October and was unable to pitch in the the ALCS or World Series. In positive news, McCullers recently had an MRI that came back clean. Even so, it will be worth monitoring how McCullers is able to progress prior to spring training, which may dictate whether he is able to ramp up in time to begin the season on the mound.

Lyles agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with the Orioles on Wednesday that includes an $11 million club option for 2023, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Lyles spent the past two seasons with the Rangers and started in 30 of his 32 appearances last season. He had an unimpressive 5.15 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 146:56 K:BB across 180 innings, though he should have a stable rotation spot to open 2022 given Baltimore's overall lack of starting pitching. The physical exam wasn't completed before MLB initiated the lockout of the players Wednesday, so the deal can't become official until after a new CBA is reached.

Hill agreed to a one-year contract with the Red Sox on Wednesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

It will be the veteran left-hander's third stint with the Red Sox after tossing 158.2 innings last season, which marks his highest innings total since 2007. Hill split 2021 between the Mets and Rays and posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 150:55 K:BB in 32 outings. He should be a solid mid-rotation piece for Boston if he can stay healthy in his age-42 campaign.

Stroman signed a contract with the Cubs on Wednesday, he confirmed on his personal Twitter account. It's a three-year, $71 million deal that includes an opt out after the second season, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com.

The 30-year-old righty logged a 3.02 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 50.8 percent groundball rate in 179 innings last season. He didn't pitch in 2020, but he has logged 32 or more starts in four of the last five seasons he has pitched. Stroman has never struck out more than 166 batters in a season, as he thrives on generating weak contact, and he is generally good at logging bulk innings and preventing runs.