MLB Player News

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Monday that Jones (elbow) should be ready for game action when he's eligible to return from the 60-day injured list in late May, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

It's not clear whether that means he will be ready to pitch for the Pirates at that point or ready to pitch on a rehab assignment. Jones underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow last May and is "coming out really good" following a live batting practice session Friday, per Tomczyk. The 24-year-old made 22 starts for the Pirates in 2024, posting a 4.14 ERA and 132:39 K:BB across 121.2 frames.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Monday that Harbin has been diagnosed with a lat injury and will be shut down from throwing for six weeks before being re-evaluated, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Harbin suffered an injury to his teres major muscle early in camp and won't have the chance to compete for a spot in the Pirates' Opening Day bullpen this spring. The Pirates added the 24-year-old right-hander to the 40-man roster over the winter after he turned in a 4.69 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 92:46 K:BB in 63.1 innings between three minor-league levels in 2025. Expect Harbin to be optioned to minor-league camp in the coming weeks before opening the season on Triple-A Indianapolis' injured list.

Brannigan will visit a specialist after suffering multiple injuries to the nasal complex when he was struck by a bad hop Sunday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Brannigan was re-examined by team physicians Monday and the damage appears to be confined to the nose area, but he will examined by a specialist just in case to rule out orbital fractures. The 24-year-old is also coming back from surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder, which he had last July. Brannigan should be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Cook (hand) made a pair of starts in the Pirates' first three Grapefruit League games over the weekend, going a combined 1-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

Cook finished the past season on the shelf at Triple-A Indianapolis due to a hand injury, but he looks to be fully healthy for spring training. The 27-year-old will be competing for a reserve spot in the Pirates' Opening Day outfield, but the fact that he has two minor-league options could work against him in his efforts to break camp with the big club.

The Marlins announced Monday that Pauley underwent imaging after experiencing forearm tightness, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Pauley has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game because of the issue and hasn't improved as hoped, so the Marlins sent him for tests. Results of the imaging should be available within a day or two, but he'll at least temporarily be shut down from baseball activities. If the issue jeopardizes Pauley's availability for Opening Day, Connor Norby would be the favorite to start at third base for the Marlins.

Barrosa started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.

Barrosa is part of the mix to receive starts in the outfield with both Lourdes Gurriel (knee) and Corbin Carroll (hand) unavailable. The timelines of the two injured outfielders vary, with Carroll expected back around Opening Day and Gurriel ahead of an originally estimated June return. Barrosa is joined by Jordan Lawlar, Tim Tawa and prospect Ryan Waldschmidt in the competition for playing time.

Waldschmidt started in center field and went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.

Waldschmidt made his second Cactus League appearance after starting in left field in Friday's spring opener. The team's top prospect is a long-shot candidate to earn a roster spot, and those chances grew dimmer with recent news that Lourdes Gurriel (knee) is ahead of schedule in his rehab and Corbin Carroll (hand) is expected back for or near Opening Day.

Fulmer agreed to a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Monday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training, which will give Fulmer the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Pirates' Opening Day bullpen. The 32-year-old righty didn't pitch after Aug. 23 last season after sustaining a right elbow strain, but with the offseason to recover, he should be at or near full health. Fulmer made 13 appearances out of the Angels bullpen prior to being shut down with the injury, turning in a 5.83 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 29.1 innings.

Conforto agreed to a one-year contract with the Cubs on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, Conforto will be joining the Cubs on a minor-league deal, which means he won't have any assurances of being part of the Opening Day roster. However, if Conforto is able to impress during spring training and breaks camp with the big club, he could play right field against some right-handed pitchers while Seiya Suzuki slides to designated hitter. Conforto, who turns 33 in March, is coming off the worst season of his career in 2025, when he slashed .199/.305/.333 with 12 home runs in 486 plate appearances with the Dodgers.

Greene is working on adding a two-seam fastball to his arsenal, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports. "It's going to be a great offering," Greene said. "I'm excited to get going. You'll see it a good bit." The Reds are working in Greene slowly, as he essentially pitched a simulated game Sunday and will make his spring training debut on Friday.

Greene heavily relied on a four-seamer last season, throwing it 54 percent of the time, along with a slider (35 percent) and a splitter (11 percent). Perhaps the two-seamer could replace the splitter at times, as the latter pitch yielded a .310 batting average and .655 slugging percentage during the regular season in 26 batted ball events, while netting only three strikeouts.