Dotel will start Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Dotel was added to the 40-man roster this offseason and will start Pittsburgh's first spring training contest. He started 27 games with Double-A Altoona in 2025, posting a solid 131:43 K:BB across 125.2 frames. Dotel will likely begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, but he could be promoted to the majors during the summer months if injuries occur in the Pirates' rotation.

Triolo is expected to start at third base for the Pirates to begin the 2026 season, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Triolo is an elite defender at both second and third base, and he is also capable of filling in at shortstop. The Pirates value that versatility, but the team has failed to land any of their targets at third base this offseason. That leaves Triolo as the favorite to start at the hot corner, though his productivity as a hitter could dictate his ability to remain an everyday player. Triolo has a career 87 wRC+ across 1,031 plate appearances, though he posted a 117 wRC+ across 216 plate appearances in the second half of 2025.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Imanaga has been throwing harder early this spring, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Counsell didn't offer specifics on Imanaga's velocity, but he believes the left-hander wasn't throwing as hard last season because a hamstring injury caused his mechanics to get out of whack. After averaging 91.7 mph and earning a plus-4 run value by Baseball Savant with his four-seamer in 2024, Imanaga averaged 90.8 mph and netted a minus-10 run value in 2025. The southpaw accepted a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer this offseason to return to the Cubs for 2026.

Whisenhunt was sitting 96-97 mph during a simulated game Thursday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Delos Santos notes that the readings were courtesy of Trackman, so it's a legitimate velocity increase for Whisenhunt, who averaged 92.6 mph with his four-seamer last season. It will be interesting to watch whether the southpaw is able to carry the velocity spike into Cactus League play and the regular season, as it could help spur a breakout. Whisenhunt entered spring training likely on the outside looking in for a spot in the Giants' rotation after holding a 5.01 ERA and 16:12 K:BB over 23.1 innings covering five starts in 2025.

Dollander believes he fixed a mechanical flaw with his delivery this offseason, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Dollander said he got "too coil-y in my legs, in my leg kick," which led to him throwing across his body and affected his command. After working with with T.J. Galenti, a Florida-based data scientist and baseball performance coach, Dollander said his mechanical problem was fixed "pretty fast." Dollander added that he's now able to better find the strike zone with his fastball and slider, and he's also "getting the 'vert' (induced vertical break) back" on his heater. The 24-year-old entered Rockies camp healthy following a late-season knee injury last year, and he's cemented into the Opening Day rotation. Dollander posted a 6.52 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 82:49 K:BB through 98 innings across 21 starts in his rookie season, with most of the damage done at home (9.98 ERA).

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that Senga hit 97 mph in a live batting practice session Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Senga averaged 95.7 mph with his four-seamer in his rookie season and 94.7 mph with the pitch in 2025, so topping out at 97 mph already in camp seems like a good sign. The 33-year-old posted a 3.02 ERA in 22 outings for the Mets last season, but his strikeout rate dipped to 22.6 percent and he finished the year in the minors after a rough stretch. If healthy, Senga should open 2026 in the Mets' rotation.

Aguiar (elbow) is without restrictions in Reds camp and competing for the final spot in the rotation, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Aguiar missed the entire 2025 season after having Tommy John surgery in October 2024, but he's now 16 months removed from the operation and participating fully in camp. The 24-year-old is in the rotation mix for Cincinnati but is almost surely ticketed for Triple-A Louisville following a lost season. Aguiar made seven starts for the Reds in 2024, holding a 6.25 ERA and 19:12 K:BB over 31.2 innings.

Lopez sat at 93 mph and touched 94 in the second inning of his live batting practice session Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It's an encouraging spot to be at this stage of spring training for Lopez, who averaged 95.5 mph with his four-seamer during his All-Star 2024 season. The right-hander made just one start in 2025 before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder, but he is without restrictions this spring and has a spot in Atlanta's rotation locked up.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Thursday that Encarnacion-Strand (hamstring) could play in Cactus League games next week, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Encarnacion-Strand has been slowed early on in camp by a hamstring injury he suffered in January, but he's been working out and it seems he'll miss only the first few spring training games. Given the number of bodies ahead of him at the infield corners and designated hitter, the 26-year-old is facing long odds to make the Opening Day roster.

The Dodgers signed Almonte to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Almonte missed the first half of the 2025 season after having surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder but returned to make 15 appearances in the minors in the Cubs organization. The 31-year-old reliever has collected a 4.44 ERA, 22.5 percent strikeout rate and 9.9 percent walk rate over parts of seven major-league seasons, which includes a stint with the Dodgers from 2022-2023.