MLB Player News

Walker (knee) went through a running progression Tuesday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Walker is expected to progress to lateral movements next as he works his way back from left knee inflammation. A return to Grapefruit League action should come after that. Walker hasn't played since tweaking his knee March 4 but is expected to have enough time to ramp back up for Opening Day.

Minter (hip) will make his Grapefruit League in Wednesday's game versus the Cardinals, Manny Gomez of NJ.com reports.

Minter will be in line for his first game action since he underwent hip surgery last August. He has just over two weeks to ramp up for Opening Day, but since he'll be deployed as a one-inning reliever, he'll likely need only a handful of appearances in spring training to get himself ready. He's projected to help set up for closer Edwin Diaz in the Mets bullpen this season.

Pfaadt allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out two over three innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Royals.

Pfaadt didn't start the game and came on to pitch innings five through seven after Merrill Kelly and Justin Martinez got the Diamondbacks through the first four frames. This was Pfaadt's third Cactus League outing and decidedly better than his previous appearance when he was chased after 1.1 innings. Despite working out of the bullpen Tuesday, Pfaadt remains in the mix for the final spot in the rotation, along with Ryne Nelson and Jordan Montgomery.

Martinez threw a scoreless two-thirds of an inning in Tuesday's spring game against Kansas City.

Martinez came on in the fourth inning to relieve starter Merrill Kelly, who left with one out and runners at the corners. Martinez needed just two pitches to get out of the jam, inducing a double-play groundout to end the inning. It was the fourth scoreless appearance in five Cactus League outings for Martinez, who is competing with A.J. Puk and Kevin Ginkel for the closer role.

Kelly allowed five hits while striking out one over 3.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Royals.

Kelly threw 48 pitches in his third Cactus League start, the same number of pitches he threw the last time out, March 7, against the Mariners. He navigated first-inning trouble with the help of his defense; a baserunner was caught attempting to steal and a second one was picked off by Kelly, the third time he's picked off a runner this spring. After three spring outings, Kelly has a 2.35 ERA over 7.2 innings.

Graveman (back) threw his first live batting practice session of the spring Tuesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Graveman was signed to a major-league deal after camp opened but then missed time with back tightness. The Diamondbacks believe he has enough time to be ready for the start of the regular season.

Montgomery's next spring outing will come on a back field at camp Thursday instead of in a Cactus League game, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Montgomery was shelled in his spring debut last Saturday, recording just one out while allowing five earned runs. The Diamondbacks have indicated that the poor showing didn't factor into the decision to have him bypass pitching in a second Cactus League game. Instead, the team sees potential rain in the forecast for Thursday, and it wants to ensure Montgomery gets his work in during the day. The left-hander needs the work due to a finger injury early in camp that left him behind other candidates for the rotation.

Sheets went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and three total RBI in Tuesday's Cactus League win over the White Sox.

Sheets' first home run was a 417-foot solo shot to center field in the fifth inning. He then came up with the score tied in the ninth and blasted a walk-off two-run homer to right-center field. Sheets has been sizzling of late, going deep in four straight games with five long balls during that span. The hot spring stretch has significantly increased his likelihood of making the Opening Day roster, though several of the players he's competing with for one of the Padres' bench spots -- including Eguy Rosario, Tirso Ornelas and Brandon Lockridge -- have also played well this spring.

Cease completed 3.2 innings against the White Sox in a Cactus League game Tuesday, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out four batters.

In his third start this spring, Cease retired the side in order in three of the four frames in which he pitched. However, the right-hander's line was marred by a poor second inning during which Chicago racked up four hits -- including two doubles -- and a walk to push four runs across the plate. Cease was lifted with two outs in the frame, but under spring-training rules he was allowed to return to the game in the following inning. Cease worked up to 64 pitches in the start, and he appears to be progressing well toward the regular season.

Muncy went 1-for-1 with a double, two RBI and two walks against the Guardians in a Cactus League victory Tuesday.

Muncy's first-inning double was just his second extra-base hit of the spring. However, he's tied for third on the team with six RBI and ranks second with eight walks. Muncy has posted a walk rate of at least 15 percent in six of his seven seasons with the Dodgers and has belted 30-plus homers four times during that span, making him a particularly valuable third-base option in fantasy leagues that use OBP rather than batting average.