MLB Player News

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Cruz is being brought along slowly in spring training because he came to camp with an illness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Cruz is no longer ill, but since the ailment had prevented him from doing workouts for a while, the Pirates are taking it easy on him in the early weeks of camp. The center fielder has played in one of the team's first four Grapefruit League games, picking up a single and a stolen base Tuesday versus Atlanta. Cruz should be ready for a regular workload soon.

Painter has ditched his cutter and added a changeup as his fourth pitch, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

Painter is in camp with the big-league club but will not pitch in spring games, as the Phillies look to preserve the workload of their prized prospect in his return from 2023 Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old threw 15.2 frames in the Arizona Fall League last year, posting a 2.30 ERA and 18:4 K:BB, and he impressed his pitching coach, Caleb Cotham, in the process with a refined pitch mix that Painter is expected to carry forward into 2025. Painter is also reportedly throwing bullpens at a lower intensity this spring compared to past camps as he prepares to make his major-league debut this summer. Gelb previously suggested back in January that 80 or so big-league innings could be the target for Painter in his debut season.

Kolek tossed two scoreless innings in a Cactus League game against San Diego on Tuesday, allowing two hits and striking out two batters.

Kolek came out of the bullpen for all 42 of his appearances as a rookie last season, but he's getting stretched out this spring to compete for the Padres' fifth rotation spot. The right-hander looked good in his spring debut Tuesday, throwing five different types of offerings among his 25 pitches and keeping the Angels off the scoreboard. San Diego's other options to break camp as the fifth starter include Kyle Hart, Matt Waldron, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez.

Harper was removed from Wednesday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Blue Jays after being hit on the right biceps by a pitch, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Harper was making his third plate appearance of the day when he was struck by a Richard Lovelady offering in the top of the sixth inning, so his day was likely going to be over, anyway. The Phillies should provide an update on Harper's condition shortly.

Nelson (shoulder) retired two batters and was charged with two earned runs on three hits while striking out one in Tuesday's 4-2 Cactus League loss to the Cubs.

Making his spring debut after he had been sidelined since last April while he recovered from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, Nelson perhaps unsurprisingly struggled with his command. He served up home runs to two of the five batters he faced and was charged with a blown save after giving up a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. The southpaw possesses a spot on the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster, but since he has two minor-league options remaining, he could open the season at Triple-A Reno if the organization determines he needs more time to knock off some rust coming out of the spring.

The Cubs optioned Caissie (groin) to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

The club also reassigned Brett Bateman (hand), Brandon Birdsell (lat) and Antonio Santos to minor-league camp. Caissie underwent core muscle surgery over the offseason and has been slowed in camp by a groin injury, which may or may not be related to the operation. It's uncertain when Caissie might be ready to play in games, but he'll begin the year with Iowa.

Jarvis (elbow) is expected to make his Cactus League debut in Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Alex D'Agostino of SI.com reports.

Jarvis didn't make any appearances after July 30 last year while recovering from an elbow sprain, but the 27-year-old righty doesn't seem to be too far behind the Diamondbacks' other relievers in spring training. He'll be competing for a multi-inning role out of the bullpen during camp after he turned in a 3.19 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 38:33 K:BB across 59.1 frames before spending the final two months of the 2024 campaign on the shelf.

Jameson (elbow) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut in Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Jack Sommers of SI.com reports.

Once starter Corbin Burnes exits the contest, Jameson is on track to make what will be his first appearance at any level since July 6, 2023 after he missed the last season and a half while recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in September of that year. Jameson progressed to throwing bullpen sessions by the end of last season, and his lengthy rehab program appears to have gone without any snags over the winter and during the early part of spring training. The 27-year-old is in contention for a spot in the Diamondbacks' Opening Day bullpen, but because he has two minor-league options remaining, an assignment to Triple-A Reno could be in the cards if he isn't sharp during his Cactus League appearances.

Reifert struck out the side in the third inning of Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The 25-year-old righty needed 16 pitches (nine strikes) to carve up Miami's 9-1-2 hitters, including Xavier Edwards. Reifert is in camp as a Rule 5 pick from the Rays organization, giving him a leg up on winning one of the final spots in the Nationals' bullpen if he shows he's ready to get big-league hitters out. Over 40.1 innings for Double-A Montgomery in 2024, Reifert posted a 2.01 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 64:16 K:BB.

Hassell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The 23-year-old outfielder launched a pitch from minor leaguer Justin King over the fence in right field in the sixth inning for his first homer of the spring. Hassell was once viewed as a top-10 prospect in baseball, but his status has cratered since he was included in the package the Padres sent the Nationals for Juan Soto in 2022. He made it to Triple-A for the first time late last season, going just 8-for-64 (.125) with a 5:17 BB:K over 17 games, but Washington still elected to add him to the 40-man roster this winter. Hassell has had an impressive start to his spring, going 4-for-9 with two doubles, a homer and a steal in four appearances, but he has a lot to prove before he'll work his way into the Nats' long-term plans alongside the likes of Dylan Crews and James Wood (quad).