MLB Player News

Sweet was lifted from Tuesday's Grapefruit League appearance versus the Rays after being struck in the right triceps by a line drive, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

After retiring the first batter in the bottom of the fifth inning on a flyout, Sweet then faced Yandy Diaz, who hit one back up the box and off the pitcher's arm. The Phillies are calling the injury a right triceps contusion. Sweet should be considered day-to-day.

Senga is not ready to pitch in Grapefruit League games since he is due to make a couple more simulated outings in a controlled environment, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Given Senga logged just 10.1 innings last year, including the postseason, due to shoulder and calf issues, it's wise to be skeptical of his ability to be ready for a full starter's workload on Opening Day, at least until we see him in official Grapefruit League games. Healey reports feedback about Senga's health and buildup continues to be positive, and Senga certainly has a rotation spot if he's able to get ready in time.

Manager Craig Counsell said Brown has hit the ground running in camp and he's being evaluated as a starting pitcher, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

"Ultimately, you're trying to develop starters," Counsell said. "That's really valuable. The elite back-end guy, they're super-valuable, too. It's knowing that we got a good pitcher there and figuring out what to do. That's what we'll have to, at some point, make decisions on. But right now, it's a starter for Ben." It's looking more and more likely that Javier Assad (oblique) will have to start the year on the injured list, in which case it would be one of Brown, Colin Rea or Jordan Wicks opening the year as the Cubs' fifth starter. Brown obviously has the highest fantasy ceiling of that bunch, but he's still mostly a two-pitch guy, although his top two pitches (fastball, curveball) are easily plus and his curveball, which is also called a "death ball," is one of the best curveballs in all of baseball. He's been working on his changeup this spring, and if he's clearly the best option, it would be hard for the Cubs to exclude Brown and his strikeout stuff from a starting rotation that had the 25th-best strikeout rate (21.1 percent) in baseball last season.

Gore threw two innings against live hitters in the batting cage Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The Nationals and Gore are saying all the right things about him building up on the side, rather than in games, so far. Manager Dave Martinez said Gore and Michael Soroka will make their spring debuts soon, and Zuckerman speculates the duo could start the Nationals' split-squad games Saturday.

Harrison is expected to pitch in Friday's game against the Brewers following starter Logan Webb, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Harrison said a couple weeks ago that he's rediscovered his fastball velocity after the pitch dipped below 93 mph on average last season, so it will be worth tracking his velocity in camp. It's also encouraging that he's getting into a spring game this week after ending the 2024 season with a shoulder injury. He is expected to open the year in the Giants rotation.

Luciano went 1-for-3 with a home run and a strikeout in Monday's Cactus League game against the Angels.

"He's got power and he looks like there's more presence in the batter's box right now," said manager Bob Melvin of Luciano after the game. "More confidence, even in his batting practice, he's pulling the ball more and driving the ball." It was an impressive homer by Luciano, as he had the platoon advantage and hit it off the batter's eye in dead center. Luciano is in camp as an outfielder for the first time as the Giants look to reduce his defensive responsibilities in hopes of getting more offensive production out of him in his age-23 season.

Edman is starting at second base and batting second in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

Hyeseong Kim's bat might not be ready for primetime, so the Dodgers could open Kim at Triple-A and give Edman the second-base job instead, at least to open the year. Edman is only eligible in the outfield in formats that require 20 games played at a position the prior season, but he is a good bet to add second base or even shortstop eligibility in season.

Kim could open the year in the minors as he continues to make swing adjustments, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Kim has drawn rave reviews for his infield defense, but he was a light-hitting player even in the KBO, where his career high in homers was 11. Given the Dodgers have a bevy of strong options, they can afford to ease Kim into things against Triple-A pitching if they think he will be overmatched at the plate in the majors. Tommy Edman's versatility could allow him to play second or shortstop alongside Mookie Betts while Andy Pages potentially takes on a prominent role in the outfield.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Grove (shoulder) will not be ready for the start of the season, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Grove was shut down with a shoulder injury during the NLDS last season, and he got a late start to his offseason throwing program. The 28-year-old made 39 regular-season appearances for the Dodgers last season, including two starts, and finished with a 5.12 ERA and 54:16 K:BB across 51 innings.

Hicks caught Sandy Alcantara on Sunday, and the Marlins' ace came away impressed by his game-calling and pitch framing, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Hicks was selected in the Rule 5 draft from Detroit, giving Miami every incentive to keep him on the 26-man roster, but Hicks is showing early in camp he can make an immediate contribution as well. The 25-year-old backstop went 1-for-2 at the plate Sunday, but it's his work behind the plate that will likely keep him in the majors. Hicks has yet to play above Double-A, and he slashed .264/.379/.357 over 113 games at that level in 2024 split between the Tigers' and Rangers' organizations. If he does secure a spot on the Marlins' roster, he'll back up Nick Fortes to begin the season.