MLB Player News

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Friday that Thompson (elbow) has a chance to be ready in time for Opening Day, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Thompson underwent Tommy John surgery in early March of last year, so he's less than a year removed from the operation. However, because he's a reliever, Martinez is giving him a shot to ramp up in time for the start of the season. That said, Thompson has yet to throw off a mound and might not do so until early March, so it's going to be a push to prep him for Opening Day.

Graterol (shoulder) said Friday that he's about a month away from beginning a throwing program, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Graterol underwent surgery in November to repair his labrum and a ligament in his right shoulder, and he said Friday he feels like he has "a new arm." It's difficult to get any gauge on when he might be ready to pitch until he ramps up his throwing, but the right-handed reliever is confident he can be a contributor in the second half.

Curry cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

The right-hander was designated for assignment by the Marlins on Tuesday but will stick in the organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. Curry will remain in big-league camp as a non-roster invitee but is likely to open the campaign at the Triple-A level.

Patino (elbow) is throwing bullpens during the early portion of spring training, Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan reports.

Patino underwent Tommy John surgery last April and signed with San Diego on a minor-league deal Jan. 7. His first taste of big-league action came with the Padres in 2020, and he's since logged major-league action with the Rays and White Sox. Though Patino seems to be progressing in his rehab, he isn't expected to be game-ready until around the middle of the season.

Shaw is nursing an oblique injury but is considered day-to-day, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Oblique issues can be worrisome, but this one at least appears to be minor. Still, any sort of setback for Shaw is not ideal since he is competing to be the Cubs' Opening Day third baseman. The team could hold its top prospect out of early spring training games to ensure he's 100 percent healthy before he joins the battle for the starting job at the hot corner.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Friday that Stratton (knee) still needs to show he can go through running and pitchers' fielding practice before he can be considered part of the competition for a bullpen spot, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stratton suffered a ruptured patella tendon in his left knee last August, but his recovery has come along well and he just has a couple boxes left to check. The righty held a 3.58 ERA and 33:7 K:BB across 37.2 frames last season before getting hurt and is in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that May is a possibility to open the season in the bullpen, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

May is among the competitors for the final spot in the Dodgers' rotation. However, he cannot be optioned to the minor leagues, so he should be part of the Opening Day roster in some capacity. The 27-year-old missed all of 2024 and made a total of just 20 starts from 2021-23 due to injuries. May's absence in 2024 was due to his continued recovery from UCL and flexor surgery and later an esophageal tear, but he is healthy at the start of camp.

Nimmo said Friday that his left foot has started feeling normal again within the past month and he's running at about 90 percent of his top speed, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Nimmo dealt with plantar fasciitis in his left foot for much of the 2024 season and revealed in January that it was still bothering him. However, his foot now feels back to normal following a variety of remedies, including physical therapy, shock therapy, strengthening and a PRP injection. He also found new cleats that he believes will help. There's certainly a risk that the plantar fasciitis will crop up again, but for now Nimmo is in a good spot. He plans to play in spring games by early March, which is a normal schedule for him.

The Phillies plan to give Realmuto fewer starts at catcher this season in order to preserve his body, Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Manager Rob Thomson has already spoken to Realmuto about the plan and the two are on the same page. While there is no target number of games for Realmuto to handle behind the plate, he said Thursday that his body "feels as good right now as it ever has" and he believes he can start 120-plus games at catcher, if needed. The Phillies are expected to give Realmuto some starts at designated hitter and first base to keep his bat in the lineup while reducing some wear and tear on him, and they've even floated the possibility of using him in left field on occasion. Slated to turn 34 in March, Realmuto was limited to 99 games in 2024 due to knee surgery, and while he remained productive at the plate, he swiped just two bags after racking up 37 steals on 43 attempts over the prior two seasons. Realmuto blamed the knee for his lack of aggressiveness on the bases, saying he "wasn't able to be as explosive," but he feels like he's "in a good spot" now.

Agnos has an outside shot of winning a spot in the big-league bullpen this spring, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The Rockies have no shortage of high-end relief pitching prospects, with Seth Halvorsen and Jaden Hill impressing in the big leagues late last season, but Agnos is right up there with them from a stuff standpoint. He boasts a four-seam fastball that can reach the upper-90s, a low-90s cutter, a slider and a splitter, and he saved 44 games in the minors over the past two seasons. The 24-year-old righty logged a 1.95 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 27.2 innings at Double-A Hartford last year. Halvorsen is the Rockies reliever drawing the most attention in early fantasy drafts, but there is a path for Agnos to be the team's closer by the end of 2025.