MLB Player News

Oviedo (elbow) threw a bullpen session Thursday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Oviedo was sidelined for the entire 2024 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in December of 2023, but he was regularly doing long toss off flat ground in September and has now reached another checkpoint in the recovery process by throwing off a mound. According to MLB.com, Oviedo is being viewed as a "full go" for spring training, but because he's returning from a major injury, the Pirates could bring him along more slowly than their other rotation candidates. The right-hander could build up his pitch count in simulated games on the backfields of camp before he makes his Grapefruit League debut.

Montgomery said Thursday that he lost 20 to 25 pounds over the offseason, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Montgomery appears motivated following a disastrous 2024 campaign which saw him collect a 6.23 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 83:44 K:BB across 117 innings. It's been no secret that the Diamondbacks have attempted to trade the lefty this offseason, but his $22.5 million salary has made that difficult. Arizona plans to operate with a traditional five-man rotation again in 2025, which could mean Montgomery being used in long relief if he's still with the club on Opening Day.

Hart signed Thursday with the Padres on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $5 million club option for 2026, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

After reaching a four-year deal with Nick Pivetta on Wednesday, the Padres have further bolstered their rotation depth with the addition of Hart, a 32-year-old lefty whose lone MLB action came back in 2020, when he tossed 11 innings for the Red Sox. Hart was able to secure an MLB deal on the back of his standout performance this past season in the Korea Baseball Organization with the NC Dinos, as he took home the league's equivalent of the Cy Young Award while turning in a 2.69 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 182:38 K:BB in 157 innings. The lower caliber of competition in the KBO certainly helped Hart achieve his lofty results, but it's been increasingly common in recent years for American pitchers to find MLB success upon returning stateside following impressive stints in Korea, with Erick Fedde and Merrill Kelly both standing out as notable examples. Hart will likely still have to impress in spring training to secure his spot in the San Diego rotation, with knuckleballer Matt Waldron representing Hart's top challenger for the No. 5 spot.

The Reds placed Aguiar (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Scott Barlow, whose signing was officially announced Thursday. Aguiar underwent Tommy John surgery last October and will miss the entire 2025 season.

Johnson (foot) was spotted taking grounders at second base during Thursday's spring training workout, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

After suffering a right foot injury in an Oct. 9 game in the Arizona Fall League, Johnson was limited to just 11 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions and slashed .250/.444/.475 with a home run and three stolen bases. The injury doesn't appear to be anything that is limiting him early on during the spring, and though he's attending big-league camp with the Pirates, Johnson will likely be headed to Double-A Altoona to begin the 2025 season. The 20-year-old infielder remains one of Pittsburgh's top prospects and could make a push for his big-league debut later in the season if he continues to maintain high walk rates while putting his power and speed on display in the upper levels of the minors.

Davis (hand) was spotted taking batting practice Thursday during the Pirates' second workout of spring training, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis appears to have reported to camp without any restrictions after finishing the 2024 season on the injured list due to left hand inflammation. Even before being shut down with the hand injury, Davis had endured a rough second season at the big-league level, slashing just .144/.242/.212 with a 37.2 percent strikeout rate in 121 plate appearances while allowing Joey Bart to emerge as the team's top backstop. Davis fared much better over his extended playing time at Triple-A Indianapolis (.952 OPS in 253 plate appearances), and since the Pirates are already confident in his defense behind the plate, he'll get another chance this spring to stake his claim to the No. 1 catching gig with the big club. Bart will open the spring as the frontrunner for the job, and Davis will also face competition from Endy Rodriguez, who is healthy again after missing nearly all of the 2024 season while recovering from elbow surgery.

Alcantara will be the Marlins' Opening Day starter on March 27 versus the Pirates, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

He'll likely be opposed by Paul Skenes, although the Pirates have not officially announced their Opening Day starter yet. The Marlins are sure to limit Alcantara's workload to some degree in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, but he's more than 16 months removed from the operation and was the only real option to take the ball Opening Day.

Uribe will go slow as he comes back from right knee surgery, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

He underwent surgery to repair a lateral miniscus tear in mid-June of 2024. This is a vague report, but it sounds like Uribe's status is questionable for Opening Day. Brewers closer Trevor Megill is dealing with an undisclosed injury, so if Uribe can get up to speed and Megill's injury lingers, Uribe could figure into the ninth-inning mix.

Megill has been pushed back at the outset of spring training due to some minor health issues in recent throwing sessions, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Manager Pat Murphy said Megill seems "fine," per McCalvy, but Megill is dealing with something that is preventing him from ramping up on a normal schedule this spring. While Megill's delayed schedule could end up being a non-issue, fantasy managers should still view him as a higher-risk option than he was prior to pitchers and catchers reporting. Abner Uribe (knee) is being brought along slowly, so 30-year-old Joel Payamps may be best suited to step up in the ninth inning if Megill is unable to get up to speed by Opening Day.

Pivetta signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Padres on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Pivetta declined a $21.05 million qualifying offer from the Red Sox earlier in the offseason, opting to pursue a multi-year deal with a lower AAV instead. That is exactly what he'll get from the Padres, who gain a much-needed boost to their rotation depth. The 31-year-old righty turned in a 4.14 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 145.2 innings last season alongside a 172:36 K:BB. He's developed a reputation for living in the strike zone and thus racking up high strikeout totals, but he has yet to finish a season with a sub-4.00 ERA over his eight-year career.