MLB Player News

Waldron said Wednesday that he is planning to throw his knuckleball more frequently during the upcoming season, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The knuckler was Waldron's most-used pitch last year, as he threw it 38.2 percent of the time, per Statcast. The right-hander registered a 27.5 percent whiff rate on the offering, and opponents had a .227 xBA against it, rendering it a relatively effective pitch, especially in comparison to his four-seamer (19.1 percent usage rate, 22.4 percent whiff rate, .247 xBA) and his sinker (14.3 percent usage rate, 6.7 percent whiff rate, .316 xBA). Waldron is battling for a spot at the back of San Diego's rotation, and how he -- and his knuckleball -- perform during Cactus League play could go a long way toward determining what his role will be at the start of the season.

Canario received reps at first base Tuesday as the Cubs explore their reserve options behind starter Michael Busch, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The 24-year-old Canario has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster since he's out of minor-league options, and adding some positional versatility might help him secure a bench job. Canario has played in just 21 big-league games, striking out 19 times in 45 plate appearances, which is consistent with his 30.4 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A Iowa last year.

Manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that Cavalli (elbow) is healthy, but the Nationals plan to manage the right-hander's workload this season, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports. "He had a good winter," Martinez said of Cavalli. "He looks great. We know he's going to be limited in how many innings he pitches this year, so we want to make sure when he does get out there, we do have him the whole season."

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2023, Cavalli missed that entire season and was limited to just three minor-league rehab appearances in 2024, with none coming after June. He came down with a bout of the flu and then dealt with a dead-arm phase for a large chunk of the second half of last season, but he was at least able to ramp his throwing back up in September. Cavalli seems to have emerged from his offseason throwing program free of setbacks, so he should be facing relatively few restrictions this spring, aside from the Nationals managing how many live innings he throws. Martinez left the door open for Cavalli to compete for a roster spot with the big club, but given the extended time he missed in addition to his limited MLB experience (he made one start for the Nationals in 2022), the 26-year-old is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Rochester.

The Brewers placed Gasser (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

A 40-man roster spot needed to be freed up for Tyler Alexander, who inked a one-year deal Wednesday. Gasser had Tommy John surgery last July, and manager Pat Murphy said that the Brewers aren't anticipating the southpaw making his 2025 debut until late August or early September, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Brewers signed Alexander to a one-year contract Wednesday.

Alexander was non-tendered by the Rays earlier this offseason but has managed to land on his feet with a major-league deal in Milwaukee. The left-hander split time between the rotation and bullpen last season with Tampa Bay, finishing with a 5.10 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 90:24 K:BB across 107.2 innings. The Brewers will have a vacancy in their rotation if Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) isn't ready to start the season, but it seems likelier that Alexander will wind up in the bullpen or perhaps a swingman role.

Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) said Wednesday that he expects to throw his first bullpen session of spring training this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani is on the mend from November surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder as well as the September 2023 Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but the two-way phenom took batting practice Wednesday without issue and will be ready to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter for the team's two-game season-opening set in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18 and 19. Manager Dave Roberts recently suggested that the 30-year-old could make his 2025 debut as a pitcher at some point in May, as Ohtani is already throwing his full repertoire off flat ground during camp and will take another step forward by getting on a mound this weekend. However, Roberts noted earlier Wednesday that Ohtani won't be cleared to pitch in any Cactus League games, so the four-time All-Star looks as though he'll have to gradually build up his pitch count through simulated games this spring and during the early portion of the season while he continues to play regularly as a DH.

Abrams reported to spring training Monday and disclosed that he added about 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

A first-time All-Star in 2024, Abrams posted a career-best .314 on-base percentage to go with excellent counting numbers (20 home runs, 31 steals, 65 RBI and 79 runs), but his achievements were somewhat overshadowed by a late-season demotion to the minors, which came after he stayed out past curfew at a casino the night before a day game at Wrigley Field. Abrams addressed the incident publicly for the first time Wednesday, expressing remorse for his actions while noting that he had been in communication with members of the Washington coaching staff throughout the offseason. Now up to 200 pounds and with the embarrassing off-field incident behind him, Abrams believes that he's better prepared to withstand the rigors of a 162-game schedule and perform more consistently after he struggled to a .586 OPS in the second half of last season.

Nootbaar will earn $2.95 million in 2025 after winning his arbitration case with the Cardinals, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Cardinals had filed at $2.45 million. It's a substantial raise for Nootbaar, who is in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The 27-year-old has had trouble with injuries but has been productive when on the field, slashing .246/.348/.425 over parts of four seasons in St. Louis. Nootbaar is currently slated to be the Cardinals' everyday left fielder, although he could move to center field if the club winds up hanging on to Nolan Arenado.

Donovan will earn $2.85 million in 2025 after losing his arbitration case Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Arbitration-eligible for the first time, Donovan had been hopeful to work out a multi-year extension with the Cardinals this offseason, but the two sides couldn't come to an agreement before the Jan. 9 deadline. He then filed for a $3.3 million salary for 2025, but he'll ultimately have to settle for $450,000 less than that amount after losing his case. The lack of an extension shouldn't affect Donovan's standing in the organization, as he's still expected to serve as a near-everyday player in 2025 after slashing .278/.342/.417 with a career-high 14 home runs and 73 RBI over 652 plate appearances last season.

Harrison said Wednesday that he's rediscovered his velocity this spring after fixing issues with his delivery, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Harrison averaged 92.5 mph with his four-seamer in 2024 and just 91.2 mph in his final start of the season before he was shut down with left shoulder inflammation. That's after the pitch came in at 93.5 mph on average in 2023. Harrison believes the shoulder injury and an earlier ankle problem contributed to his delivery getting out of whack, but he's healthy now and is throwing harder. The left-hander is competing for the final spot in the Giants' rotation this spring and has some bounce-back potential if his velocity holds.