MLB Player News

O'Brien (calf) will throw another live batting practice session Thursday and hopes to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

O'Brien got through a live batting practice session Monday healthy, though he had trouble with his footing due to a wet mound. He'll face hitters in a shorter live BP session Thursday before progressing to game action. O'Brien has been battling a minor calf strain but is expected to have enough time to prep for Opening Day, barring setbacks. He is in the mix to serve as closer for the Cardinals this season.

Winn (arm) will start at designated hitter and bat leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Pirates.

Winn has been held out of action for the past few days after feeling some arm soreness as a result of a heavy workload on the backfields this past weekend. He'll be eased into things at DH on Thursday before working his way back in at shortstop.

Miller (back) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and could return to action as soon as next week, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Miller has yet to make his Cactus League debut this spring due to lower-back tightness, though he's progressing toward a return. The southpaw will aim to start the season at full strength after his 2025 campaign was cut short due to a left elbow injury. Over 36 relief appearances last season, Miller posted a 1.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 22:20 K:BB in 30 innings.

Griffin gave up two hits and a walk over two scoreless innings in Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Venezuela. He struck out one.

Seeing his first game action of the spring, the 30-year-old left-hander tossed just 15 strikes on 29 pitches but avoided any damage against a star-studded lineup headlined by the likes of Ronald Acuna, Jackson Chourio and Salvador Perez. Griffin is expected to break camp in the Nationals' rotation after signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal to return to MLB from Japan, and the addition of a split-finger fastball to his low-velocity arsenal could allow him to handle a regular turn, or transition to a swingman role if Washington gets unexpected contributions from younger arms.

Peterson gave up one hit and two walks over three scoreless innings during Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Israel. He struck out four.

The Israeli WBC lineup doesn't have any big MLB names in it, and Peterson had little trouble navigating his three frames on 48 pitches (28 strikes). The southpaw is locked into a rotation spot for the Mets after throwing a career-high 168.2 innings in 2025, but his 4.22 ERA and 1.37 WHIP were significant downgrades from his 2024 numbers.

Lindor (hand) took swings Wednesday for the first time since undergoing hamate bone surgery, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It's a big step in Lindor's recovery, as he tries to ensure he's ready for Opening Day. The veteran shortstop has avoided setbacks in his rehab so far, but he's still a long way from having a firm timeline for spring game action. For now, Lindor will continue his hitting progression in controlled environments.

The Diamondbacks optioned Ray to minor-league camp Thursday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Ray was added to Arizona's 40-man roster this offseason but never had a real chance to crack the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old permitted four runs (two earned) with a 2:2 K:BB over 1.1 frames in his lone Cactus League appearance. Ray will open the 2026 season in the Triple-A Reno rotation.

The Diamondbacks optioned Diaz to minor-league camp Thursday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Diaz was touched up for four runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings this spring. The righty shifted to a relief role at Triple-A Reno last season and will have to harness his control (73 walks in 57 minor-league innings in 2025) before the Diamondbacks consider him for their bullpen.

Robert played four innings in a minor-league game Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The oft-injured outfielder is being brought along slowly this spring, but his Grapefruit League debut appears imminent. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza indicated after Wednesday's action that Robert would play in back-field games every other day for the rest of this week, before joining the big-league lineup at some point next week. New York is hoping that a healthy Robert will be able to repeat his numbers from his final month-plus last year with the White Sox, when he slashed .293/.349/.459 over 37 games after July 1 with six homers and 11 steals in 13 attempts.

Doyle (wrist) will hit in the batting cage for the second straight day Thursday and believes he can return to the lineup for Friday's Cactus League game versus the Athletics, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Doyle has participated in only two games this spring because of a left wrist sprain, with the last of those coming more than a week ago. He's made nice progress, though, and his return to the lineup appears imminent. Barring setbacks, Doyle appears poised to avoid the injured list and start the season on time.