MLB Player News

Kelly (back) threw a successful live batting practice session Sunday and will throw another one this week before potentially pitching in a Cactus League game, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander is working his way back from a bout of mid-back tightness, which prevented him from building up normally early in camp. Kelly is now ramping up his throwing sessions and could soon be cleared for game action. He won't be ready for the opening series of the season, but manager Torey Lovullo previously indicated that could still avoid a stint on the injured list to begin the campaign.

Murakami (fatigue) has gone 2-for-10 with two walks, three runs, one RBI and one stolen base in three games for Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic.

Murakami was scratched from the White Sox's Cactus League lineup Feb. 26 due to a bout of fatigue, but as expected, he's been fully cleared to play in WBC games with Japan. The 26-year-old infielder will remain with Japan for the duration of its WBC run before rejoining the White Sox for the final week of spring training.

Wentz was removed from his Grapefruit League appearance Sunday against the Rays in the fifth inning due to an apparent right knee injury, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Wentz recorded two outs and was charged with one earned run on two hits before departing from the game following a collision near first base with a Rays player. According to Bishop, Wentz was carted off the field, though on a more promising note, the southpaw was able to walk into the clubhouse without assistance. Wentz can be considered day-to-day before Atlanta provides an update on his diagnosis, but a potential absence of any length of time would represent yet another blow to a rotation that has already lost Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and Hurston Waldrep (elbow) to long-term injuries this spring.

The Rangers placed Montgomery (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Dairon Blanco, whom the Rangers claimed off waivers from the Royals. The move to the 60-day IL won't affect Montgomery's return timeline, as the veteran southpaw was already expected to miss multiple months as he continues his recovery from hybrid UCL reconstruction surgery, which he underwent last April.

The Rangers claimed Blanco off waivers from the Royals on Sunday.

Kansas City cut him loose after signing free-agent outfielder Starling Marte, but Blanco could be in decent position to secure a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster. A right-handed hitter with exceptional speed, Blanco could profile as an ideal short-side platoon mate for Evan Carter, a career .083 hitter versus left-handed pitching.

The Cubs sent Wiggins to minor-league camp Sunday.

Wiggins got a taste of MLB action during spring training, but he's not on the 40-man roster and has only three career games at the Triple-A level, so a return to the minors always seemed likely. The 24-year-old is Chicago's top pitching prospect, and a strong season for him at Triple-A Iowa could force the Cubs to open up a 40-man spot at some point later in the year. Wiggins could be a fantasy force as soon as he arrives in the majors, though he may experience the typical growing pains that many young pitchers endure.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Mayer is "doing a good job" but wouldn't guarantee the young infielder will make the Opening Day roster, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.

The 23-year-old is batting just .200 through four spring training games, though one of his two hits was a home run. Mayer struggled to a .228/.272/.402 slash line in 44 regular-season games as he received his first taste of the majors in 2025, and the offseason acquisitions of Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have resulted in a more crowded infield. If Mayer doesn't win a starting job, the Red Sox could prioritize getting him everyday opportunities in the minor leagues rather than keeping him in the majors as a bench option.

The Cubs announced Sunday that Wicks has been diagnosed with radial nerve irritation in his left forearm and will begin the season on the injured list, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Expect Chicago to officially place the 26-year-old southpaw on the IL shortly before Opening Day, when the club sets its 26-man roster. Wicks had yet to make any appearances during the Cactus League before the nerve issue was detected. Once he's cleared to resume activity, he'll need to complete a full throwing progression before beginning what will likely be an extended minor-league rehab assignment.

The Cubs announced Sunday that Hodge has been diagnosed with a right flexor tendon strain and will be shut down from throwing for two weeks before being re-evaluated, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

The timing of the injury will remove Hodge from contention for a spot in the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen, as he'll instead be ticketed for the injured list. Hodge posted a 6.27 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over his 36 appearances with the Cubs in 2025 and didn't help his chances of breaking camp with the big club by yielding seven earned runs and issuing seven walks over two innings in the Cactus League before being diagnosed with the injury.

Skubal, who made his World Baseball Classic debut in the United States' victory over Great Britain on Saturday, may end up pitching for the team again after previously planning to make only one appearance, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Skubal allowed a leadoff home run to Nate Eaton but righted the ship and didn't allow any other runs across three innings while striking out five. The lefty logged 41 pitches, and following the 9-1 United States win, he acknowledged the emotions of the tournament may keep him around a bit longer. "I was pretty committed to making a start and getting back to camp," Skubal said. "Things have changed, obviously, that's why I'm going to have some conversations to try and figure out a plan for me." If Skubal does pitch again in the WBC, it could come in a quarterfinal matchup on either March 13 or 14, though nothing official has been announced. The Detroit ace would likely have a similar workload in a potential second WBC outing as he gears up for the start of the regular season.