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  • Marcus Stroman SP | NYY

    Yankees' Marcus Stroman: Yet to report to camp

    Stroman has yet to report to spring training as of Thursday, and the Yankees haven't yet determined when he might be ready to participate in workouts, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

    According to the terms of MLB's collective bargaining agreement, Stroman isn't required to take the field for spring training until Feb. 22, but his voluntary absence is noteworthy with all other pitchers and catchers having reported to camp. Stroman was still present in Tampa on Tuesday to take his pre-camp physical, and he's expected to continue working out on his own over the next few days before joining the Yankees. The 33-year-old's decision not to report to camp comes while his role entering the 2025 season is uncertain, after the Yankees signed Max Fried to an eight-year deal over the winter to give the team a projected five-man rotation that also includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil. Unless the Yankees head into Opening Day with a six-man rotation or lose one of the other five pitchers to an injury, Stroman could find himself in the bullpen after he turned in a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 154.2 innings in his first season with New York in 2024.

  • Diamondbacks' Jordan Montgomery: Cuts weight over offseason

    Montgomery said Thursday that he's 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.

  • Shaun Anderson RP | MIA

    Angels' Shaun Anderson: MiLB deal with Halos

    The Angels signed Anderson to a minor-league contract Wednesday.

    Anderson, 30, made two starts and four relief appearances between the Rangers and Marlins last season, posting an 8.27 ERA and 10:1 K:BB over 16.1 innings. He will likely begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he will provide some experienced rotation depth.

  • Kyle Hart SP | PHI

    Padres' Kyle Hart: Returns stateside in San Diego

    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.

  • Julian Aguiar SP | CIN

    Reds' Julian Aguiar: Goes on 60-day injured list

    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.

  • Pirates' Termarr Johnson: Looks healthy for camp

    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.

  • Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Inside track on roster spot

    Orioles general manager Mike Elias noted Thursday that Kjerstad is a frontrunner for a spot on the Opening Day roster, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. "He has earned the right to get at-bats in the corner outfield and at designated hitter, especially against right-handed pitchers," Elias said.

    Even after letting Anthony Santander walk in free agency, the Orioles still have a deep stable of options in the outfield and at designated hitter, as Baltimore brought in Tyler O'Neill, Ramon Laureano and Dylan Carlson to join a group that already includes Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser. Cowser and Mullins will handle the bulk of the starts in center field, but Kjerstad looks like he'll have every opportunity to stake his claim to a strong-side platoon role in a corner spot or at DH. Elias said that the Orioles don't necessarily need Kjerstad to have a big spring to secure his roster spot, but a strong showing in the Grapefruit League could certainly help him stand out from the pack. Though his playing time at the big-league level wasn't consistent last season, Kjerstad acquitted himself well in the opportunities he received, slashing .253/.351/.394 with four home runs over 114 plate appearances.

  • Orioles' Tomoyuki Sugano: Delayed by visa issues

    Sugano has yet to report to Orioles camp due to visa issues but is expected to arrive this weekend, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

    Assuming he does indeed report this weekend, Sugano's brief tardiness shouldn't affect his spring training prep much. The Japanese right-hander inked a one-year, $13 million contract with Baltimore in December and is expected to open the 2025 season in its rotation.

  • Felix Bautista RP | BAL

    Orioles' Felix Bautista: Expected back for Opening Day

    General manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Bautista (elbow) has a "very good chance" of being part of the Orioles' Opening Day roster, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

    While Elias acknowledged that Bautista likely won't be cleared to pitch in Grapefruit League games until late in spring training, the right-hander has been throwing bullpen sessions and has seemingly avoided any setbacks in his recovery from his October 2023 Tommy John surgery over the winter. The Orioles are still planning to ease Bautista along during camp, but if he shows that he can recapture his pre-surgery velocity and command all of his pitches in his spring workouts and appearances, he'll likely head into Opening Day as the team's closer. Bautista had been one of the baseball's top end gamers during the 2023 season, notching saves in 33 of his 39 opportunities while compiling a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 110 strikeouts over 61 innings.

  • Jorge Mateo SS | BAL

    Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Not expected for Opening Day

    Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Mateo (elbow) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

    Mateo's rehab from UCL reconstruction surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow is going well, but he will be held out game action until late in spring training. The 29-year-old's stint on the injured list could be relatively brief, and when he returns he will fill a utility role with Baltimore.

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