JUPITER, Fla. >> Miami Marlins pitcher Ryan Weathers will begin the season on the injured list with a left forearm strain, another setback for the team’s starting rotation.

Weathers reported discomfort Tuesday, a day after his most recent outing in spring training, and won’t throw for at least a week or two. He is expected to miss four to six weeks, the Miami Herald and MLB.com reported Thursday.

New manager Clayton McCullough said Weathers has a mild flexor strain but his ulnar collateral ligament is intact, according to MLB.com.

Weathers went 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA in 16 starts for Miami last season. The 25-year-old left-hander was projected as the club’s No. 2 starter this year behind 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, who is returning to the mound after missing 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Braves add outfielder >> The Atlanta Braves bolstered their outfield depth by signing Alex Verdugo to a $1.5 million, one-year contract and optioning him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Verdugo, 28, hit .233 with 13 homers and 61 RBIs for the New York Yankees in 2024 following four seasons with Boston. He took a big cut in pay from last year, when he had an $8.7 million base salary and earned $50,000 in performance bonuses for plate appearances.

Padres give Peavy role >> Jake Peavy, the 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner and member of the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame, has joined the team as special assistant to CEO Erik Greupner.

Greupner said the three-time All-Star will assist multiple departments and serve as a team ambassador.

Peavy was selected by the Padres in the 15th round of the 1999 amateur draft. He also pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Boston and San Francisco and retired after the 2016 season with a 152-126 record and 3.63 ERA over 15 seasons.