MLB Player News

Young (back) failed to retire any of the seven batters he faced and was charged with six runs (five earned) on four hits and two walks during his relief appearance in Tuesday's 14-1 loss to the White Sox.

Young made his Cactus League debut Tuesday after he experienced back tightness early on during his throwing progression in camp, and based on how he fared against the White Sox, he might have benefited from taking a few extra days before entering the Reds' spring pitching schedule. The Reds haven't yet indicated that Young experienced a setback during his appearance, so he'll presumably try to iron out the kinks in his subsequent outings as he looks to secure a spot in the team's Opening Day bullpen. Young nabbed four wins, one save and 13 holds while pitching to a 3.86 ERA over 53.2 innings out of the Cincinnati bullpen in 2023.

Harvey struck out two over 1.1 perfect innings of relief in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The right-hander set career highs with 57 appearances and 60.2 innings in a mostly heathy 2023, and Harvey responded with a 2.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 28.5 percent strikeout rate to go along with 10 saves and 19 holds. He's looked just as dominant this spring, posting a 9:1 K:BB through 5.1 innings, and he's on track for a high-leverage role in the Nationals' bullpen that could see him take over full-time closing duties at some point rather than sharing the ninth inning with Kyle Finnegan.

Uribe threw one-third of an inning of relief and gave up four earned runs in Tuesday's spring game. He allowed four hits, walked a batter and hit two others.

Tuesday's tough outing may not mean much long-term, but it is worth noting with closer Devin Williams being evaluated for a back injury. Either Uribe or Joel Payamps would likely step in if Williams misses Opening Day, but neither player has been sharp this spring, and that could open the door for other relievers to join the mix.

Lopez is likely to be deployed as both a starter and a reliever over the course of the season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

This isn't a huge surprise, as Lopez hasn't thrown 100 or more innings in a season since 2019, but it does confirm that Atlanta is ready to be flexible with his usage. The 30-year-old right-hander is currently battling Bryce Elder for the fifth starter role to begin the season, and Lopez's velocity was down a bit in a Grapefruit League start Tuesday against the Pirates -- he averaged 94.2 mph with his fastball and topped out at 95.7 mph. Even without his best stuff, he still limited a Pittsburgh lineup that featured most of its Opening Day starters to one run on three hits and three walks over 3.2 innings, as he got stretched out to 58 pitches (34 strikes).

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday that Chargois is scheduled to visit with a neck specialist, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Chargois' spring debut was delayed until Tuesday while he contended with neck spasms early in camp, and he apparently didn't respond as well as hoped during his one-inning appearance out of the bullpen. Once Chargois meets with a specialist, the Marlins should be able to map out a treatment plan for the reliever. If Chargois is shut down from activity for any period of time at this stage of spring training, he could be at risk of missing Opening Day.

Chargois (neck) struck out a batter and gave up one run on two hits over one inning of relief Tuesday in the Marlins' 9-1 loss to the Astros in Grapefruit League play.

Chargois made his spring debut Tuesday after he was slowed by neck spasms in the early part of camp. Though he's still behind the Marlins' other healthy relievers for the moment, Chargois should be ready to go for Opening Day once he gets a couple more Grapefruit League appearances under his belt. The right-hander posted a 3.61 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 42.1 innings out of the Miami bullpen in 2023.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Bednar (lat) will throw off a mound in the coming days, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Bednar has progressed to 120 feet with his flat-ground throwing and is almost ready to get back on the mound as he works his way back from right lat tightness. He doesn't have much time to get ready for Opening Day, but working in his favor is the fact that as a one-inning reliever, he requires a shorter ramp-up period than others. If Bednar needs time on the injured list to begin the season, Aroldis Chapman would fill in as the Pirates' closer.

Moreta (elbow) will meet with Dr. Keith Meister next week to discuss treatment options, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Moreta is dealing with ligament damage in his right elbow and might require surgery, but that determination hasn't been made yet. Even if the rest-and-rehab route is chosen, Moreta will be sidelined for a significant period of time.

Thompson, who logged a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, has yet to allow a run this spring.

Thompson has only tossed three innings across three Cactus League appearances, so it's a small sample size, but he's looked good so far. After making 17 starts for the Cubs in 2022, the righty worked entirely in relief last season, and he struggled with a 4.71 ERA across 28.2 innings. Now that Thompson has settled in a bit more as a reliever, he'll look for better results in 2024, though it likely will be in a lower-leverage role.

Cuas allowed a run on three hits in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, pushing his spring ERA to 1.50.

Cuas came into the game having logged five straight scoreless appearances this spring, and he's struck out eight batters in six innings overall. The righty is trying to build on an effective 2023 campaign, when he posted a 3.99 ERA and struck out 71 across 65.1 total innings with the Cubs and Royals. Cuas will likely work in middle relief, however, which limits his fantasy appeal.