MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Wilson is one player who has caught his attention in camp, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Wilson is with the Dodgers on a minor-league contract, so he's not on the 40-man roster and is far from guaranteed to break camp with the big club. However, given Roberts' comments, there's at least a chance that the left-hander hurler could make the Opening Day roster, and he's made his presence known with a 10:1 K:BB over four innings across four spring outings (though he's also given up two runs on five hits). Wilson has had plenty of success in the majors with 18 career saves and 132 career holds, but he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2022.

Gilbreath (elbow) is expected to face hitters by late March, MLB.com reports.

Gilbreath underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2023 and is progressing in his recovery. He'll begin the season on the injured list, though it's unclear how long he'll remain sidelined in the new campaign.

The Nationals optioned Ward to Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Ward spent all of last season on the Nationals' active roster or on the injured list after Washington selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, but his 6.37 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over 35.1 innings out of the bullpen suggested that he wasn't quite big-league ready. Now that he's eligible to be optioned to the minors, Ward could end up spending the bulk of the campaign at Rochester, where he'll be a part of the rotation after he was limited exclusively to relief work in the big leagues in 2023.

The Pirates reassigned Heller to minor-league camp Sunday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

The 32-year-old holds a 3.06 ERA over 50 career relief appearances at the big-league level over parts of five seasons, but his resume wasn't enough to win him a spot in the Pirates' Opening Day bullpen. After missing much of the 2021 and 2022 seasons while recovering from arm injuries, Heller enjoyed good health in 2023, but control proved to be a concern for him at both the major-league and Triple-A levels. He'll likely need to string together some quality outings at Triple-A Indianapolis early on in the season to garner a look in Pittsburgh.

Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento by the Giants on Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 24-year-old was wild this spring in issuing eight walks over four relief innings. Control problems are nothing new for Rodriguez, who walked 57 across 70 frames in the minors in 2023.

Miller was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento by the Giants on Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Miller had a shot at a bullpen job with the Giants but is being sent out after permitting one run over just three innings this spring. The 26-year-old has a good chance to debut at some point with the big club in 2024.

Floro (shoulder) recently pitched to hitters in live batting practice, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Floro is expected to throw at least one more live batting practice session before making his Grapefruit League debut. The veteran reliever has been slowed all spring due to right shoulder soreness, but he's still expected to be ready to go for Opening Day.

Matzek (side) is expected to return to Grapefruit League play in the next few days, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Matzek hasn't been available for a few days while dealing with some left side soreness, but he threw a bullpen session Monday and it sounds like he's mostly over the issue. The southpaw reliever has made three scoreless appearances this spring and looks ready to rejoin Atlanta's bullpen after missing all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery.

Minter (finger) is expected to make a Grapefruit League appearance soon, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Minter hasn't pitched in a game since Feb. 29 because of a cut on his left index finger, but the laceration is nearly totally healed. The left-handed reliever made two scoreless Grapefruit League appearances last month and has plenty of time to ramp back up for Opening Day.

The Phillies optioned Mercado to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday.

Mercado, whom the Phillies acquired from the Rays in November, occupies a spot on Philadelphia's 40-man roster but has yet to make his big-league debut. He'll likely occupy a spot in Lehigh Valley's bullpen and will look to distinguish himself with the hope of earning a call-up to the Phillies.