MLB Player News

Strzelecki was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

The right-hander was acquired by the Diamondbacks from the Brewers at the deadline last summer but made just one big-league appearance after the trade. Strzelecki had a decent 4.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 37:12 K:BB over 37 frames in the majors, but he struggled at Triple-A Reno with 12 earned runs allowed in 13 outings.

Pagan (sports hernia) struck out two over a perfect inning of relief Saturday in the Reds' 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks in Cactus League play.

The Reds had slow played Pagan's integration into the spring pitching schedule while he needed extra time to complete his recovery from offseason sports hernia surgery, but the veteran reliever looked sharp in his Cactus League debut Saturday. Assuming he comes out of spring training unscathed following his subsequent appearances, Pagan should serve as one of the top setup arms in front of closer Alexis Diaz during the upcoming season.

Manager Skip Schumaker said Sunday that Simpson is dealing with left elbow discomfort that's similar to nerve irritation, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Simpson hasn't pitched since Feb. 27, and Schumaker said the club is being cautious since the left-hander "still feels it a little bit." Given the length of the layoff, the 26-year-old will likely need to ramp things up soon to have a chance of being ready by Opening Day.

Graterol is dealing with shoulder discomfort and hip tightness and won't travel to South Korea with the Dodgers for the season-opening series against the Padres on March 20 and 21, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Graterol has made just one game appearance thus far during spring training and is expected to resume throwing Tuesday, so he won't be ready with the season-opening international series a little more than a week away. The right-hander still hopes to be ready for the first stateside game of the season March 28, but it's a tight timeline for him to be built up in time.

Neris, who tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, has a 2.25 ERA across four spring appearances.

Neris is expected to settle into a high-leverage role after joining the Cubs over the winter. The veteran righty was a key member of the Houston bullpen the last few seasons, and he posted a stellar 1.71 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 68.1 innings for the Astros last year. Neris will likely set up closer Adbert Alzolay to begin the regular season, though the former is an option for saves if Alzolay struggles.

Edwards, who tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, has a 0.00 ERA across four spring appearances.

Edwards last pitched for the Cubs in 2019, and he was a valuable member of the bullpen for the 2016 World Series winning squad. The righty has bounced around a bit in recent years, but he has a chance to settle into a middle-relief spot with Chicago in 2024. Edwards likely won't have a ton of fantasy value in that role, however.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Diaz will make his Grapefruit League debut Monday against the Tigers, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The 29-year-old reported to camp fully healthy after missing all of last season due to a torn patellar tendon, but the Mets elected to ease him into things during the early stages of spring training. Diaz will likely continue ramping up his workload over the final weeks of camp, and he should return to the ranks of the best closers in MLB in 2024.

Manaea allowed two hits and three walks over four scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out five.

The veteran southpaw built up to 61 pitches (35 strikes) in an impressive performance that saw him count Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras (twice) among his Ks. Saturday's free passes were also his first of the spring, and Manaea has an 8:3 K:BB through 6.2 innings. After signing a two-year, $28 million contract with the Mets in January, he's being counted on to provide some stability in the rotation, but Manaea has some things to prove after posting a 4.73 ERA in 275.2 innings over the last two seasons between the Padres and Giants.

Brazoban is still not in camp due to visa issues in the Dominican Republic, and Marlins beat writer Noah Berger reports that his locker has been removed from the major-league clubhouse.

Miami signed veteran reliever Mychal Givens on Sunday, and Brazoban's continued absence could be the reason why. Brazoban recorded 13 holds over 50 appearances last season, both career highs, to go along with a 4.14 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 65:31 K:BB in 58.2 innings. If the 34-year-old right-hander is no longer an option for the Opening Day bullpen, it could open up a spot for Sixto Sanchez.

Soriano struck out four over 1.2 perfect innings of relief during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Entering the game in the fourth inning, the 24-year-old right-hander struck out four of the five batters he faced, with only CJ Abrams managing to get the ball into play on a routine groundout to second base. Soriano gave the Marlins solid innings in his big-league debut last season but didn't see much high-leverage work, recording only one save and zero holds over 26 appearances (52 innings). That usage figures to change in 2024, especially with JT Chargois (neck) not yet 100 percent heathy and Huascar Brazoban still absent from camp due to visa issues.