MLB Player News

The Mets placed Montes on the 15-day injured list Thursday after he underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday along with a procedure to remove a bone spur and bone fragment from the back of his right elbow, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

De Oca had been scheduled for an arthroscopic procedure to address the loose bodies in his elbow, but after further examination, doctors tested his UCL and determined that the ligament needed to be replaced, too. It's the second Tommy John surgery for Montes de Oca, who had his first one back in 2013 while he was in high school. Because of that, his rehab might take longer, possibly sidelining him until at least the middle of the 2024 season.

The Nationals placed Rainey (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Rainey hopes to return in the latter portion of this season while he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, but it's not a guarantee. The Nationals were able to clear a 40-man roster spot with this transaction.

The Nationals placed Arano on the 60-day injured list Thursday with a right shoulder strain, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Arano has been shut down since mid-March and now will be out until at least late May. It's not clear when he might resume throwing.

The Nationals selected Banda's contract from Triple-A Rochester on Thursday.

Banda will open the season as the Nats' lone left-hander in the bullpen. That means he's likely to be busy, but it's not going to lead to any fantasy value.

Ferguson pitched in eight Cactus League contests, allowing two runs and posting a 9:3 K:BB over seven innings.

Ferguson was one of the Dodgers' best relievers last season, recording a 1.82 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 37:17 K:BB across 34.2 frames. He'll likely have a significant role in the bullpen again during the coming campaign, and he could even see a save chance or two since Los Angeles isn't committing to a closer, at least at the start of the season.

Miller will be part of the Dodgers' bullpen to begin the regular season, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.

Miller signed with the Dodgers on a minor-league contract last November. He was far from a lock to make the team after pitching in just four games last season and posting an ugly 8.92 ERA over 79.2 innings since 2018. However, the veteran showed some positives this spring, registering an 11:0 K:BB over seven frames (though he also gave up five earned runs). The Dodgers have a history of success with pitching reclamation projects, and Miller could be the next in line if he's able to carry over his spring success to the regular season.

Vesia pitched in eight games for the Dodgers during Cactus League play, allowing five runs over six innings. He posted a 10:3 K:BB.

Vesia racked up plenty of strikeouts this spring, but his ERA took a hit as a result of him serving up two homers. The lefty didn't have that problem last season, as he gave up only two long balls across 54.1 frames. Vesia was a major weapon for the Dodgers in 2022 with a 2.15 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 79:24 K:BB while recording 16 holds and two saves. He could see high-leverage work again this season and may even get a few save chances given the team's decision to go with a closer committee, at least in the early part of the campaign.

Bickford will begin the season on the Dodgers' 26-man roster, per Chad Moriyama of Dodgers Digest.

Bickford had mixed results this spring, giving up only five hits over 6.2 innings but also allowing four earned runs and posting a mediocre 3:2 K:BB. However, his roster spot was never in much question since he's out of minor-league options. Bickford will likely take on a middle-relief role for Los Angeles to begin the campaign.

Hill tossed 8.2 innings in Cactus League play, allowing three runs on six hits while posting an 11:3 K:BB.

Despite his results this spring, Hill has never been much of a strikeout pitcher, and he posted a career-worst 4.7 K/9 last season. The southpaw is locked into a role in the Padres' bullpen, however, and he'll open the campaign as the team's lone lefty reliever not named Josh Hader since Drew Pomeranz (elbow) and Jose Castillo (shoulder) are expected to begin the season on the injured list.

Wilson finished the Cactus League slate with a 3.52 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 6:4 K:BB over 7.2 innings.

Wilson allowed a lot of baserunners across his seven outings, but only three of them crossed the plate. The righty reliever is coming off a strong rookie campaign during which he posted a 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 53:20 K:BB over 53 frames. Wilson could see some high-leverage work to begin the season with Robert Suarez (arm) and Drew Pomeranz (elbow) likely to begin the campaign on the injured list.