MLB Player News

Mets manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday that he will not name a closer going into the start of the 2023 season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Showalter did specifically mention Robertson as having the "strongest background" for the job, but Adam Ottavino, Brooks Raley and Drew Smith are also expected to receive ninth-inning looks as the Mets sort out their bullpen blueprint in the absence of Edwin Diaz (knee). Robertson, who boasts 157 career major-league saves, pitched to a 2.40 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 63.2 innings last year between the Cubs and Phillies. He's probably the best option to bet on from an early-season fantasy perspective.

The Brewers placed Wilson (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Wilson required Tommy John surgery last June and won't be an option for the Milwaukee bullpen until the second half of the 2023 regular season. He signed with Milwaukee in February on a one-year, $1 million contract with a $2.5 million club option for 2024.

Hernandez is set to begin the season on the injured list due to a right shoulder strain, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The Mets haven't confirmed the move, but expect Hernandez to be formally placed on the IL shortly before Thursday's season opener in Miami. Hernandez is already back to playing catch, per DiComo, but he has a lot of building up to do before he can become an option for the Mets. The 27-year-old is expected to spend some time in the rotation at Triple-A Syracuse whenever he returns to full health.

The Cardinals designated Misiewicz for assignment Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Cardinals dropped Misiewicz from the 40-man roster to clear a spot for outfield prospect Jordan Walker. Misiewicz was acquired from the Royals back in February after being removed from their 40-man roster and will go through the waiver process again.

Rodriguez (shoulder) could be cleared to resume playing catch Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

If Rodriguez is able to play catch, the Cardinals will start building a status report from there. The right-hander was shut down late in March due to right shoulder tightness, and St. Louis is being cautious with an important part of their bullpen. Assuming no setbacks, there's a good chance Rodriguez is pitching in the middle innings for the Cardinals by the end of April.

Honeywell was informed Wednesday that he's won a spot on the Padres' Opening Day roster, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Honeywell makes the Padres even after a mixed Cactus League season that saw him register a 6.50 ERA that came with a 24:6 K:BB over 18 innings. The former top prospect will likely be a multi-inning bullpen option for the Padres to start 2023, and he isn't likely to see much time in high-leverage situations until he shows he can be trusted.

Weathers will start the Padres' fifth game of the season on Monday versus the Diamondbacks, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

He's not guaranteed anything beyond that, especially with Joe Musgrove (toe) hoping to return by mid-April. Weathers was dreadful in 2022 both at Triple-A El Paso and in his one start with the Padres, making him a risky fantasy streaming option. With Weathers taking the ball in the Padres' fifth game, that sets Yu Darvish up for the sixth contest.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker mentioned Scott, A.J. Puk and Dylan Floro as being "in the mix" for closing situations to begin the season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Both Scott and Floro have a similar amount of closing experience at the MLB level, while Puk, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft, may profile as the most talented arm in the bullpen if he can enjoy the sustained run of health that has thus far eluded him in his professional career. The fact that Schumaker is a first-year manager makes it even more difficult to predict whether he'll end up setting on one of the aforementioned three pitchers or someone else to see the bulk of the save chances, or if he'll take a loose committee approach to the ninth inning for the balance of the campaign. Scott brings immense strikeout upside to the table and is fine to take a dart throw on late in drafts or pick up off the waiver wire with the hope that he falls into save chances, but his career-long control issues -- his 15.9 percent walk rate last season was the worst among all relievers who pitched at least 50 innings -- make it hard to envision him locking down the closing gig for the entirety of the campaign.

Nelson (elbow) threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout during Tuesday's exhibition game against the Angels, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The strikeout was the first that Nelson has picked up this spring. The right-hander is going to open the 2023 season on the injured list, but it's encouraging to see him pitch well after struggling for most of the Cactus League. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters they'll evaluate Nelson on a week-to-week basis, so there's no timetable for when he'll be ready to contribute to the Dodgers' bullpen.

Thompson did not allow a run across seven Cactus League innings. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Thompson looked good this spring as he geared up for a role in Chicago's bullpen this season. The righty made 17 starts for the Cubs in 2022, but the team will use him as a reliever after adding Jameson Taillon in the offseason and inserting Hayden Wesneski into the rotation to start the year as well. Thompson may pick up some spot starts here and there, though his fantasy value is limited for now in a long-relief role.