MLB Player News

Martin was forced to leave Wednesday's spring training game against Milwaukee after throwing a pitch and collapsing to the ground in pain, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Early speculation is a potentially serious arm injury, but there's been no official confirmation as of yet. Based on the amount of pain Martin seemed to be in, it's possible he may end up missing an extended period of time.

Diaz suffered a right leg injury Wednesday while celebrating Puerto Rico's victory over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

After striking out the side to secure the victory for Puerto Rico, Diaz was swarmed by his teammates on the mound before trainers were brought out to tend to him. There is no official word yet on the severity of Diaz's injury, but the fact he couldn't put any weight on his right leg and had to be taken off the field in a wheelchair is not a great sign. More updates on the All-Star closer's status should emerge shortly.

Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said Melancon has a shoulder issue and will likely miss the beginning of the season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Manager Torey Lovullo previously said the veteran reliever was battling arm fatigue and emphasized that Melancon was fine. Now that it seems like Melancon will be sidelined for the start of the season, the door opens for other relievers like Kevin Ginkel and Andrew Chafin to pick up some saves early in the year.

With Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger viewed as the Cubs' top closing options, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, Hughes may have to settle for setup work.

Fulmer and Boxberger both joined the team in the offseason and have plenty of experience in big relief spots, so it makes sense that the Cubs view them as their top closing options. Hughes did pick up eight saves toward the end of last season, though he may also be Chicago's only left-handed reliever to start this year; therefore, the team may use him at different points in games based on matchups. The 27-year-old may see his fantasy value diminish if he's not closing out contests, but he could have some appeal in leagues that count holds.

Wilson (elbow) began a flat-ground throwing program and has been "progressing nicely," Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Wilson signed with the Brewers in February while in the process of recovering from the Tommy John procedure he underwent in June. The team still expects the veteran reliever to return in July, at which point he will likely give the Brewers some bullpen depth and see most of his appearances during low-leverage scenarios.

Honeywell has tallied 16 strikeouts through 11.1 innings this spring in the Cactus League.

That's the positive angle to Honeywell's performance thus far in exhibition action. The negative is that he has surrendered 10 runs -- eight earned -- on 12 hits (three homers) for an ERA of 6.35. The 27-year-old former Rays prospect signed a split contract with the Padres over the winter ($725,000 in the majors, $200,000 in the minors) and will likely be ticketed for Triple-A El Paso to begin the 2023 campaign.

Duarte was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Reds on Wednesday.

Duarte has spun five scoreless innings this spring but is no longer in the running for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. He'll look to impress at Triple-A Louisville in hopes of earning an opportunity down the line.

Herget was reassigned Wednesday to the minor-league side of Reds camp.

Herget had allowed three runs on seven hits through 5.2 innings this spring in Cactus League play. Signed to a minor-league contract over the winter, the 31-year-old right-hander will likely open the 2023 season at Triple-A Louisville.

Nelson was diagnosed Wednesday with a moderate left hamstring strain, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It doesn't sound like a huge long-term concern, but Nelson will be shut down for a bit and might run out of time to get fully ramped up for the beginning of the 2023 regular season. The 27-year-old right-hander had been projected for a swingman role out of the gate in Philly.

Helsley struck out all three batters he faced in a Grapefruit League appearance Wednesday against the Mets.

Helsley did the same in his previous Grapefruit League outing Sunday versus the Nationals. The hard-throwing 28-year-old carries top-tier fantasy closer upside into the 2023 campaign after dominating to the tune of a 1.25 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 64.2 regular-season innings for the Cardinals in 2022. He jammed his right middle finger just before the playoffs and aggravated it in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Phillies, but there has been no apparent carryover this spring.