MLB Player News

Stephenson was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday.

Stephenson won't be available out of the bullpen to begin the regular season, but it's not yet clear whether he's tested positive for COVID-19. Justin Lawrence and Jordan Sheffield were recalled from Triple-A Alburquerque after Stephenson and Lucas Gilbreath (undisclosed) landed on the COVID-19 IL.

Gilbreath was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday.

It's not yet clear whether Gilbreath has tested positive for COVID-19, but he'll be unavailable for the start of the regular season. Robert Stephenson (undisclosed) was also placed on the COVID-19 IL, so Justin Lawrence and Jordan Sheffield were called up to provide bullpen depth to begin the year.

The Mets designated Yamamoto for assignment Tuesday.

Yamamoto failed to land a spot on the Mets' Opening Day roster, and he'll now lose his spot on the 40-man roster ahead of the regular season. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he'll be a candidate to provide rotation depth this year if the Mets' pitching staff deals with additional injuries.

Thompson worked 1.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League finale against the Mets, allowing one walk and striking out two. He also threw a wild pitch.

Control issues are nothing new for Thompson, who posted a 7:3 K:BB through 5.2 innings this spring after managing a 12.4 percent walk rate in his rookie campaign last year, split between the Padres and Nationals. The 24-year-old right-hander has the stuff to emerge as a high-leverage arm if he can learn to harness it, but for now Thompson will handle a middle-relief role for Washington.

Cousins struck out two batters and picked up a save in Tuesday's spring game.

Cousins was knocked around a bit this spring, allowing five earned runs over 4.2 innings. However, he did post a 6:1 K:BB and ended the exhibition season on a high note. He won't be in position to pick up saves when the regular season gets underway, but he does figure to be part of the Brewers' late-inning mix, and the 13.2 K/9 he posted in his rookie season suggests he does have closer's stuff.

Arano will break camp in the big-league bullpen, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Arano came to camp on a minor-league deal but impressed enough to earn a roster spot. He hasn't thrown a major-league inning since 2019, due at least partially to injuries, but he's just 27 years old and has a 2.65 ERA in 74.2 career MLB frames.

Coonrod (shoulder) will open the season on the injured list, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Coonrod was diagnosed with a shoulder strain in late March and shut down from throwing. His expected return timeline is not yet clear.

Adon has secured a spot in the Nationals' Opening Day rotation, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Adon made his major-league debut in the final game of last season, allowing two runs on six hits in 5.1 frames against the Red Sox while striking out nine and walking three. Prior to that, he'd only made three starts at Double-A and one at Triple-A, so he doesn't have much experience facing high-level hitters. He doesn't come with a ton of prospect pedigree, but the Nationals clearly like what they see in the 23-year-old given how quickly he's ascended through the levels.

The Phillies reassigned Bellatti to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Bellatti resurfaced in the majors in 2021 for three appearances out of the Miami bullpen, after his lone big-league action prior to that came with the Rays in 2015. The 31-year-old righty was outrighted off Miami's roster in October before he joined the Phillies on a minor-league deal in December. He'll likely report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin the 2022 campaign, hoping to pitch well enough to earn another look in the majors.

Nelson will break camp in the big-league bullpen, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Nelson, who was acquired from the Yankees in November, owns a 6.43 ERA in 35 career major-league innings, with his 16.1 percent walk rate standing out as a significant red flag. The Phillies will carry 10 relievers to start the season, but Nelson will have to pitch much better than he has in the past if he's to keep his job once rosters shrink back to 26 players in early May.