MLB Player News

Harvey (triceps) is scheduled to make a relief appearance in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The outing will mark Harvey's spring and Nationals debut, after he was being brought along slowly at Giants camp earlier in March before being claimed off waivers by Washington two weeks ago. Though the upcoming appearance signals that Harvey is healthy again after he finished the 2021 campaign on the Orioles' injured list with a strained right triceps, he still has a minor-league option remaining and could wind up settling at Triple-A Rochester to begin the season.

Manaea and pitcher Aaron Holiday were acquired by the Padres from the Athletics on Sunday in exchange for infielder Euribiel Angeles and pitcher Adrian Martinez, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It appeared Manaea may remain in Oakland to begin the season despite constant trade rumors, but he's now been dealt to San Diego with less than a week before Opening Day. The 30-year-old southpaw joins a rotation that already includes Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell and Mike Clevinger, as the NL West continues to stack up talent. Manaea posted a 3.91 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 194:41 K:BB over 179.1 innings last year and is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2022 campaign.

Melancon allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over one inning in Saturday's spring training game against the White Sox.

Melancon is the Diamondbacks' closer, but he's had a rocky spring with six runs allowed in 3.1 innings. He's perceived to have high stability in the closer role, but in case things go sideways, Ian Kennedy is the closer-in-waiting.

Jackson (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday with a torn UCL.

Atlanta reported Saturday that an MRI showed damage to Jackson's UCL, but the extent of that damage was previously unclear. The right-hander may require Tommy John surgery, which would likely sideline him until the summer of 2023.

Sims (elbow) is expected to begin the regular season on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Sims threw a bullpen session Saturday, but he'll still likely begin the season on the injured list. He's expected to return by mid-to-late April, putting him on a similar trajectory to starter Luis Castillo (shoulder). In his absence, Hunter Strickland, Art Warren and Luis Cessa are all expected to receive save opportunities.

Wilson is part of a large group of pitchers who could close games for the Reds this season according to manager David Bell, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Lucas Sims looked like the top candidate but will open the season on the injured list due to elbow troubles. Wilson has 18 career saves, but the 34-year-old doesn't look like the same guy he was at his peak. He stumbled to a career-high 5.29 ERA and a career-low 19.5 percent strikeout rate in 34 innings last season.

Lawrence was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Lawrence appeared in five games this spring, surrendering three earned runs on four hits while striking out five over five innings. The right-hander will begin the season at the minor-league level, but considering the lack of top-tier options in the bullpen for the Rockies, he'll likely rejoin the big-league squad at some point in the coming months.

Santillan is expected to fill a high-leverage middle-innings role this season, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds intend to use Santillan the same way they used Tejay Antone last season before the latter underwent Tommy John surgery. Santillan could pick up the occasional save that way -- Antone saved three games in 23 appearances -- but his main path to fantasy relevance may come from the fact that he'll likely throw more than an inning at a time. Santillan has a history as a starting pitcher but didn't show the command necessary to fill that role last season, walking 11.1 percent of opposing batters.

Chavez's contract was selected by the Cubs on Saturday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The 38-year-old looked like he might be toast following the 2020 season, as he struggled to a 6.88 ERA that year while posting a 16.9 percent strikeout rate. He bounced back in a big way last season, however, posting a career-best 2.14 ERA in 33.2 innings for Atlanta as his strikeout rate jumped all the way up to a career-high 27.1 percent.

Gilbert was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

Gilbert pitched a no-hitter and finished with a 3.15 ERA in 40 innings as a 27-year-old rookie last year, but he won't get the chance to reprise that performance right away. He should be one of Arizona's top options when the team needs more pitching depth, though his 15.9 percent strikeout rate suggests he's unlikely to repeat his strong ERA in his next MLB opportunity.