MLB Player News

Manager Joe Girardi said Neris would open the season as the Phillies' closer, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

After posting a 14:0 K:BB while allowing just five hits in 9.2 innings this spring, Neris was awarded the job over Archie Bradley and Jose Alvarado, who Girardi confirmed would be the Phillies' top right-handed and left-handed setup man, respectively. Though Neris has converted 70 of his 87 save chances (80.5 percent) over the past four seasons, an inability to consistently keep the ball in the yard has prevented him from building up much job security. With two high-quality options in Bradley and Alvarado waiting in the wings, Neris will likely need to avoid blowups early on in April and May to ensure he finishes the season as the Phillies' top option for saves.

Chicago manager David Ross said Miller will "contribute to our team" this season, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Miller was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday, and he could opt out of the assignment at some point early in the season, but Ross said the righty will "pitch big innings for us." With the jump from 60 games in 2020 back to 162 games this season, teams will likely dip into their pitching depth to cover the innings without overworking starters. Miller's not on the fantasy radar right now, and his performance the past few seasons hasn't been great, but he could work his way into a regular role with the Cubs at some point.

Alexander has been awarded a spot in the Dodgers' Opening Day bullpen, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Alexander will give the Dodgers a second matchup lefty out of the bullpen to complement Victor Gonzalez. Fellow southpaw David Price will serve as more of a multi-inning option. The 31-year-old Alexander saw his effectiveness wane during his third season with the Dodgers in 2020, giving up four runs on nine hits and nine walks over 12.1 innings.

Santana won't be included on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The coaching staff evidently felt the team was better off carrying another lefty reliever to begin the season, so Scott Alexander was awarded the final spot in the bullpen over the right-handed Santana. The 24-year-old is expected to spent the next month at the Dodgers' alternate site or as a member of the taxi squad before reporting to Triple-A Oklahoma City for the start of the minor-league season in May.

The Giants reassigned Leone to their minor-league camp Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Leone was one of four non-roster relievers with previous big-league experience whom the Giants sent back to minor-league camp ahead of Opening Day. He spent 2020 with Cleveland, making 12 appearances out of the bullpen while giving up nine earned runs over 9.2 innings.

The Giants reassigned Gott to their minor-league camp Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Gott was one of four non-roster relievers with previous big-league experience whom the Giants sent back to minor-league camp ahead of Opening Day. The 28-year-old righty was lit up for 13 runs over 11.2 innings with the Giants during the abbreviated 2020 campaign before he was dropped from the 40-man roster in February.

The Giants reassigned Littell to their minor-league camp Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Littell was one of four non-roster relievers with previous big-league experience whom the Giants sent back to minor-league camp ahead of Opening Day. The 25-year-old righty made 43 appearances with Minnesota across the past three seasons, accruing a 4.52 ERA.

Curtiss has posted a 2.70 ERA and 9:3 K:BB over 6.2 Grapefruit League innings this spring.

The right-hander was picked up from the Rays in the offseason after a breakout 2020, and Curtiss is expected to handle a fairly high-leverage role in an unsettled Marlins bullpen if he can maintain the improvements in his control and command he demonstrated last year. That may not put him in the saves picture, but at the very least, the 27-year-old should quickly record his first career hold.

Lamet (elbow) pitched 1.1 innings in a Cactus League contest against Colorado on Monday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk without registering a strikeout.

Lamet pushed his pitch count up to 29 after throwing only 12 pitches in his first spring outing, but he allowed three baserunners and didn't pick up any punchouts. The right-hander will open the season on the injured list, but he could return to his spot in the Padres' rotation within the first few weeks of the campaign.

The Marlins informed Bender on Monday that he won't be included on the Opening Day roster, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

A relatively unheralded reliever who signed with the Marlins in November as a minor-league free agent, Bender made a serious run at a spot in Miami's Opening Day bullpen after tossing 8.1 scoreless frames while striking out 10 during the Grapefruit League season. The 26-year-old will likely head to Triple-A Jacksonville to begin the 2021 campaign after having previously made only four appearances above the High-A level.