MLB Player News

Smith is dealing with right shoulder soreness and has no timeline for his return to game action, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear when the injury first cropped up, but the right-hander hasn't appeared in a Grapefruit League game since March 13. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but Smith's availability for Opening Day is now in question.

Wilson allowed one run on five hits and three walks over 4.2 innings while striking out three during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

The right-hander took a line drive off the calf from the first batter of the game, Enrique Hernandez, but Wilson stayed on the mound and was able to regain his focus. Atlanta will need someone to fill a rotation spot to begin the season with Mike Soroka (Achilles) still in the final stages of his recovery, and Wilson's resilience Saturday almost certainly helped his case. He has a 1.98 ERA and 9:4 K:BB through 13.2 innings this spring, but his main competition, Kyle Wright (4.09 ERA, 10:5 K:BB through 11 innings) has also been solid.

Rainey (collarbone) is scheduled to pitch during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The 28-year-old has yet to see game action in spring training due to a minor muscle strain near his right collarbone, but he's set to take the mound during Sunday's contest. Rainey completed a couple simulated games throughout the past week, and he should have enough time to get fully ramped up for Opening Day.

Diaz has given up only two hits and no earned runs over four Grapefruit League innings with a 6:0 K:BB.

The right-hander has looked sharp this spring, and while Mets manager Luis Rojas has played coy when it comes to naming his closer, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Diaz handling ninth-inning duties to begin the season. He's posted a strikeout rate of at least 39.0 percent each of the last three years, and even when Diaz struggled in 2019, his issue was keeping the ball in the park, not striking batters out. MLB's switch to a slightly deader ball should help ensure the 26-year-old doesn't have that problem again.

Vizcaino has been shut down for about a week due to soreness in his elbow, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

It's a tough break for the oft-injured right-hander as he attempts to make a comeback. Vizcaino was showing good velocity this spring but had pitched only one inning in Grapefruit League action, and the late shutdown likely ends any chance the 30-year-old might have had of winning a spot in the Mets' bullpen. If the non-roster invitee sticks with the organization, he could head to the team's alternate training site to begin the season.

Sims (elbow) is scheduled to pitch Tuesday against the Padres, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports. "I felt really sharp," Sims said. "I was making the right adjustments that I wanted to. I was getting the right action. I'm ready to roll."

Sims pitched in an intrasquad game Saturday. Amir Garrett, his competition for the closer's job, pitched in a "B" game Saturday. The job battle could extend into the start of the regular season as both pitchers get up to speed.

Arizona coaches watched Young during a simulated game Saturday and appeared to be discussing the possibility he's tipping pitches, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. "That's the stuff we're keyed in on and we always want to make sure we're doing our job as a coach to prevent those types of things," manage Torey Lovullo said.

Young was roughed up in his last outing March 14, when the Giants tagged him for five runs and eight hits over three innings. While the coaches did not confirm if Young has a tell in his delivery, it is something they are monitoring. The left-hander is being stretched out during spring training, but he's not expected to be part of the rotation to start the 2021 season.

Pomeranz is not throwing while waiting for inflammation in his forearm to lessen, Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Pomeranz has been dealing with tightness in his left forearm, and the injury is accompanied by some inflammation. Though tests revealed no structural damage to the forearm, the southpaw's status for Opening Day remains in question. Pomeranz has not pitched in a game since March 9.

Williams will make his Cactus League debut Saturday against the Reds.

Williams threw a live batting practice session Tuesday, and he'll be available to make his Cactus League debut in relief Saturday. The right-hander has been brought along slowly this spring after he missed wild-card round in 2020 due to shoulder soreness, but the team hasn't expressed any concerns regarding his Opening Day status. Josh Hader is still expected to serve as Milwaukee's closer in 2021, but Williams is one of the top non-closer relievers in fantasy baseball after he posted a 0.33 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 53:9 K:BB over 27 innings during 22 relief appearances last year.

Pagan has a good chance to close games for the Padres this season and has been the name most often mentioned by people within the organization as a potential closer, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The Padres have several potential ninth-inning options, including Mark Melancon and Drew Pomeranz (forearm), but manager Jayce Tingler has expressed a preference for a dedicated ninth-inning arm rather than a committee. Pagan has been an elite reliever in the recent past, saving 20 games for the Rays in 2019 while backing up his 2.31 ERA with an excellent combination of a 36.0 percent strikeout rate and a 4.9 percent walk rate. His numbers fell off hard across the board last year, as he managed just a 26.4 percent strikeout rate, 10.3 percent walk rate and a 4.50 ERA, but he was pitching through pain for much of the season and eventually landed on the injured list with biceps inflammation. Healthy again this spring, Pagan appears to have a very real chance of moving to the top of the closer competition.