MLB Player News

Thompson was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.

Thompson began spring training at major-league camp and allowed four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two over 2.1 innings during four three relief appearances this spring. The right-hander's contract was selected by the Padres in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and it appears as though he'll advance to the Triple-A level to begin the year.

Graterol threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Graterol threw 25 pitches during the session, including sliders. Manager Dave Roberts was impressed with how Graterol looked Wednesday, but it's not yet clear whether he'll be ready for Opening Day. The right-hander doesn't appear to be hurt, but he has yet to face hitters this spring with just over two weeks remaining until Opening Day. Once he's ready to play during the regular season, Graterol should serve as a high-leverage reliever for the Dodgers.

Johnson has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 groin strain, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Johnson was removed from Tuesday's spring game against the White Sox due to a groin injury, and he'll have several days of rest before returning. However, the Padres are hopeful that the right-hander will be able to pitch in a few more Cactus League games prior to Opening Day.

The Pirates optioned Mears to minor-league camp Tuesday.

The hard-throwing righty registered a 4.50 ERA in six spring games covering six innings. Mears also walked five batters and hit another, so he will work on his control with Triple-A Indianapolis. The 24-year-old debuted in the majors last summer, compiling a 5.40 ERA with a 7:7 BB:K in five innings.

Clarke allowed four hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings to pick up the three-inning save in Tuesday's spring game against Oakland.

Clarke is nowhere near the discussion to close out games for the Diamondbacks when the regular season starts. He entered Tuesday's game with Arizona leading, 7-3, and was on the mound when the offense put up five runs in the eighth inning. It was a perfect opportunity to extend Clarke, who will serve as starting depth and a multi-inning reliever in 2021. He's thrown eight innings over three Cactus League appearances.

Gonzalez has pitched in five Cactus League contests, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out six over 5.1 innings.

Gonzalez broke through with a 1.33 ERA and 0.74 WHIP across 20.1 innings during his 2020 rookie campaign, and his fabulous numbers were largely backed up by advanced metrics. He is rolling again this spring and figures to be the Dodgers' top left-handed bullpen option. Gonzalez will be even more important at the start of the campaign if Brusdar Graterol and Joe Kelly (soreness) aren't ready by Opening Day.

Antone (groin) will likely throw a side session later this week, and while he will probably miss his next start, he's only going to be set back a few days from his regular schedule, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Even with the couple days of delay, the outlook for Antone remains positive. It's still possible that he won't win a rotation spot to begin the season if the Reds decide they want Michael Lorenzen to start. However, Sonny Gray's injury has created another opening in the rotation for the first weeks or so of the campaign.

Miller has a 1.29 ERA and eight strikeouts across seven Cactus League innings so far.

A non-roster invitee to camp, Miller has been making his case for an Opening Day roster spot. The 30-year-old likely won't be in the mix for a place in the rotation, but he could give the Cubs a long-relief option. Miller has mostly struggled with Arizona and Texas the past few years, and he didn't appear in the majors last season, but he did show some potential with St. Louis earlier in his career.

Graterol has yet to throw to live hitters this spring and may not be ready for game action by Opening Day, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

The Dodgers have not indicated that Graterol is injured, and manager Dave Roberts has explained vaguely that the reliever wasn't able to throw bullpens during the offseason due to "a lot of things that took place this winter." While Graterol was initially expected to have time to ramp up by Opening Day, the fact that he still hasn't faced live hitters with just over two weeks to go casts doubt upon that outlook. Roberts was again vague about a timeline for Graterol, stating only, "I would assume that he'll take down some live hitters at some point in time." Even if he isn't ready by the start of the campaign, Graterol should fill a high-leverage role in the team's bullpen when he is able to return.

Johnson was removed from Tuesday's spring game against the White Sox due to groin tightness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old recorded two outs and gave up one run with two walks and one strikeout before leaving the field with an athletic trainer. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but Johnson figures to be unavailable for a few days regardless.