MLB Player News

Almonte pitched a perfect fourth inning while failing to strike out any batters in Thursday's spring loss to the Cubs.

Almonte made his second relief appearance of spring training Thursday and only required six pitches to retire the side in the fourth inning. Daniel Bard appears to be the favorite to earn save chances early in the season, but Almonte hopes to be in contention for late-game opportunities in 2021, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. "Any other baseball player would probably say the same thing -- you want to have that big role," Almonte said. "Whether you get it or not, you have to shoot for it. And that's something that I think I can handle." The right-hander has displayed confidence in his fastball, slider and changeup to begin the spring and has allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out one over two scoreless innings during his two relief appearances in Cactus League play.

Rodriguez allowed five runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two over three innings as he was charged with the loss in Thursday's spring game against the Cubs.

Rodriguez allowed two runs in each of his first two Cactus League appearances this year. He struggled early in Thursday's matchup and gave up three runs in the first inning before allowing runs to come across in each of the next two frames. Since Austin Gomber has pitched incredibly well during spring training, Rodriguez's chance at a starting job appears to be slim, but he could still be in contention to serve as a long reliever if he can settle down ahead of the regular season.

Santana could make the Opening Day roster in a bullpen role, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

Santana has looked good so far this spring, hurling four scoreless innings and giving up only one hit while striking out five. The right-hander was primarily a starter in the minors, so he could function as a multi-inning reliever if he breaks camp with the Dodgers. That possibility may depend on the status of Joe Kelly (shoulder), who is currently a question mark to be ready by Opening Day.

Coonrod may be on the outside looking in on Opening Day, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The Phillies acquired Coonrod in exchange for their 2020 fourth-round pick Carson Ragsdale in January. He still has options remaining and owns a career 5.74 ERA, so while the team must have seen something in him to bother trading for him, he's certainly not a lock to win a job. Gelb's latest roster projection, based on conversations with scouts and team officials, has Coonrod losing the battle to JoJo Romero for one of the final bullpen spots. Which pitcher wins the job may depend in part on how many southpaws the Phillies want to carry; Coonrod throws right-handed, while Romero is a lefty.

Hicks recorded a clean inning on 11 pitches during a "B" game against the Nationals on Wednesday, his first game action of any kind since June 2019, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. "I don't think it would have mattered what lens you're looking [through]," said manager Mike Shildt. "It was pretty darn good."

The right-hander recorded a strikeout while also inducing a pair of groundouts. Hicks, highly regarded for his ability to consistently hit triple digits on the radar gun when healthy, was also recorded at 102 mph in a live batting practice session Wednesday, further corroborating the fitness of his surgically repaired elbow. Assuming he remains free of any setbacks in coming days, Hicks' next step will be his Grapefruit League debut.

Brogdon is seen as a potential setup man by the Phillies this season, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Brogdon flashed plenty of potential during his 11.1-inning debut last season, posting a 3.97 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. His 38.6 percent strikeout rate proved to be more than enough to overcome his 11.4 percent walk rate and 36.4 percent groundball rate. Brogdon's inexperience means he's clearly behind Hector Neris and Archie Bradley in the battle for the closer job, but it's not out of the question that he could push for saves at some point if he excels while those two struggle.

Hader recorded two outs and allowed two home runs in his first appearance of the spring Wednesday. He struck out two batters and walked one.

Hader was working on his offspeed stuff Wednesday, throwing "quite a few" changeups, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. However, the two homers came off fastballs. Hader worked almost exclusively fastball-slider the last three seasons, but it appears he is attempting to bring back the changeup that he used from time to time during his 2017 rookie season. That's likely in an effort to keep the ball in the park, as he gave up 1.7 HR/9 over the last two years. Of course, he also struck out 169 batters in 94.2 innings during that same span.

Floro has been dealing with soreness and has yet to pitch in a Grapefruit League game, although he has thrown live batting practice sessions, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports. "Dylan had just a little bit of soreness, and we wanted to make sure we got him back on track, and he is," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said last week.

Acquired from the Dodgers in the offseason, Floro's name has come up in the closer discussion for Miami, but he hasn't yet gotten a chance to show his new team what he can do on a mound. There's still enough time for the right-hander to get ready for Opening Day, but his role in the bullpen remains undetermined.

Lamet (elbow) will pitch another simulated game later this week, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Lamet looked good in his first sim game of the spring Sunday, hitting 98 mph and throwing 20-25 pitches. His next opportunity to throw will come later this week, when he'll hurl multiple innings for the first time. Should that outing go well, Lamet could then get into a Cactus League game sometime next week. It remains to be seen whether the right-hander's progression will allow him to ramp up to a starter's workload in time for Opening Day.

Graterol threw a bullpen session Wednesday, during which he threw only fastballs, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Graterol has been ramping up slowly this spring following an offseason that featured inconsistent throwing. Manager Dave Roberts indicated that Graterol touched 96 mph with his fastball during his first bullpen session of the spring and that he is expected to throw another one in the coming days. Assuming that plan holds, Graterol should be ready to go by Opening Day.