MLB Player News

Hultzen will be a part of the Cubs' 60-man player pool this season.

The lefty is not on the team's 40-man roster but will still get the chance to train at Wrigley Field along with 21 other pitchers. Hultzen is unlikely to make a big impact in 2020, though he does give the Cubs some veteran depth and may have some value against left-handed batters.

Smith will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

He was hanging onto a spot on the 40-man roster by a hair when things shut down, so naturally he was included in this larger pool. However, it is unlikely he pitches in the majors in anything other than a low-leverage role this season.

Santillan will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

The Reds protected Santillan from the Rule 5 draft this winter, but he would have likely spent the entire season at Triple-A under normal circumstances. However, he is now eligible to provide big-league depth, likely as a reliever or swing man.

Raley will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

The veteran southpaw pitched in the KBO from 2015 through 2019 and reached the majors with the Cubs back in 2012 and 2013. He is not on the 40-man roster but could pitch in the majors in some capacity this season.

Powers will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

A 28-year-old right-handed reliever, Powers is not on the Reds' 40-man roster and is unlikely to play a major role this season. He had a 1.98 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 27.1 innings at Triple-A last season.

De Leon will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

He is on the 40-man roster but will not be among the group training at Great American Ball Park. De Leon spent the majority of 2019 pitching at Triple-A as a member of the Rays organization, logging a 3.51 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 73:27 K:BB in 51.1 innings.

Antone will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

A member of the 40-man roster, Antone logged a 4.65 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 71.2 innings at Triple-A last year. He has yet to make his big-league debut, and if he does reach the majors this season, it would likely be as a low-leverage reliever.

Biddle will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

Biddle is not on the 40-man roster and was limited this spring as he returned from shoulder surgery. However, with this news, it's possible he will get work in low-leverage spots out of the big-league bullpen at some point this season.

Brebbia (elbow) was placed on the 45-day injured list Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

It was announced this week that he 30-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in early June, so his removal from the 40-man roster was only a matter of time. Brebbia will miss all of the 60 games in 2020 but could return during midseason 2021 if all goes well in his recovery.

Hicks (elbow) will be monitored especially closely with respect to COVID-19 protocol when the regular season begins due to the fact he's a Type 1 diabetic, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Naturally, Hicks' surgically repaired elbow will also get plenty of attention, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirms the hard-throwing reliever will be eased back into game action once the regular season begins. Hicks has already been throwing from a mound and has also expressed his intent to play despite the fact he's at higher risk in the current COVID environment. "From the Tommy John perspective, he's had so far a very positive rehab," Mozeliak said. "In terms of expectations, I don't think it's in anybody's interest to lay that out today, but I am hopeful that he does participate in this year's season."