MLB Player News

Gallegos remains the Cardinals' projected closer to open the season, but top ninth-inning option Jordan Hicks (elbow) is helped by the current shutdown the longer it extends, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Hicks has been projected for a mid-to-later-summer return all along after late-June 2019 Tommy John surgery. Heading into spring, Gallegos was considered a strong candidate to primarily handle closing duties in Hicks' stead until that point, but the further Opening Day is pushed back, the more the potential amount of missed regular-season time for Hicks shrinks. Following a rocky start to Grapefruit League play, Gallegos was trending up when spring training was suspended, posting four straight scoreless efforts before play was paused.

Webb recorded six scoreless appearances in Grapefruit League play, generating a 9:0 K:BB and recording three holds before spring training was suspended.

As that line implies, the southpaw made excellent use of his opportunities during spring training, making a formidable case for a roster spot in the process. Webb was a bullpen workhorse to the tune of 65 appearances in 2019, and his body of work during the exhibition slate lends credence to the notion he'll be relied on heavily once again this season. Will Leitch of MLB.com notes that Webb will have to consistently prove effective against both handedness of hitter as a result of the new three-batter-minimum rule, but given he boasted sub-.200 BAAs versus both sides of the plate last season, he appears capable of doing what's necessary to maintain a high-volume role.

Floro could see fewer late-inning opportunities in 2020, Rowan Kavner of Dodger Insider reports.

Floro logged 22 innings of work in the eighth frame or later last season, accounting for nearly half of his 46.2-inning total. He was only mildly effective in those situations, however, yielding 10 earned runs (for a 4.02 ERA) and compiling an 18:9 K:BB. With Kenley Jansen locked in as the team's closer, Pedro Baez emerging as a reliable setup man and Blake Treinen brought in for high-leverage work, Floro's opportunities are likely to come primarily in middle relief when the 2020 campaign gets underway.

Megill will likely earn a bullpen spot with the Cubs when the regular season is able to begin, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs selected Megill with a Rule 5 pick back in December, so they'll have to keep him on the big-league roster or waive him. MLB teams will likely operate with expanded bullpens to compensate for a compacted schedule, so Chicago will probably keep Megill around as a middle reliever.

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said Thursday that Brigham (biceps) is going through a throwing progression, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

Brigham was on track to open the season on the injured list after suffering a right biceps injury in early March, but that's no longer a forgone conclusion after MLB announced one week later that Opening Day would be pushed back indefinitely due to concern over the coronavirus pandemic. With the start of the season likely at least a month away, Brigham should have sufficient time to resume throwing off a mound and get his arm conditioned for game action. If he's healthy when the Marlins resume workouts, Brigham will remain in the mix for a low-leverage role out of the Miami bullpen.

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said Thursday that Stanek has responded well while receiving treatment for his lower-back injury in Tampa, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

Hill didn't specify whether Stanek had resumed a throwing program, but with the MLB season likely at least a month away from starting up, the reliever still has plenty of time to ease back to full health. Assuming Stanek is good to go by the time play resumes, he'll likely serve as one of the Marlins' top setup men out of the bullpen.

Ferguson will likely be a part of the Dodgers' pitching staff in 2020, but his role remains unsettled, Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider reports.

Ferguson is viewed by manager Dave Roberts as a reliever, but his versatility lends to a lack of clarity about his eventual big-league role. The 23-year-old was primarily a starter in the minors from 2016-17 and has aspirations to become a starter at the big-league level in the long term. However, he has come out of the bullpen in all but five of his 75 career appearances in the majors, and the Dodgers already have their starting rotation in place for the upcoming season. Of course, there are a lot of unknowns about what the 2020 campaign may look like -- including the possibility of expanded rosters and fewer off days -- so Ferguson's ability to pitch in short or long stints could prove to be extremely valuable.

Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster said Wednesday that Lambert (forearm) is progressing through a rehab program and on track to resume throwing in 3-to-4 weeks, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Had the MLB season started on March 26 as originally scheduled, Lambert's moderate right forearm strain might have made him a candidate to open the campaign on the 60-day injured list. Due to the league's ongoing hiatus, however, Lambert will be able to recover from the injury without missing much, if any, game action. If he's able to throw in early May as anticipated, Lambert would likely require around a month to re-condition his arm to handle a starter's workload.

Helsley, who posted a 1.29 ERA across four Grapefruit League appearances, was in contention for closing opportunities when spring training was suspended, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Helsley certainly didn't hurt his cause with his dominant spring performance, which follows an excellent rookie 2019 campaign. The 25-year-old right-hander boasts a 97 mph fastball that seemingly makes him a natural fit for late-inning duty. However, with the delayed start to the regular season, the amount of games last year's closer Jordan Hicks (elbow) misses should be significantly reduced, which in turn will limit the cumulative amount of save opportunities available for other relievers..

Hicks (elbow) continues playing catch and visiting the Cardinals' spring training facility for rehab-related work when possible, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Hicks has been on a throwing program since January as he makes a return from UCL surgery. It's unclear what level of access Hicks still has to the team's Jupiter facility on a day-to-day basis, but shortly after spring training was suspended, he'd expressed an intention to be a frequent visitor as long as it was available. The delayed start to the 2020 campaign will help wipe out a substantial amount of missed regular-season time for Hicks, who could be ready to return sometime in July.