MLB Player News

Minter was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

Minter struggled in the majors last season with a 7.06 ERA and 2.01 WHIP over 29.1 innings, which resulted in a trip to the minors. The 26-year-old will begin 2020 with Triple-A Gwinnett due to the Braves' abundance of bullpen options, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Minter back in the major-league bullpen if injuries occur.

Santana has pitched 5.1 scoreless innings in Cactus League play, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out 10.

Santana has been a pleasant surprise this spring for the Dodgers following a 2019 campaign in which he struggled with a 6.94 ERA at the Triple-A level. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, the right-hander has forced his way into the conversation for an Opening Day spot in the bullpen, particularly considering the struggles of fellow reliever Adam Kolarek (15.43 ERA this spring).

Kolarek has struggled this spring and is in danger of losing his spot in the bullpen, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Kolarek gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning Sunday, bloating his ERA to 15.43. Although the southpaw pitched well last season -- he posted a 3.27 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 80 games between Tampa Bay and Los Angeles -- there is no guarantee that he will break camp with the big club given his Cactus League struggles.

Weigel has rung up a 0.00 ERA, 0.47 WHIP and 6:1 K:BB through 6.1 innings this spring.

The 25-year-old right-hander has yet to make his big-league debut and missed nearly the entire 2018 campaign following Tommy John surgery, but Weigel appears ready to make the leap to the majors based on his performance in camp so far. Whether Atlanta has room for him in the Opening Day bullpen is another question, but even if Weigel doesn't make the cut right away, he'll be on the short list of potential reinforcements during the regular season.

Matzek has allowed only one hit and posted a 0.00 ERA and 7:0 K:BB through 3.2 innings of relief this spring.

The southpaw was the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, but after climbing steadily through the Rockies' system he developed anxiety issues in the majors and couldn't find the plate, eventually washing out of organized baseball in 2016. Per David O'Brien of The Athletic, Matzek has since learned to put himself in a better mental space and rebuilt his mechanics in independent ball, and he was rewarded with a minor-league deal by Atlanta last year. The 29-year-old isn't on the 40-man roster and is still a long shot to break camp in the Braves' bullpen, but even resuming his pro career is a major accomplishment, and he could be on the cusp of returning to The Show.

Perdomo has appeared in four games this spring and has thrown four scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and posting a 10:2 K:BB.

Perdomo entered spring training with an outside shot at breaking camp with the big club, but he has given his chances a boost with a stellar showing to date. It's possible there is still no space for him in the bullpen, but even if his campaign opens in the minors, he will have a chance to make his big-league debut at some point in 2020 after being added to the 40-man roster over the offseason.

Ginkel (arm) said he is scheduled to pitch Tuesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Ginkel has been shut down for a number of days with arm fatigue, something he first experienced following last Tuesday's outing against the Royals. "It was kind of barking a couple of days ago," Ginkel said. "I just needed to get it tended to a little bit. So I've been in the training room the past couple of days just trying to get it right, get it back to 100 percent. It's not a big concern."

Castillo threw a sim game Sunday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Castillo has been brought along slowly this spring after an injury-plagued 2019 campaign in which he was limited to 8.2 combined major- and minor-league innings. With a simulated game now in the books, Castillo could feasibly earn a spot on the Opening Day roster if he's able to pitch in a few Cactus League games before the end of spring training.

Nelson (lower body) threw 17 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday and emerged healthy, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Though Nelson reportedly displayed erratic command in the session, the good news is that he did not experience any setbacks. Due to his injury issues this spring, Nelson is "extremely unlikely" to be on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, per Gurnick.

Kimbrel allowed two runs on three hits while retiring just two batters in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

The positive here is that Kimbrel recorded both of his outs via strikeout, but it's hard to be encouraged by how the veteran closer has looked so far this spring. Kimbrel's ERA sits at 16.20, though he's logged just 1.2 innings, so of course the small sample size warning applies. The 31-year-old won't ultimately be judged by Cactus League results, but after posting a 6.53 ERA last season, it would be nice to see him turn in a few strong outings before camp ends.