MLB Player News

Crowe was invited to big-league camp by the Nationals on Wednesday.

Crowe isn't far from pushing for a big-league roster spot, but he still has something to prove at the Triple-A level. In 10 starts for Triple-A Fresno last season, he struggled to a 6.17 ERA, walking 10.4 percent of opposing batters while striking out just 16.4 percent.

Hernandez will attend spring training with the Nationals as a non-roster invitee.

Hernandez spent a majority of the 2019 season with the Reds, recording a 8.02 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 53:20 K:BB across 42.2 innings. The veteran reliever owned an impressive 0.98 WHIP in 2018 with Cincinnati and will have the opportunity to make a positive first impressive on the Nationals' big-league coaching staff during spring training.

Hicks (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Hicks was moved to the injured list in order to create a roster spot for Brad Miller, who was signed by St. Louis on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Hicks was already eyeing a midseason return from undergoing Tommy John surgery in late June of 2019. It is possible the Cardinals will attempt to ease Hicks back from his long absence in a setup role rather than have him resume immediate closing duties. Giovanny Gallegos is expected to begin the season as the closer with the recent news that Carlos Martinez will be competing for a spot in the starting rotation.

Neris will be away from the team for a few days to start camp as he recovers from the flu, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

Neris is expected to rejoin the team no later than this weekend, so his build-up for the upcoming season won't be significantly impacted. Neris is expected to enter the season as the dedicated closer under new manager Joe Girardi, who has a reputation for preferring much stricter bullpen roles than his predecessor, Gabe Kapler, did.

Dominguez (elbow) indicated that he's on track to be ready for Opening Day after he completed his third bullpen session of the spring Tuesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Dominguez looked like a potential candidate for Tommy John surgery after he was diagnosed with a damaged UCL in his right elbow last June, but doctors allowed him to treat the injury with rest and rehab. Though he never pitched again after being shut down last season, Dominguez said he was able to resume a throwing program Dec. 1. With Dominguez having thus far avoided any setbacks while playing catch or working off a mound, he's expected to handle a normal workload progression this spring. If his health remains intact, Dominguez should open the season as one of the top setup options for projected closer Hector Neris.

De Los Santos pulled his hamstring in late January and won't throw off a mound for three more weeks, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

If De Los Santos is indeed back on the mound in three weeks, he'll still have three more weeks before Opening Day, so there's a chance he'll still be able to open the season on the active roster. That's far from guaranteed even if he's healthy, however, as he owns a 5.70 ERA in 30 career big-league innings.

The Phillies sent Kelley outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Kelley went unclaimed off waivers after being designated for assignment, so he'll stick with the Philadelphia organization and attend big-league camp as a non-roster player.

The Phillies will place Robertson (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The move is merely procedural, as Robertson is already slated to be sidelined well beyond the minimum 60 days while he recovers from the Tommy John surgery he required last August. Per Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic, Robertson is optimistic that he'll be able to contribute for the Phillies at some point in the second half, but he'll have several hurdles in the rehab process to clear before a target return date emerges. Philadelphia officially signed reliever Tommy Hunter on Wednesday to take Robertson's spot on the 40-man roster.

Hammer cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hammer's 13:12 K:BB in 19 innings as a rookie last season didn't come close to backing up his 3.79 ERA. He could certainly play a role for the Phillies this season, but it's unlikely to be a major one.

Betances (Achilles) said Tuesday that he'd be ready for Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

A lat injury and an Achilles injury combined to limit Betances to a single big-league appearance last season. A player's optimism about his own health should never be taken as gospel, but it's still good to hear. Whether or not he'll actually be ready for the start of the season should become clear after he begins throwing in spring training games.