MLB Player News

Jackson will open the season with Triple-A San Antonio, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Jackson had been in big-league camp as a non-roster invitee but wasn't expected to break camp with the team. The Brewers' bullpen has been getting banged up recently, but Jackson isn't on the 40-man roster, so he he's unlikely to be one of the first few names called upon.

Sims was reassigned to minor-league camp Friday.

Sims was fighting with Tyler Mahle to break camp as the Reds' fifth starter, but the right-hander will open the year back in the minors after stumbling to an 8.10 ERA and 1.80 WHIP through 6.2 innings this spring. He'll remain an option to start for the Reds down the line should another opportunity arise.

Minter (shoulder) will throw a live batting practice session Friday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Minter is expected to get into a spring game within the next few days and then start the regular season rehabbing with Triple-A Gwinnett. He'll open the year on the injured list but expects his stay to be a brief one.

Strop (hamstring) completed a bullpen session with no issues Friday and could pitch Monday against the Red Sox, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Manager Joe Maddon said Strop should pitch during the two-game series against Boston, and that one appearance could be enough for him to be ready for the regular season. The 33-year-old has been nursing a mild right hamstring strain for a couple weeks but appears on track for Opening Day if he can avoid a setback.

Nelson will back off a bit after experiencing some elbow soreness Friday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The team doesn't view the issue as a serious one and believes Nelson could be ready for the start of the Triple-A season, where he'll spend some time building up his arm strength on a rehab assignment as he recovers from shoulder surgery. That's certainly good news, but elbow problems of any kind are always a worry for pitchers, so the issue is worth keeping an eye on.

Bowman (lat) will start Thursday night's split-squad game against the Mariners in Peoria.

This isn't really a change in roles for Bowman, but more of a way to insist that he gets his work in, albeit against the Mariners' minor leaguers. He has pitched three scoreless innings since getting a late start in spring training.

Hudson was named the Cardinals' fifth starter Thursday, Mark Saxon of The Athletic reports.

Hudson beat out John Gant for the role. The 24-year-old made 26 relief appearances for the Cardinals last season, finishing with a 2.63 ERA but an uninspiring 19:18 K:BB.

Holmes will transition to a multi-inning relief role in the minors, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

The Pirates aren't closing the door on Holmes as a starter, though they'll focus on developing him in a relief role for the time being. The soon-to-be 26-year-old made seven appearances out of the Pirates' bullpen in 2018, posting a 5.56 ERA and 9:10 K:BB in 11.1 innings during those outings.

Mayers fired two scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Marlins on Wednesday, allowing a hit and recording four strikeouts.

The right-handed reliever has put together a strong spring, as Mayers now sports a 2.89 ERA across 9.1 innings over seven Grapefruit League appearances. Mayers endured a rocky 2018 in which he generated a 4.70 ERA and 1.43 WHIP across 50 appearances. However, his ability to work multiple innings when needed and encouraging work during the exhibition slate figure to afford him consistent middle-relief opportunities in the coming season.

Strop (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Strop will ramp things up in Friday's session after getting through a bullpen with no issues earlier in the week. Assuming everything goes off without a hitch Friday, the right-hander will likely be cleared to pitch in a game shortly thereafter. Manager Joe Maddon confirmed Strop still hasn't been ruled out for Opening Day.