MLB Player News

Hernandez (shoulder) gave up one hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning Sunday against Arizona.

Hernandez had been nursing some shoulder soreness since the beginning of camp, but he finally felt good enough to see some game action. With plenty of time remaining before Opening Day, the 33-year-old right-hander should be good to go when the regular season kicks off.

Suarez completed four innings Sunday, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out two in a spring loss to the Athletics.

Suarez has gotten off to a bumpy start this spring, giving up six runs (one home run) on 11 hits over nine innings. The 26-year-old does have eight strikeouts over that span, so his ability to punch out batters seems to have carried over from his rookie year (7.3 K/9). Despite his up-and-down results in 2018, Suarez is one of several options being considered for the Giants' final rotation spot.

Sborz was optioned to the minor leagues Sunday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Sborz is on track to begin the 2019 campaign at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he posted a 4.38 ERA with a 47:15 K:BB over 37 innings a season ago. He's yet to emerge in the major leagues, although he'll be a candidate to come up to the big-league club in the event of an injury.

Hart was optioned to the minor leagues Sunday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Hart was recently claimed off waivers from Baltimore, although he won't have a shot to win a bullpen spot on the big-league club for Opening Day. He made 20 relief appearances for the Orioles in 2018 and posted a 5.59 ERA with 13 punchouts over 19.1 frames.

Koch (arm) will start Sunday's split-squad game against the Rockies in Mexico.

Koch was scratched from his first spring start Feb. 22 due to right arm fatigue but has since made two Cactus League appearances for the Diamondbacks. The 28-year-old should be ready to go for Opening Day as he attempts to earn a spot in Arizona's starting rotation.

Webb exited Sunday's spring game against the Marlins after being hit by a liner in the left forearm area, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Webb appeared to be in significant pain as he left the field. The right-hander should be considered day-to-day until more is known on the injury.

Smith is returning to New York on Sunday to be evaluated for right elbow soreness, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith had yet to allow a run over four spring training appearances before being forced to return to the Big Apple. The 25-year-old is likely to be sidelined for at least a few days while the severity of the injury is determined.

Strahm tossed four scoreless innings out of the bullpen in Saturday's 6-2 Cactus League win over the Reds, conceding two hits and no walks and striking out eight.

The Padres' decision to use Strahm in relief is less important than the fact that he upped his innings count in his second outing of the spring, which signals he's still being prepped for a rotation role once the regular season arrives. Strahm showed Saturday what kind of upside he might have in that capacity, boosting his spring strikeout total to 12 through nine scoreless frames across three outings. Expect the southpaw's average draft position to rise steadily as a result of his early dominance.

Helsley was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Helsley was protected from the Rule 5 draft in November and could make his debut at some point this season. For now, he'll return to the highest level of the minors, where he posted a 3.71 ERA in five starts last year.

Gallegos was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Gallegos has 31.2 major-league innings under his belt, with a 4.55 ERA but a solid 3.82 FIP. He had at least an outside shot at breaking camp with the team but will now have to prove himself at the Triple-A level before he returns.