MLB Player News

Melancon allowed two homers in Thursday's spring training game, both coming on 92 mph fastballs to the opposite field, Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The two homers are equal to the entire total he allowed with the Giants in 39 innings last season. The good news is that his velocity matched his average fastball from last season.

Kelly was scratched from his scheduled appearance Wednesday due to back tightness, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports.

Kelly's back issue isn't expected to sideline him for long, and the team is optimistic he'll be able to throw again within the next few days. He doesn't appear to be in any danger of missing Opening Day at this point, but he'll be worth keeping an eye on until deemed healthy.

Rodriguez -- who has made two starts this spring -- was clocked as high as 94 mph with his four-seam fastball this spring, according to Jessica Kleinschmidt of NBC Sports Bay Area.

A 94 mph won't rile up too much excitement in today's age of power arms, but it is noteworthy that Rodriguez reached that velocity this early in spring after sitting at 92.1 mph last season. The 2018 Rookie of the Year candidate will look to build off last year's strong debut (2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 2.5 K/BB ratio over 118.1 innings). Rodriguez will either slot second or third in the Giants' rotation to begin the regular season.

Fields has been designated for assignment.

The Dodgers claimed soft-tossing southpaw Donnie Hart off waivers, and Fields will be the roster casualty. He logged a 2.20 ERA in 41 innings last year, but his 4.61 xFIP suggests he was very fortunate.

Hart was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

He was designated for assignment by the Orioles late last week, and apparently the Dodgers saw something they liked. His fastball velocity and spin rate both ranked near the bottom of the league last year, but he is a lefty who generates groundballs, so perhaps he will be able to carve out a small role. Josh Fields was designated for assignment as a corresponding move.

Nelson (shoulder) was satisfied with the way the ball was coming out in his two-inning intrasquad outing Thursday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

His fastball was clocked at 90-91 mph, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. Nelson said he wanted better results in the intrasquad outing, but said he felt good afterward. He is unsure what the next step will be, but is anxious to get into a Cactus League game.

The Diamondbacks reassigned Scribner to their minor-league camp Thursday.

Scribner made a spot start for Arizona last season when injuries took a toll on the rotation, but he languished in that outing and was dropped from the 40-man roster shortly thereafter. He'll be back with the organization in 2019 but will function as little more than starting depth in the high minors.

Nelson (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch two innings Thursday in the Brewers' intrasquad game, Sophia Minnaert of Fox Sports Wisconsin reports.

A successful, setback-free showing in the intrasquad game would likely mark the final step for Nelson in his recovery from right shoulder surgery before he's cleared to make his Cactus League debut. Nelson faced hitters in a live batting-practice session earlier this week and sported a fastball that peaked around 92 miles per hour -- about two ticks below his average from his last healthy season in 2017 -- but the expectation is that he'll regain velocity as he gets his arm back in condition after a lengthy off period.

Richards gave up one run on two hits and a walk while striking out four over 3.1 innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Facing what could well be Houston's Opening Day lineup, Richards' only real mistake resulted in a Robinson Chirinos solo homer to lead off the third inning. The right-hander is looking to solidify his spot at the back of the Miami rotation after an uneven rookie campaign, and outings like this can only help his case.

Hernandez (shoulder) threw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez, who has been sidelined due to shoulder soreness, fired 25 pitches to a pair of hitters (Michael Lorenzen and Taylor Trammell) and reported feeling good afterwards. If he checks out OK on Thursday, it sounds like the right-hander could be cleared to make his spring debut over the weekend. Assuming that happens, and Hernandez continues to progress without setbacks, he should still have enough time to get ready for Opening Day.