MLB Player News

Strahm will open the season on the disabled list while he continues to recover from July knee surgery, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Strahm entered spring training with no restrictions as a result of the surgery and incurred no setbacks during his four Cactus League appearances, so it appears the Padres are merely placing him on the DL in an attempt to ease him into the season. While Strahm is sidelined, the Padres will decide whether to deploy him as a starter or reliever this season, which would likely offer more insight into a potential return date for the lefty. If the Padres groom Strahm for a bullpen gig, he likely wouldn't require as extensive of a rehab assignment due to the lower pitch counts he would handle in relief.

Lamet (elbow) will open the year on the disabled list, and the Padres hope to have him back in May, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

No structural damage was detected after initial tests, and the Padres are hoping they are only without their best starter for the first month of the season. Chris Young, Robbie Erlin and Joey Lucchesi could all be options to get starts when the Padres need a fifth starter while Lamet is out. In really shallow leagues with no DL spots, Lamet could realistically be cut loose, but he probably needs to be stashed in most formats, even without a guarantee that he'll be back in early May.

The Padres expect Lamet to miss "minimal time" with pain in his throwing elbow, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Acee's source with the team still expressed concern due to the nature of elbow injuries, so Lamet's owners shouldn't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. Still, for now it sounds like it's possible Lamet won't be out for a lengthy period of time. He felt a twinge on one of his last pitches in Sunday's spring training contest. Consider him out indefinitely, but it would be prudent to continue to roster him in most formats, at least until we get some more clarity about his return timetable. Chris Young, Robbie Erlin and Joey Lucchesi could all be options to get starts when the Padres need a fifth starter while Lamet is out.

The Padres announced Lamet exited Sunday's spring training game with an elbow injury, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Lamet faced six batters prior to exiting the game after feeling pain in his elbow. The severity and specifics of the injury remain unknown, although manager Andy Green said, "Hopefully he's not out for long, but usually you walk off the mound and your elbow hurts, it's not a good thing." The 25-year-old was slated to start the Padres' second game of the season against the Brewers on March 30, and the right-hander's status for that game and beyond should become clearer as he is further evaluated.

The Giants named Blach their Opening Day starter Sunday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Injuries to Madison Bumgarner (hand) and Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) have decimated the Giants starting rotation, creating an opportunity for Blach. The 27-year-old started 24 games for San Francisco in 2017, posting an 8-12 record with a 4.81 ERA and 1.36 WHIP over 149.2 innings. Blach's K/9 of 4.2 as a starter last season also limits his fantasy upside.

Lamet exited Sunday's spring training game early with an apparent injury, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Lamet faced six batters before exiting the game with the team trainer during the second inning. The cause of his removal wasn't clear, so it's possible that it was a precautionary move with Opening Day just days away. We'll have to await word from the Padres on his official status. Lamet is due to take the mound March 30 against the Brewers.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon wants to see Strop make one more Cactus League appearance before deciding on his availability for Opening Day, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Strop, who was slowed by a calf injury earlier in spring training, made his Cactus League debut Thursday and pitched again Saturday. The right-hander tossed two perfect innings with two strikeouts, so he's trending in the right direction, but Maddon wants to see a little more before he deems Strop ready to go. Assuming Strop doesn't suffer any setbacks, it looks like he should be ready for the start of the regular season.

Hader has thrown 8.1 scoreless innings over seven spring training appearances while posting a 0.72 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB.

Hader routinely dominated big-league hitters last year as a rookie, and that has carried over to Cactus League play, where opposing hitters have mustered just four hits and a .138 batting average against Hader. He posted a superb 12.8 K/9 a year ago over 47.2 MLB innings and finished with 68 strikeouts despite not debuting until June 10, so it's not hard to envision him topping 100 punchouts in 2018 with a full season at the top level. He will begin the year as the top left-handed option in the Brewers' bullpen, and despite being a southpaw and lacking ninth-inning experience, would be in the mix for saves should incumbent closer Corey Knebel cede the role for any reason.

The Nationals reassigned Smith to their minor-league camp Saturday, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

As a 28-year-old, Smith reached the big leagues for the first time of his career in 2017, making four appearances out of the Toronto bullpen. Smith didn't impress in those outings and was quickly outrighted off the 40-man roster, forcing him to settle for a minor-league pact with the Nationals over the winter. After being dismissed Saturday as part of the big club's wave of cuts, Smith looks destined to open the season in the Triple-A Syracuse bullpen.

Blach is the frontrunner to start for the Giants on Opening Day against the Dodgers, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

With Madison Bumgarner (hand) and Jeff Samardzija (pectoral) unavailable due to injuries and Johnny Cueto off schedule, it looks like Blach could toe the rubber for the Giants' season opener. The 27-year-old southpaw posted a 4.78 ERA and 4.0 K/9 across 163.2 innings last season (24 starts, 10 relief appearances), so while he may start for the Giants on Opening Day, there are better fantasy options out there.