MLB Player News

Suarez has an outside chance to grab a rotation spot to start the season, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.

At this point, the pitching prospect is on the outside looking in, as Chris Stratton and Ty Blach appear to be the favorites for the final two starting spots entering camp. Suarez does have some nice numbers to back up his case, though. He never gave up more than three walks per nine innings pitched, and his ERA and FIP never went over 4.00. That said, he only has 88.2 innings at the Triple-A level, so he likely could use some more seasoning in the minors.

Beede is in the running for a spot in the Giants' rotation entering spring training, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.

Chris Stratton and Ty Blach seem to be the frontrunners for the final two rotation spots, but Beede's pedigree gives him an outside shot to crack the rotation. That said, the Vanderbilt product leaves much to be desired from a fantasy perspective. He produced good ERAs in the lower minors, but he could only muster a 4.79 ERA at Triple-A last season while striking out just 6.9 batters per nine innings. Even if he does grab a rotation spot, Beede hasn't shown much to make him appealing in fantasy.

Nelson (shoulder) has been able to throw from 60 feet the past few days and stated that he's progressing ahead of schedule, Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Nelson has been progressing from mid-September surgery to repair his labrum in a timely fashion, although he stated that once he's able to extend out to 90 feet, then "things will accelerate." For the time being, it still appears as though his timetable will keep the right-hander sidelined until June. but a more concise target date should come into focus once he's able to ramp up activity. Expect another update on Nelson's status in the coming weeks.

Blach is expected to break camp with a big-league rotation spot, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.

Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija are locks to make the rotation, leaving two spots open heading into spring training. At this point, Blach and Chris Stratton are the favorites to win the starting competition, but things can change over the course of the spring. The 27-year-old southpaw struggled mightily down the stretch last season (5.02 ERA, 30:22 K:BB after the All-Star break), but his FIP wound up actually being lower than his ERA on the season. That said, his low strikeout totals and his issues facing right-handed hitters make him a relatively unattractive fantasy option even if he does crack the rotation to start the season.

McGrath is in the running for one of the last spots in San Diego's bullpen, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

All McGrath has done is produce out of the bullpen, as he never had an ERA north of 3.00 in a full season in the minors. He carried his success into a September callup last year as well, as he posted a 1.46 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 12 appearances in that month. His performance wasn't as flashy as fellow reliever Buddy Baumann, but McGrath certainly has a legitimate claim to a spot in the Padres' relief corps.

Maton heads into camp as a favorite to land more high-leverage innings in 2018, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old cruised through the minor leagues without posting an ERA north of 3.00, but he struggled a bit in his first taste of the majors last season. Home runs were Maton's biggest issue, as he served up 10 of them in 43 frames. His high strikeout totals in the minors have him lined up as a potential closer of the future for San Diego, but he needs to prove he can keep the ball in the park before he can be trusted in fantasy.

Suter reportedly has a "leg up" on breaking camp with the major-league roster even if he doesn't win a rotation spot, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Previous reports only suggested that the southpaw would be in the mix for a rotation spot this spring, leaving his status uncertain if he were unable to claim a starting gig. It seems like manager Craig Counsell values Suter as a long reliever as well and likes what he saw from him last season. The 28-year-old produced a 3.42 ERA while exhibiting excellent control, although his strikeout rate leaves much to be desired. The vote of confidence is certainly a good sign, but he has little value in most fantasy formats unless he's able to claim a starting role.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Garcia, who is competing for a spot in the Miami rotation, would work exclusively as a starting pitcher in 2018 with either the big club or at Triple-A New Orleans, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Though Garcia distinguished himself as a key part of the bridge to the ninth inning as a rookie in 2017, collecting 15 holds over 53.1 innings, the Marlins believe the 25-year-old lefty is capable of handling a more meaningful role. Garcia had been developed as a starter in the minors as recently as 2016, so building up the stamina to cover multiple innings shouldn't prove to be much of an issue. Instead, the question is whether Garcia can perform well enough in the spring to seize one of three openings in the Marlins rotation, as only Jose Urena and Dan Straily are guaranteed spots coming out of camp with Wei-Yin Chen (shoulder) set to open the season on the disabled list. As a reliever, Garcia's velocity sat in the low-to-mid 90s, but he may lose a few ticks while transitioning back to starting duty, making it likely that the meager 7.1 K/9 rate he posted out of the bullpen last season will tumble further. For that reason -- along with his rather unremarkable track record as a starter throughout his stops in the minors -- Garcia doesn't look like a particularly high-upside fantasy option even if he's able to secure a rotation spot.

Wittgren (elbow) will remain in a limited capacity for the beginning of spring training, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Wittgren will start off the spring camp in rehab protocol after undergoing elbow surgery to remove a bone spur in September. The right-hander will be eased into a throwing program over the course of the next couple weeks, although it's uncertain as to whether he will be ready for Opening Day at this point.

Hudson was unable to throw his scheduled bullpen Wednesday after suffering a sprained ankle while jogging, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

There shouldn't be too much concern over this minor ailment, but Hudson may choose to take it easy for a few days before returning to the mound. In 2017, he posted a 4.38 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 61.2 innings of relief and is in line to continue working in high-leverage situations during this upcoming season.