MLB Player News

Edwards could see an uptick in usage this season and possibly a higher-leverage role, The Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Edwards pitched a combined 61.1 innings last year between Triple-A and the majors. He posted a 3.75 ERA with 52 strikeouts across 36 innings for the Cubs, and manager Joe Maddon said Edwards could be used in a setup role this year for closer Wade Davis. "You saw last year what he's capable of doing," Maddon said. "I really anticipate a lot of the same and probably a little bit of an uptick there.

Reyes (elbow) underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Thursday and will begin rehabbing in April, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Reyes is proceeding on schedule after it was discovered that he would need Tommy John surgery earlier this week. He'll begin rehabbing sometime in April and will miss the entire 2017 season and possibly some of the beginning of spring training in 2018. The Cardinals will now likely look to Michael Wacha to fill their last rotation spot, however Luke Weaver and Trevor Rosenthal will also get looks in camp.

Gomez said he won't join Team Venezuela for the World Baseball Classic, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

This is a reversal from a report Zolecki delivered last week, but Gomez apparently has changed his mind. The right-hander saved 37 games for Philadelphia last year but collapsed down the stretch. Despite that drop-off, Gomez enters camp as the favorite for closing chances, though talented arms like Hector Neris, Joaquin Benoit and Edubray Ramos will keep his leash short should he falter again.

Garcia (elbow) was placed on the 60-day DL on Wednesday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in late October and is set to miss all of the 2017 season, so his placement on the DL was merely a formality. In moving Garcia to the 60-day DL, the Dodgers will open up a 40-man roster spot for newly signed reliever Sergio Romo.

Smith is a lock to serve as the Giants' left-handed setup man, CSN Bay Area reports.

No surprises here, as this was the role the Giants envisioned for Smith when they dealt their top pitching prospect for him at the deadline last year. He will enter games in the seventh and eighth innings when opposing lineups are more lefty-heavy than usual. This should give Smith a fair share of hold opportunities for a team that is expected to be competitive this season.

Rodney is in the process of having his citizenship status reviewed, making it unclear when he will report to spring training, Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports reports.

Although this may seem a bit concerning, the Diamondbacks have come out and said they aren't concerned about this development. As long as everything goes as planned, Rodney should assume the closer role as soon as he sets foot at the Diamondbacks facility at Talking Stick.

Gsellman will not be able to swing a bat for two weeks as he recovers from labrum surgery, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Gsellman was unable to swing a bat last season as well, one of the first signs he would need surgery on his non-throwing shoulder this offseason. He is currently competing with Robert Lugo for the fifth spot in the Mets' starting rotation after posting a 2.42 ERA and a 42:15 K:BB ratio over seven starts last season. Despite the hindrance, Gsellman is expected to fully participate in all pitching activities during spring training.

Treinen will be in the mix for the Nationals' closing job in spring training, The Washington Post reports.

Nats manager Dusty Baker may prefer to give the spot to someone with more experience, but Treinen improved his numbers against left-handed hitters in 2016 while also looking sharp in high-leverage situations, holding opponents to a tiny .128/.261/.154 line. The 28-year-old should have a prominent late-inning role whether he closes or not, though, making him a safer pick in fantasy formats that use saves plus holds as a category rather than just pure saves.

The Cardinals have confirmed that Reyes (elbow) will have Tommy John surgery, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Fears of a possible UCL repair surfaced Tuesday after Reyes was not cleared to throw at the outset of spring training workouts. As a result of the surgery, Reyes will miss the entire 2017 campaign, with the possibility of being ready at some point early in spring training in 2018 if everything progresses well with his recovery. The Cards will likely turn to Michael Wacha to fill the spot Reyes was expected to hold in the rotation, but Luke Weaver is also an option if the team opts to utilize Wacha in a multi-inning relief role instead.

Castro completed a training plan in the Dominican Republic over the winter to strengthen the shoulder that ailed him throughout last season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The young fireballer came out of the gates scorching hot, but he ultimately succumbed to a bout of shoulder inflammation and was shut down for the season in early August. Castro appears to have built him shoulder strength back up, and if he can get back to the form that led the Rockies to tab him as the closer of the future, he could work his way into more high-leverage situations. However, in the meantime, the Rockies will likely be cautious with the 22-year-old given the fact that Adam Ottavino, Greg Holland, Jake McGee and Carlos Estevez all have closing experience and are more than capable of handling late-inning duties.