MLB Player News

The Phillies optioned Mercado to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday.

Mercado had a rough spring, posting a 7.04 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 8:5 K:BB over 7.2 innings. The 25-year-old also struggled during his first look at the majors last year, posting an 11.08 ERA, 1.92 WHIP and 10:9 K:BB across 13 regular-season frames. Mercado put up solid numbers with Lehigh Valley last year, and he could get another call-up at some point in 2025 if he continues to show development in the minors.

Nunez has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Nunez emerged as a key part of New York's bullpen as a rookie last year, posting a 2.31 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 48:8 K:BB while racking up nine holds and a save over 25 regular-season appearances spanning 35 innings. He allowed two runs over two innings with a 3:0 K:B this spring, but the Mets have decided to have Nunez begin the campaign in the minors. The right-hander didn't pitch in a spring game until March 17 as he continued to recover from a flexor strain that ended his season in July of last year. It's likely that Nunez will be back up with the big club after having more time to ramp up in the minors.

Diaz had command issues in an outing against White Sox minor leaguers Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. In a subsequent report from Wittenmyer, Reds manager Terry Francona was not ready to endorse Diaz as the Reds' closer.

"I think we still have some work to do," Francona said. "We want to make sure he's got his legs under him, with his delivery and everything. We know what he can do. We just want to make sure he's ready to do it." Diaz pitched a scoreless inning Friday but only 10 of 20 pitches were deemed strikes. He hadn't pitched a clean inning all spring before a poor outing March 15 prompted he and pitching coach Derek Johnson to work on his delivery. Wittenmyer named Graham Ashcraft as a potential candidate to replace Diaz in the ninth inning. Francona expects Diaz to throw one more inning Sunday in the team's final Cactus League game before camp breaks.

Chavez agreed to a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 41-year-old was released by Texas on Friday, and it didn't take long for him to rejoin Atlanta. Chavez has now signed four one-year contracts with the club since 2021 and posted a 2.91 ERA in 172 appearances during that span. He could be included on the Opening Day roster if he showcases himself well in the next couple days, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com.

Bednar has thrown two scoreless innings with a 3:0 K:BB across his last two Grapefruit League outings.

The Pirates still haven't named a closer and Bednar had a pair of rocky outings -- one heavily influenced by poor defense -- in mid-March. However, he's managed to get on the right track as the regular season nears by not allowing a baserunner in his last two appearances.

Benjamin was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday.

Benjamin has pitched in the KBO for the last two seasons but returned stateside on a minor-league deal this winter. He walked seven across six innings this spring, so it's not particularly surprising that he missed out on a roster spot.

The Pirates selected Stratton's (knee) contract Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Stratton ruptured the patella tendon in his left knee in late August, but he has ramped up this spring. He ultimately made his spring training debut Saturday, when he threw a scoreless inning while striking out two. Stratton could occupy a high-leverage role after maintaining a 3.58 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with a 33:7 K:BB across 37.2 innings in 2024.

Reynolds (foot) is no longer wearing a walking boot and and is scheduled to ramp up his throwing in early April, per MLB.com.

Reynolds was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right foot in late February, but a recent MRI revealed "significant healing" in the affected extremity. As such, the righty reliever is slated to began building back up in around two weeks if he doesn't experience any setbacks. Reynolds won't be ready for Opening Day, but he could be a factor in San Diego's bullpen sometime in May.

Miller will begin the season on the injured list with a left hip impingement, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Miller had a tough time finding his footing on the mound this spring, finishing the Cactus League schedule with nine earned runs allowed over just 4.2 innings, though he managed to strike out seven batters in the process. He'll head to the IL to begin the 2025 campaign and may be relegated to a middle-relief role in the Cubs' bullpen once healthy.

Law (elbow) said Saturday that he doesn't believe he'll be ready for the start of the season, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Law has been brought along slowly this spring, as lingering issues from an elbow injury he suffered late last season have followed him into camp. The Nats still haven't decided whether to put him on the injured list, though that seems like the most likely outcome at this point. Once healthy, the 34-year-old righty will likely be used often out of the bullpen, as he's expressed interest in breaking the franchise record for most innings pitched by a reliever (93).