MLB Player News

Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett by Atlanta on Monday.

Hernandez made four appearances with the big club last season and also had one NLDS outing, but he's one of the team's first cuts this spring. The 27-year-old reliever could still wind up spending a good amount of time in the Atlanta bullpen this season.

Romero has allowed two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out three over three Grapefruit League innings.

Romero is a candidate to be a key southpaw in the Cardinals' bullpen this season, but he'll need to navigate the control issues popping up in spring games. He had three saves, three holds and two blown saves while pitching to a career-best 3.68 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 36.2 innings last year. Romero's chances for saves are slim -- he's at best fourth in the pecking order -- but he could be a solid late-innings guy if he can get the walk rate back in order.

King has allowed five runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out two over three Grapefruit League innings.

King's already a longshot for high-leverage work, and his early results in spring won't help his cause. The southpaw is a groundball specialist who saw some late-inning work with 12 holds in 35 appearances between the Rangers and the Cardinals last season. He'll need to show solid control and limit opponents to weak contact to have success.

Kittredge has allowed one walk and struck out one over two scoreless and hitless innings in two Grapefruit League appearances.

Kittredge is likely looking to put the last two years behind him, as injuries have limited him to 31.2 innings in that span. He has 15 saves and 12 holds to his name over parts of seven major-league campaigns, but he's topped 50 innings just once. Kittredge figures to be in the high-leverage mix this season, though Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos are the top incumbent closing options for the Cardinals.

Pallante has pitched three scoreless innings over three appearances in Grapefruit League play.

He's allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two. Pallante struggled to a 4.76 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 43:30 K:BB over 62 relief appearances in 2023 after splitting time between the rotation and bullpen in 2022. Pallante added 13 holds last year, but his poor play saw him in a low-leverage role to end the campaign. He'll be looking to get back into the late-innings mix in a crowded bullpen competition for the Cardinals.

Hicks has allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six over 4.1 innings across two Cactus League starts.

The Giants are committed to letting Hicks begin 2024 as a starter, as they lack rotation depth. The numbers so far are not encouraging -- Hicks is struggling with walks and loud contact. Oracle Park should help limit the damage on flyballs, and his elite velocity will lead to plenty of strikeouts. Hicks will need to prove his durability in a starting role, as a return to the bullpen will linger over him if his performance slips or an injury costs him a large chunk of the season.

Montas allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out one over 2.2 innings in Sunday's spring start against the Royals.

Montas, who shined with two perfect innings in his Cactus League debut, allowed soft contact in the first two innings but managed to prevent runs. The third inning, however, was different. The Royals scored five runs during the frame, including a pair of home runs off Montas. "I didn't really have my fastball command today. It was inconsistent," Montas told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "The difference for any pitcher is fastball command." Reds manager David Bell referred to the pitcher's tiring in the third inning as a "normal part of the build up."

Bednar (lat) is currently shut down from throwing but hopes to be back soon, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Bednar is dealing with some tightness in his right lat but seems optimistic he won't need a long-term absence. Injury optimism from players should be taken with a grain of salt, of course, and those that have already rostered Bednar in fantasy leagues might want to consider late-round insurance of Aroldis Chapman just in case.

Jarvis allowed five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning in Sunday's spring game against the Brewers.

Jarvis, who was scheduled to throw the fifth and sixth innings, but was unable to complete either frame, per Michael McDermott of SI.com. The right-hander threw 47 pitches, 29 for strikes. "You make some middle-middle mistakes, you're going to get banged around," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "Hopefully he starts to command the baseball a little bit better and work through some innings without having that pitch count climb." If Jarvis, who came up through the minors as a starter, were to make the roster, it would be as a multi-inning reliever. Through two appearances, he's allowed eight runs on seven hits and three walks over two innings.

Vanasco was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Vanasco pitched well with the Dodgers this spring, tossing three scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out two batters over three appearances. The 25-year-old will now have to wait for his next shot to return to the major-league roster, and his performance in Cactus League play certainly helps.