MLB Player News

Dominguez is focusing on his mindset this spring in an effort to stop overthinking as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Dominguez's ERA rose from 3.00 in 2022 to 3.78 in 2023, with his 4.90 xFIP suggesting that things could easily have been a good deal worse. Of particular concern is Dominguez's strikeout rate, which dropped from 29.5 percent to 21.4 percent. Per Coffey's report, the righty isn't overhauling his delivery or pitch mix this winter, instead focusing on, "trying to manage his delivery less now, rather than thinking about it when he's halfway down the mound." Whether or not that helps Dominguez get back to peak form, something which is needed if he's to carve out save chances in a deep Phillies bullpen, remains to be seen.

Manager Derek Shelton said Sunday that Bednar is dealing with right lat tightness, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander apparently felt the tightness while throwing recently and is now being monitored by the training staff. It remains to be seen if the issue will affect Bednar's availability for the start of the regular season, but for now he should be considered day-to-day.

Helsley has allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three over two innings across two Grapefruit League appearances.

Helsley enters 2024 with a tentative grasp on the closing role in St. Louis. A forearm injury derailed his 2023, though he was solid with 14 saves and a 2.45 ERA over 36.2 innings last season. The Cardinals have retooled their bullpen a bit, but Helsley should remain the favorite for saves to begin the campaign.

O'Brien has allowed three hits and struck out two without walking a batter over three scoreless innings in Grapefruit League play.

O'Brien was acquired in a trade with the Mariners in November and added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster. So far, he's making a good case for a bullpen spot in 2024. Last season was his first good one at the Triple-A level -- he had a 2.29 ERA and saved 15 games for Triple-A Tacoma, but it remains to be seen how he'll adjust to major-league hitters in a larger sample.

Moreta was removed from Sunday's spring game against the Orioles due to an apparent elbow injury, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander averaged just under 90 mph on his fastball Sunday, which is significantly down from his 95.2-mph average last season. The specifics of the situation remain unclear, but Moreta was seen shaking his arm as he exited the field.

Rogers has allowed four unearned runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings in Cactus League play.

Rogers is a two-time 30-save man, but he'll have a tough time leapfrogging Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers in the late-inning mix. The left-handed Rogers had a 3.83 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 64:25 K:BB over 51.2 innings last season, adding two saves and 12 holds. He could still see the occasional save chance, but he struggled mightily versus right-handed hitters last season, so his usage could end up being more situational than his fellow late-inning relievers.

Rogers has hit a batter, allowed one hit and struck out one over two scoreless innings in Cactus League play.

Rogers is set to resume his role as a setup man in 2024. He's recorded 85 holds and 18 saves over the last four seasons. Rogers had a 3.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 60:19 K:BB over 74 innings in 2023 as one of the Giants' most-used relievers. The submariner doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he rarely gives up hard contact. Pitching at Oracle Park half the time will usually help to keep the ball in the yard on the rare occasions opposing hitters can square one up.

Doval has allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three over two scoreless innings in Cactus League play.

The Giants did some minor retooling in the bullpen, but not to a level that would threaten Doval's job security as closer. He had 39 saves in 47 chances last season while pitching to a 2.93 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 87:26 K:BB over 67.2 innings. Doval will be supported by Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers primarily in the late innings, while Amir Garrett could also be a factor if he finds consistency with the Giants, though he is on a minor-league deal this spring.

Lamet (visa issues) is scheduled to pitch in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Lamet was a late arrival to spring training due to visa issues, but he's now in camp and will make his Cactus League debut Sunday. The 31-year-old had an 11.71 ERA in 17 appearances (four starts) between the Red Sox and Rockies last season, and he'll need an impressive showing during spring training to have a chance of making the Dodgers' roster.

Rodriguez (shoulder) has made three Cactus League appearances for the Diamondbacks, covering 2.1 innings while striking out one and allowing two earned runs on three hits and zero walks.

Though Rodriguez's results haven't been anything to get excited about, the 25-year-old is likely just happy to be back on the mound and seemingly facing no restrictions after a slew of injuries limited him to just 62 combined regular-season innings between the majors and minors dating back to the start of the 2018 season. Rodriguez was once a well-regarded prospect in the Angels organization, but the Angels opted to drop him from the 40-man roster in October, shortly after he experienced another setback with his surgically repaired shoulder. The Diamondbacks put in a waiver claim for him but later outrighted him to Triple-A Reno, where Rodriguez will presumably open the 2024 campaign.