MLB Player News

Sims (elbow) completed a side session Wednesday and plans to throw against hitters before the end of camp, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds have already confirmed the right-hander will begin the season on the injured list after dealing with elbow and back injuries over the winter, though the hope is he'll only spent the 10-day minimum on the shelf. Sims was expected to open the campaign as the favorite for save opportunities, but Art Warren, Luis Cessa and Hunter Strickland are all in the mix to close in the meantime for Cincinnati.

Floro (arm) threw a light bullpen this week and will toss another Friday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Floro is behind schedule in camp due to arm soreness, but it's encouraging to see him throwing off a mound with a week remaining until Opening Day. It's not yet clear whether the right-hander will be forced to miss time to begin the regular season, but Anthony Bender and Anthony Bass are candidates to see save opportunities if Floro is sidelined.

Wingenter was shut down from throwing with right elbow soreness Thursday and won't be ready for the start of the season, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Wingenter appears to have avoided a serious injury since an MRI came back clean, but he'll still be unavailable for Opening Day. The 27-year-old is in camp as a non-roster invitee, and it's unclear whether he'll get a chance with the big-league club once healthy.

De Leon (shoulder) was reassigned to minor-league spring training Thursday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

De Leon sustained a shoulder injury during his appearance in a spring game March 21, but he isn't dealing with any structural damage. It's not yet clear whether he'll be ready for the start of the minor-league season, but he should now report to Triple-A Buffalo.

Hicks will work as a reliever rather than a starter this season and could receive save chances with the Cardinals exploring the idea of having a bullpen free of defined roles, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

A fluid bullpen could allow Hicks, Giovanny Gallegos, Genesis Cabrera and Ryan Helsley to all receive save opportunities this season. Hicks worked as the closer in 2019 and was expected to ramp up to be a starter this season after sitting out most of the past two years with elbow issues, but the quick start to the season post-lockout will result in him instead working in relief. The flame-throwing righty could also be used over multiple innings, as manager Oliver Marmol said, "our hope is that he can be more than a one-inning guy."

Rodriguez (neck) retired both of the batters he faced Thursday in the Yankees' 5-3 loss to the Phillies in Grapefruit League play.

Rodriguez was making just his second appearance of the spring after he was idle for nearly a week due to a sore neck. The Yankees kept Rodriguez out in part because he had shown diminished velocity in his March 24 outing, but his fastball was touching 93 miles per hour Thursday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. That's only one tick below his average velocity from the 2021 season, so Rodriguez is seemingly healthy and ready to go for Opening Day.

Suero signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Wednesday.

Suero will join a new organization for the first time in his career after his 12-year run in the Nationals system came to an end in November, when he was non-tendered by Washington. The 30-year-old righty has made 185 relief appearances over parts of four seasons in the majors, but after submitting an ugly 6.33 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 42.2 innings with Washington in 2021, Suero will likely head to Triple-A Salt Lake to open the 2022 campaign.

Rogers (lower leg) allowed two runs on three hits in one-third of an inning in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Royals.

Rogers got the last out of the fifth inning after starter Anthony DeSclafani ran into trouble. It's encouraging to see Rogers back in action after he took a comebacker off the leg Saturday versus the Reds. The submarine-throwing righty posted a 2.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 55:13 K:BB across 81 innings as one of the Giants most reliable relievers last year. He added 30 holds, 13 saves, six blown saves and a 7-1 record. Rogers is expected to be part of the late-inning mix this season, though Jake McGee is considered the early favorite to close games.

Hernandez allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits and struck out four in 2.2 innings during a loss to the Giants on Wednesday.

Hernandez has gotten rocked through two spring starts, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) over 4.2 innings. That's not great for the 25-year-old, who is far from assured a spot in the rotation given the Royals' mix of established veterans and prospects competing for starting roles. Hernandez would likely need to show some improvement in his next spring start to get an edge over Jackson Kowar, though both of them could be ticketed to the bullpen or Triple-A Omaha if the Royals employ a five-man rotation. Hernandez started 11 of his 24 outings last season, posting a 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 74:41 K:BB through 85.2 innings.

Zimmermann allowed one unearned run on one hit and struck out two over three innings in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Rays. He posted zero walks.

Zimmermann has logged five innings across two spring starts, with Wednesday's being the far better of the two after his first one was delayed by a stomach bug. Manager Brandon Hyde designated John Means, Jordan Lyles and Tyler Wells as part of the Orioles' rotation to begin the 2022 campaign, leaving Zimmermann and a handful of other pitchers to compete for two spots. The 27-year-old southpaw posted a 5.04 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 56:22 K:BB across 64.1 innings in 14 appearances (13 starts) last season. At least initially, he may need to work with a piggyback reliever until he can get more fully stretched out after a condensed spring training.