MLB Player News

Rodriguez is receiving treatment for a pinched nerve in his neck Saturday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Although Rodriguez will face a slight delay in his spring schedule due to his neck injury, he's slated to throw live batting practice Monday. It's not yet clear whether the issue will force him to miss the start of the regular season, but it's encouraging that he'll be able to throw shortly after receiving treatment.

Karinchak (shoulder) is likely to start the season on the injured list, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Karinchak was reportedly dealing with arm stiffness to begin spring training, though the injury has since been clarified as a right teres muscle strain. Regardless, he has now been shut down from throwing for an additional 7-to-10 days. Karinchak's status should only further cement Emmanuel Clase's role as Cleveland's closer.

Bender could step in as the Marlins' closer early in the season since Dylan Floro is behind schedule in camp due to arm soreness, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

Bender made his major-league debut in 2021 and posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 61.1 innings across 60 appearances (one start). The right-hander converted three of five save chances while recording 12 holds during that time. It's possible that Bender will be able to carve out ninth-inning work early in the 2022 campaign.

Floro is dealing with arm soreness and is behind schedule, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

Floro was the presumed closer in Miami after he served in the role for the final two months of the 2021 campaign. It remains unclear whether this injury will prevent Floro from being ready for Opening Day, though he has yet to appear in any spring training games. Anthony Bender figures to earn save chances if Floro begins the season on the injured list, though Anthony Bass has picked up saves in both Seattle and Toronto in recent campaigns.

Duran is a candidate to win a spot on the pitching staff to begin the season, MLB.com reports. "I wouldn't put him in a box, saying he's going down soon and that's the end of it," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We're going to keep letting him pitch and let him show us what he is right now. I think he's getting to that point in his career where he's right on the brink of helping a big league team win a lot of games."

Duran is one of Minnesota's top pitching prospects, but he threw just 16 innings last season due to elbow issues. He threw two scoreless innings in his spring debut and touched 100.4 mph with his fastball. It sounds like he's being considered for the bullpen, but the Twins do have an opening in the rotation as well.

Naughton was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Naughton was claimed off waivers from the Angels on Monday but won't get the chance to earn an Opening Day roster spot for his new team. He could return to the big-league roster to cover for an injury later in the season, but his 6.35 ERA and 12:14 K:BB in 22.2 innings last season suggests he still has some development to do if he's to become a weapon at the highest level.

Reyes (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday.

Reyes finally had a healthy season last year and finished with 29 saves and a 3.24 ERA, but he apparently won't be able to stay healthy two years in a row. He's been dealing with a shoulder issue all spring and received a stem-cell injection in mid-March. Previous reports indicated he'd be out until late May at a minimum, but he'll now be ineligible to return before early June.

Abbott was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday.

Abbott was likely always a long shot to break camp with the team after a poor debut season last year. In 17.1 innings, he stumbled to a 6.75 ERA and 12:11 K:BB.

Marte was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Marte was competing for a spot in the major-league bullpen, but it appears he'll begin the season in the minors instead. The 27-year-old right-hander has yet to make his major-league debut. He was solid with a 3.49 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 62:23 K:BB in 56.2 innings across 43 appearances with Sacramento last season, and his 3.15 FIP indicates he could have more room to grow.

Nance was activated from the COVID-19 injured list and designated for assignment Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Nance hit the COVID-19 injured list early in camp and won't have a 40-man roster spot to return to now that he's available again. As a 31-year-old with a 7.22 ERA in just 28.2 career major-league innings, he's far from a lock to get claimed off waivers.