MLB Player News

Graveman owns a 6.52 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and .324 BAA across 9.2 innings over eight Cactus League appearances.

The veteran right-hander snapped out of a two-appearance skid with a solid one-inning scoreless outing against the Padres on Friday, but Graveman was never able to truly hit his stride for very long this spring. The 30-year-old allowed multiple earned runs in two trips to the mound, and he was scored upon once in another appearance while also occasionally running into control issues (four walks). Graveman did post five holds last season after transitioning to the bullpen and flashed a high-90s fastball this spring, so there's certainly hope for him to eventually settle in as a possible eighth-inning option in front of closer Rafael Montero.

Montero, projected to serve as the Mariners' primary closer, has posted five consecutive clean one-inning Cactus League appearances after giving up five runs across his first two spring outings.

Montero was a late arrival to spring training due to a visa issue and was unsettled over his first pair of trips to the mound in a Mariners uniform, but he's literally been unhittable since then. He's also demonstrated pinpoint control in the form of a 5:0 K:BB across that span and certainly appears regular-season ready with the Cactus League schedule about to wrap up.

Swanson was optioned to the Mariners' alternate training site Saturday.

Swanson cruised to a 2.84 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in 6.1 spring innings, but that evidently wasn't enough to earn an Opening Day roster spot. With a career 6.58 ERA in 65.2 major-league innings, Swanson will presumably fill a low-leverage role if and when he returns to the majors.

De Leon is expected to be in the Reds' Opening Day rotation, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

De Leon probably won't last long in the rotation, as he'll likely head to the bullpen as soon as Sonny Gray (back), Michael Lorenzen (shoulder) or Tejay Antone (hip) is ready to go. He could a worthy streaming option to start the season as he'll line up to face the Pirates in his first start, but it's hard to have too much confidence in a player who owns an 8.49 ERA in 29.2 major-league innings.

Graterol will begin the 2021 season on the injured list, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Graterol has been brought along slowly this spring after an offseason that featured inconsistent throwing. The right-hander didn't appear in any Cactus League games this year and won't be ready to pitch in time for Opening Day. It's not yet clear when Graterol will be available, but he should play a high-leverage role for the Dodgers once he's built up.

Hoffman is expected to open the season as the Reds' fourth starter, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hoffman probably won't make many turns in the rotation, as it took injuries to Sonny Gray (back), Michael Lorenzen (shoulder) and Tejay Antone (hip) for him to earn a starting role. He's an interesting streaming candidate in the first week of the season, as he'll face the Pirates in his first start, but he's tough to roster in most leagues. His 6.40 ERA in 230.2 career major-league innings is poor even when accounting for the fact that he called Coors Field home.

Kelly (shoulder) will begin the 2021 season on the injured list, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Kelly dealt with a shoulder injury throughout spring training and has been progressing through his throwing program, but he'll require a stint on the injured list before he's ready to return to game action. The right-hander has yet to face live hitters this spring, and it's not clear when he'll be able to make his season debut.

Fleming recorded five strikeouts over 3.2 scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox on Friday, allowing a hit and a walk while hitting a batter.

The southpaw kept his spring ERA unblemished in another impressive outing, his fourth overall in exhibition play. Fleming now has an 8:1 K:BB and .107 BAA across 8.2 Grapefruit League frames, and although manager Kevin Cash isn't committing to any final decisions on his roster just yet, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports the 24-year-old has certainly put his best foot forward in the Rays' skipper's eyes. "He works so fast. He just attacks the zone. His stuff's good. He can really pitch," Cash said. "See how this shakes down here in the next couple days, certainly, but he's made every strong impression possible."

Sims and Amir Garrett will both be considered closers to start the season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Sims is a righty while Garrett is a lefty, which could mean Sims sees slightly more than half the save chances early on. The Reds haven't said they'll refrain from using a traditional closer all year, however, so whoever pitches better in their first few opportunities could well wind up as a true closer for most of the year.

Alzolay has beaten out Alec Mills to be the Cubs' fifth starter, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The fact that Alzolay is opening in the rotation doesn't mean he'll stick there all year, as the Cubs have talked about rotating pitchers through the final couple rotation spots to manage their innings. Still, it's a positive sign with regards to how important the team believes him to be this season. Alzolay flashed potential in 21.1 innings last season, striking out 33.3 percent of opposing batters en route to a 2.95 ERA, but he also walked batters at a 14.9 percent clip. He'll have to improve his command if he's to live up to his potential, but he's a good bet to help fantasy teams with a fair number of strikeouts even if his ERA and WHIP aren't great.