MLB Player News

Young allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three over three scoreless innings in Monday's spring game against San Francisco.

Young, who followed starter Caleb Smith on Monday, has had a clean spring thus far, working around three hits and a walk while striking out four over five scoreless innings. "One of the things that stands out about him when he's throwing the ball very well is the cleanliness of his innings," manager Torey Lovullo said to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. "It's just pounding the zone, strike one. You look up and he's walking off, and he's thrown eight or nine pitches." Young is among a trio of pitchers -- along with Corbin Martin and Taylor Clarke -- who could either be depth starters or sneak into the rotation.

Antone threw three scoreless innings against the Rockies on Monday, striking out three with no walks while allowing two hits.

The difference between this outing and his previous spring training appearance was that Antone started this game and got to work on his pre-start routine a little more. A report Friday suggested that Michael Lorenzen is the leading candidate for the fifth starter's job, but Antone continues to make a pretty good case for the role.

Neris' role in Philadelphia's bullpen is uncertain heading into the 2021 season, Kerry Kauffman of Fansided reports.

Neris was brought back by the Phillies on a one-year deal following a disappointing 2020 campaign, accruing a 4.57 ERA and 1.71 WHIP with a 27:13 K:BB across 21.2 frames. He secured five saves and finished with three blown saves. While Neris appears to be firmly in the mix for save chances to open the year, Philadelphia's signing of Archie Bradley gives the team more options at the back end of the bullpen, as Bradley has collected 24 total saves over the last two seasons. The closer's role in Philly will be something to keep a close eye on as spring training continues.

Tapia was diagnosed with a strained right oblique Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Tapia was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in October and is in the mix for a bullpen spot, though the injury may take him out of consideration for the Opening Day roster depending on how much time he's forced to miss. He allowed one run in 4.1 innings in his big-league debut last year.

Howard has impressed in camp but isn't necessarily favored to open the season in the Phillies' rotation, Todd Zolecki reports.

Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin are locked into the top three spots, and the Phillies signed veteran starters Matt Moore and Chase Anderson to major-league deals, which suggests they're favored for the final two openings. Howard is one of the Phillies' top prospects and should be a rotation staple eventually, but he'd made just six Double-A starts prior to his big-league debut last year and didn't look good at the highest level. The impressive strikeout prowess he'd shown in the minors didn't manifest in his first six major-league starts, as he struck out a modest 20.4 percent of opposing batters en route to a 5.92 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. His fastball had previously sat in the upper 90s but averaged a comparatively modest 94.1 mph, and his conditioning didn't look great. His velocity and conditioning appear to be back this spring, but that might not be enough to keep him from opening in the bullpen or minors.

McHugh, making his first game appearance since Aug. 30, 2019 in Sunday's Grapefruit League loss to the Twins, came away encouraged despite a rough one-inning outing, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "Having a little bit of familiarity, being back on a mound where it feels comfortable to me, it meant a lot today," McHugh said. "I didn't like the results, but man, I love being out there. Physically, I felt great. From a feel standpoint, obviously, it's still getting there."

The right-hander's final line -- three earned runs allowed on three hits and a walk over one inning -- was undeniably abysmal, but McHugh was able to make a long-awaited return to the mound and got some robust work in the form of 25 pitches. The most critical takeaway for McHugh, who opted out of last season as a health precaution and while he finished his recovery from a forearm flexor strain, was that he reported feeling good physically after that workload. Manager Kevin Cash, who liked the way McHugh mixed his pitches, noted he plans to build the veteran up to three or four innings this spring "and see where it goes from there."

Kelly (shoulder) continues to progress through his throwing program but isn't a lock to be ready for Opening Day, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Kelly has been dealing with shoulder soreness since the start of camp. Previous reports indicated that the Dodgers were fairly certain he'd be ready to go when the regular season begins, but they now appear to be less confident. There haven't been suggestions that he's likely to require a lengthy stay on the injured list if he does wind up needing one, however.

Yates is expected to make his Blue Jays debut at some point later this week, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Since Yates is coming off fall surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, the Blue Jays have been proceeding slowly with the reliever this spring, but he's thus far steered clear of any setbacks in his throwing program. The right-hander has reportedly looked good in his recent bullpen and live batting practice sessions, and he should soon get the opportunity to pitch in the Grapefruit League. Toronto has yet to name a closer, but Yates' solid track record in the ninth inning coupled with his $5.5 million salary make him the favorite for the role.

Cubs manager David Ross said Strop (COVID-19 protocols) could rejoin the team for workouts as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday, Maddie Lee of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Strop was forced to begin a quarantine period Sunday after he was found to have violated MLB's COVID-19 protocols, but Ross noted Monday that the veteran reliever never tested positive for the virus himself. Assuming Strop continues to test negative over the next 48 hours, he should be cleared to return to camp. A non-roster invitee, Strop is one of several relievers vying for a spot in the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen.

Vizcaino has been able to hit 96 mph with his fastball this spring, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. "He feels strong," Mets manager Luis Rojas said Sunday. "He wants to get out there. The breaking pitches, they've looked nasty in the bullpens."

The veteran reliever hasn't pitched in a big-league game since April 2019 due to shoulder surgery and has yet to see any Grapefruit League action this spring, but if Vizcaino demonstrates he still has good stuff he has an outside chance of breaking camp in the Mets' bullpen, or at least showcasing himself for other teams. Vizcaino has exactly 50 career saves and posted a 2.53 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 110:39 K:BB over 99.2 innings since 2017.