MLB Player News

Nelson will have the final spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen to begin the 2023 season, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Joe Mantiply is headed for a season-opening stint on the 15-day IL because of shoulder fatigue, and Nelson will essentially fill the vacancy. The 26-year-old left-hander registered a strong 2.19 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over 37 innings for the Diamondbacks in 2022.

Mantiply will begin the season on the injured list with left shoulder fatigue, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

While shoulder issues are always concerning for pitchers, nothing yet suggests Mantiply is dealing with a major issue. The 2022 All Star is coming off a 2.85-ERA season and should see plenty of opportunities for holds -- and maybe even saves -- once healthy.

Vargas won the final spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports reports.

Vargas put his stamp on the job with a sharp 2.61 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10.1 innings this spring in the Cactus League. Acquired from the Guardians in November, the 23-year-old right-hander could quickly work his way up the patchwork bullpen depth chart in Arizona. He might even be a sleeper for saves.

The Pirates optioned De Los Santos to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.

De Los Santos made his MLB debut last year in Pittsburgh and showed some promise before a lat strain shut him down in August. The 25-year-old has posted stellar minor-league numbers when healthy and figures to get another shot with the Pirates in 2023.

Williams tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Monday's spring game.

After a stellar WBC showing in which he allowed just two runners to reach base over 3.1 innings, Williams rejoined the Brewers and made two appearances over the past four days. He will open the regular season as the Brewers' closer and will attempt to build on a 2022 campaign that he finished with a 1.93 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 96:30 K:BB over 60.2 innings.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday that Rainey (elbow) will continue his rehab at the team's spring training complex, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Rainey is with the Nats in D.C. ahead of Opening Day on Thursday, but he'll head back to Florida on Friday. The 30-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last August and should not be counted on for any sort of fantasy production in 2023, even if he achieves his goal of making it back before September.

Harris had his contract selected by the Nationals on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

It's a cool story, as the 29-year-old Harris will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game following eight years in the minors with four different organization. He earned the bullpen spot by allowing just one run with a 7:2 K:BB over 10 Grapefruit League innings.

Hudson (knee) returning by late April "seems doable," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com on Monday.

It looks to be a rough timetable at this point. Hudson's recovery from last June's ACL surgery has gone more slowly than anticipated, and he will remain at extended spring training at the beginning of the season. Eventually, the reliever will go out on a rehab assignment before rejoining the Dodgers' bullpen. Hudson figures to be in the mix for saves at some point, but that could be awhile.

McGough struck out two over a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in Monday's spring game against the Guardians.

McGough will be one of the options that manager Torey Lovullo uses to close games, and that the right-hander took the mound in the ninth fuels speculation he could get the first crack at being the primary closer. "I like his tempo, his rhythm, the way he stands on the mound, the carry on his fastball, the ability to throw two or three pitches at any time," Lovullo told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. "He executed very well tonight." McGough has allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out 11 over 9.1 Cactus League innings.

Garcia has a 5:5 K:BB through five innings in Cactus League play, and he has allowed two runs, one of which came on a home run.

Garcia also pitched for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, allowing one run and posting a 2:1 K:BB in 2.1 frames. The veteran reliever has struggled with his control at times in his career, though he's posted the best walk rates of his career in the past two campaigns. Garcia is expected to be one of the Padres' top setup men this season, especially with Robert Suarez (arm) and Drew Pomeranz (elbow) likely to begin the campaign on the injured list. He picked up a career-high 20 holds last season and could be impactful in fantasy leagues that count that statistic in 2023.