MLB Player News

Brazoban (personal) threw his first bullpen session in Marlins camp Thursday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Brazoban had a delayed arrival to spring training because of visa issues, but those were cleared up this past Tuesday and he said he felt "a lot closer than I thought I was going to feel" during his first official workout with the team. The 33-year-old should be ready to fill a long-relief role for Miami come Opening Day.

Matzek (elbow) is recovering from a bulging disc in his back, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The bulging disc is in addition to his ongoing recovery from Tommy John surgery. Matzek underwent the reconstructive elbow procedure in October and will miss the entire 2023 campaign. He should be fully recovered from both issues come the start of spring training in 2024.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Thursday that Hudson (knee/ankle) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Hudson has advanced to full-intensity bullpen sessions, but the Dodgers will continue to slow play his recovery from surgery last June to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered a minor setback last month in the form of right ankle tendinitis, though that now seems to be in the rearview. The veteran reliever should be an option for Los Angeles by mid-April if there are no further road blocks.

Gilbreath (elbow) said Thursday that he will likely require Tommy John surgery, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Gilbreath is still seeking more opinions on his left elbow, but the writing is probably on the wall for him to go under the knife. He missed time down the stretch in 2022 due to what was diagnosed as a flexor strain, then aggravated the injury when he began mound work this spring at Rockies camp. If the 26-year-old has surgery, he would miss the entire 2023 campaign as well as the start of next season.

Nelson allowed two walks and one hit without retiring any batters in a Cactus League contest against Texas on Wednesday.

Nelson missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, so it's no surprise that he was rusty in his first spring outing. The right-hander is attempting to win a spot in the Dodgers' bullpen to enter the campaign after re-signing with the club on a one-year contract in mid-February. Manager Dave Roberts indicated after Nelson's outing Wednesday that he's not concerned about the veteran hurler, suggesting that the rainy weather and poor mound condition may have prevented him from getting comfortable, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

Gibaut has struck out all six batters he's faced this spring, including the three he faced Wednesday against the A's.

Gibaut joined the Reds last year as a waiver claim from the Dodgers, who had previously claimed him from the Guardians. He mostly worked in low-leverage roles while appearing in 33 games with the Reds, striking out 48 batters in 34.2 innings, albeit with 18 walks and 38 hits allowed.

Bard was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League appearance against the Royals due to a small cut on his right thumb, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Bard struggled in the appearance, walking a pair while recording just one out. It doesn't sound like the laceration on his thumb is much of a concern, though. "It's early. He's still getting into shape. He's gotta get in shape a little bit sooner for the WBC. But he'll be fine," manager Bud Black said. Bard is due to leave to pitch for Team USA in the WBC in about a week and Black surely would like his closer to get in another Cactus League appearance or two before then.

Waites (lat) resumed a throwing program Wednesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Waites has been on the shelf all camp due to a right lat strain he suffered prior to the start of spring training. He's evidently made some nice progress of late, although he may be hard-pressed to be ready for Opening Day.

Anderson (foot) is scheduled to appear in relief in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Anderson ended the 2022 season on the 60-day injured list while he recovered from a bout with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, but after being cut loose by the Rays and then joining Atlanta on a one-year deal in November, he's seemingly back to full health at spring training. The right-hander will still have to perform well Wednesday and in his subsequent Grapefruit League appearances to lock down a spot in Atlanta's Opening Day bullpen, but when healthy, Anderson has shown the ability to be a dominant reliever. He was a notable performer during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign in particular, logging a 0.55 ERA, 0.49 WHIP and 26:3 K:BB in 16.1 innings for Tampa Bay that season.

Soto remained absent from Phillies camp Tuesday due to ongoing visa issues, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It's a pretty safe bet at this point that Soto is not going to be allowed to suit up for Team Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Even if he arrived at the Phillies' complex Wednesday, he'd have less than a week there before having to depart. The 28-year-old reliever was acquired via trade from the Tigers in January.