MLB Player News

Antone's offseason throwing program has been slowed by a right forearm injury, per MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.

The good news is the issue is not thought to be related to Antone's elbow, which required Tommy John surgery more than two years ago and gave him a lot of trouble in the aftermath. The 29-year-old reliever will be eased into action at Reds camp this spring with the hope that he might be ready to be used in high-leverage situations at some point in the early part of the 2023 season. Antone posted a 2.48 ERA with 87 strikeouts over his first 69 major-league innings over the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Adams (forearm) signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Jan. 20.

Adams elected free agency after being outrighted to Triple-A El Paso by the Padres in November. The right-hander underwent surgery to repair a tear in his right flexor tendon, and it's unknown if he'll be able to participate in spring training. When healthy, Adams could provide help for the Arizona bullpen, but the Diamondbacks will have to add him to the 40-man roster for that to happen.

Rodriguez cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday,Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Rodriguez went unclaimed after being designated for assignment on Friday. The right-hander put together a 3.29 ERA over 13.2 innings with an 8:9 K:BB in his limited time with the Cubs in 2022. He'll provide organizational depth in 2023.

Kay cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Kay was designated for assignment over the weekend and went unclaimed. In 28 MLB appearances from 2018-2022, the left-hander has posted a 5.48 ERA with a 77:38 K:BB over 70.2 innings of work. He provides some depth for the Triple-A staff in 2023.

Saucedo was designated for assignment by the Mets on Tuesday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Saucedo will serve as the Mets' roster casualty after the team officially announced the signing of Tommy Pham on Tuesday. The 29-year-old reliever spent much of last season on the injured list, though he was able to post a 2.37 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 19 Triple-A frames.

Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said Friday that Lambert (elbow) is expected to be ready to go for the start of spring training, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Between the minors and majors, Lambert has covered just 30.1 innings since the start of the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of that year. Though he dealt with related forearm and elbow issues in 2022, the 25-year-old right-hander looks to have avoided another surgery and should be ready to compete for a back-end rotation spot with the Rockies this spring. However, given that he owns a 7.48 ERA and 1.78 WHIP over 95 innings in the majors and has struggled to stay on the mound in recent years, Lambert is more likely to open the season at Triple-A Albuquerque to shake off the rust before Colorado potentially gives him another look.

Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said Friday that Rolison (shoulder) is expected to be ready to go for the start of spring training, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The 25-year-old Rolison didn't pitch in 2022 after ultimately undergoing season-ending left shoulder surgery in mid-June, but he appears to be progressing as anticipated in his rehab and recovery program and looks set to head into spring training with few restrictions, if any. Rolison should get the chance to battle for a back-end spot in the Colorado rotation this spring, but his lack of prior MLB experience in addition to the fact that he's coming off an injury means he's more likely to begin the campaign as a starter at Triple-A Albuquerque.

Smeltzer agreed to a minor-league contract with the Marlins on Tuesday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Smeltzer can earn $1 million if he cracks the MLB roster in Miami, per Alvarez-Montes. The 27-year-old left-hander served as a fairly valuable swingman for the Twins in 2022, delivering an overall 3.71 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 19 walks in 70.1 innings -- 12 starts, three relief appearances. He may have a tough time cracking the Marlins' rotation, even with Pablo Lopez gone, but there is a path for Smeltzer to log a sizable workload in a versatile role.

Suero signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Suero spent last season at Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization, posting an ugly 6.08 ERA across 20 appearances. The 31-year-old has extensive major-league experience with the Nationals but hasn't had any success in the big leagues since 2020.

Biddle signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Biddle pitched in Japan in 2022, holding a 2.83 ERA and 68:34 K:BB over 57.1 frames for the Orix Buffaloes. The 31-year-old left-hander last appeared in the majors with Atlanta in 2021 when he posted an 8.44 ERA over eight appearances. Biddle is a bat-misser but has always been held back by a lack of control.