MLB Player News

Beck will start the Giants' Cactus League opener Saturday against the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Sam Long will follow him and is expected to work two frames. Beck, 26, posted an underwhelming 5.25 ERA in 111.1 innings last season between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. He has yet to make his MLB debut and will enter the 2023 campaign as emergency depth for San Francisco.

Gallegos is working on adjusting to MLB's new pitch timer, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Gallegos had one of the slowest paces in all of baseball in 2022, but the new rules for the 2023 season will force him to adjust. "It's hard for me. It's a new experience and a big challenge for me," Gallegos said. "I am trying to make some adjustments about the timing, but it's a big change." The 31-year-old reliever has often worked in a high-leverage role for the Cardinals, and he figures to fill a similar spot in the bullpen this year, as long as the pace-of-play changes don't have negative impact on his effectiveness. Ryan Helsley still figures to see the majority of the save chances.

Hudson (knee/ankle) threw another bullpen session Thursday in Dodgers camp, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Hudson required surgery last June to repair a torn ACL in his left knee and then came down with some right ankle tendinitis earlier this month, but he would appear to be trending in a positive direction now. The veteran reliever figures to begin appearing in Cactus League games within the first week or two of March. And if there are no further setbacks, he should begin the season in the mix for saves since the Dodgers don't have a clear-cut closer.

Jackson (elbow) threw his third bullpen session of the spring Wednesday, Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Jackson is almost 11 months removed from Tommy John surgery and seems to be trending well in his recovery. As long as there are no setbacks along the way, the 31-year-old right-hander should be an option for the Giants' bullpen around late May or early June. He inked a two-year, $11.5 million deal with San Francisco in January.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker indicated Wednesday he doesn't plan on using a traditional closer and will instead play matchups with Scott and the team's other high-leverage options, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports. "Our best guys are going to be against their best hitters," Schumaker said.

The veteran lefty led the Marlins with 20 saves last season, but control issues cost Scott the closing job down the stretch and allowed Dylan Floro to reclaim the ninth-inning role. Those two, along with newcomers Matt Barnes and A.J. Puk, figure to be in the mix for late-inning work, with Steven Okert (triceps) and JT Chargois potentially options as well. Given the sheer number of viable arms at the manager's disposal, there may not end up being one consistent save source on the Marlins this season, but plenty of fantasy value in formats that count holds as well.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker indicated Wednesday he doesn't plan on using a traditional closer and will instead play matchups with Puk and the team's other high-leverage options, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports. "Our best guys are going to be against their best hitters," Schumaker said.

The 27-year-old southpaw had a breakout season in relief for Oakland last season, collecting 20 holds and four saves with a 27.0 percent strikeout rate, and it appears as though Puk will have a similar role in Miami. Holdovers Dylan Floro and Tanner Scott, as well as fellow offseason addition Matt Barnes, also figure to be in the mix for late-inning work, with Steven Okert (triceps) and JT Chargois potentially options as well. Given the sheer number of viable arms at the manager's disposal, there may not end up being one consistent save source on the Marlins this season, but plenty of fantasy value in formats that count holds as well.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker indicated Wednesday he doesn't plan on using a traditional closer and will instead play matchups with Barnes and the team's other high-leverage options, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports. "Our best guys are going to be against their best hitters," Schumaker said.

The 32-year-old right-hander is coming off a shaky season in Boston, but Barnes racked up 24 saves for the Red Sox in 2021. He also piled up 90 holds over a four-year stretch earlier in his career. Dylan Floro, Tanner Scott and fellow offseason addition A.J. Puk also figure to be in the mix for late-inning work in Miami, with Steven Okert (triceps) and JT Chargois potentially options as well. Given the sheer number of viable arms at the manager's disposal, there may not end up being one consistent save source on the Marlins this season, but plenty of fantasy value in formats that count holds as well.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker indicated Wednesday he doesn't plan on using a traditional closer and will instead play matchups with Floro and the team's other high-leverage options, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports. "Our best guys are going to be against their best hitters," Schumaker said.

Floro has 25 saves over the last two seasons for the Marlins but also 16 holds, and it doesn't sound like that ratio will change all that much with Schumaker at the helm. Tanner Scott, who had 20 saves in 2022 for Miami, and offseason additions A.J. Puk and Matt Barnes also figure to be in the mix for late-inning work, with Steven Okert (triceps) and JT Chargois potentially options as well. Given the sheer number of viable arms at the manager's disposal, there may not end up being one consistent save source on the Marlins this season, but plenty of fantasy value in formats that count holds as well.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson suggested Wednesday that Soto (visa issues) might have to be pulled out of the World Baseball Classic, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Soto is currently part of the projected bullpen mix for Team Dominican Republic, but he has yet to report to Phillies camp in Florida due to visa complications. "At some point he's got to get into some [Grapefruit League] games before he goes to the WBC or else you're putting him at risk," Thomson said. The 28-year-old reliever was acquired from the Tigers in January and is expected to operate in a high-leverage role this season for the reigning NL champs.

Yates (elbow) threw his first live batting practice session of spring training Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Yates made his return from March 2021 Tommy John surgery in August last season, but he stayed healthy for about a month before succumbing to inflammation in his surgically repaired elbow. Fortunately for Yates, the long offseason provided ample time for him to overcome the setback, and he reported to spring training without any restrictions. Yates is only four years removed from a season in which he was arguably the game's top reliever, but now that he's in his mid-thirties and has just 15 relief appearances at the big-league level under his belt since that banner 2019 campaign with the Padres, Atlanta is simply hoping that he can serve as a dependable setup option in front of closer Raisel Iglesias.