MLB Player News

Long has allowed five runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts across 4.2 innings in three Cactus League games.

Long made a solid impression Monday versus the Athletics with a perfect inning. He's been hit by the long ball, allowing two home runs in his three appearances. The southpaw is still viewed as a starter by the Giants, but it's possible he could serve as a multi-inning reliever early in the season -- the five-man rotation is locked in but will still need to stretch out in the first few weeks.

Hernandez was diagnosed with a bruised right forearm after he exited Tuesday's Grapefruit League start against the Cardinals, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez was fortunate to avoid a more serious injury after his throwing arm was on the receiving end of a line drive off the bat of Tyler O'Neill that had an exit velocity of more than 105 miles per hour. Assuming Hernandez isn't dealing with too much soreness from the bruised arm during a scheduled bullpen session later in the week, he should still be part of the Marlins' season-opening rotation. Hernandez was tentatively lined up to start the Marlins' third game of the season Sunday in San Francisco, but he could be pushed to the back of the rotation order if manager Don Mattingly wants to give the right-hander more time to heal up.

Hernandez exited Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals after being struck on the right arm by a line drive off the bat of Tyler O'Neill, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Facing his third batter of the day, O'Neill scorched a ball up the middle at 105.4 mph that caromed off Hernandez to third baseman Brian Anderson. The pitcher was immediately evaluated by a trainer and removed from the game. Hernandez is projected for a spot at the back of the Marlins' rotation to begin the season and was having a good spring, but as yet there's no word on the severity this injury.

May walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The veteran right-hander has a spotless 0.00 ERA this spring to go along with a 5:1 K:BB, albeit in only three appearances, and he appears ready to handle a setup role for the Mets once again. Over 62.2 innings in 2021, May collected seven wins, four saves and 16 holds with a 31.2 percent strikeout rate.

Machado gave up a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless inning of relief during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 28-year-old right-hander has looked good in camp, as he hasn't given up a run in three Grapefruit League appearances with a 5:1 K:BB. Machado picked up 10 holds over 40 appearances out of the Nationals' bullpen last year, and he figures to fill a similar middle-relief role in 2022.

Washington optioned Harvey to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Harvey, a 2013 first-round draft pick, is likely one of the top arms in the Washington bullpen from a talent standpoint, but myriad injury concerns have limited him to fewer than 35 regular-season innings pitched in six of the last seven campaigns. He was tending to a triceps injury earlier this spring before being waived by the Giants and subsequently claimed by the Nationals. Harvey looks to be healthy again, but Washington may want him to get some more appearances under his belt at Triple-A before considering him as an option for the big-league bullpen. The Nationals' closer picture looks unsettled at the moment, so Harvey could factor into the mix at some point if health prevails and if he's able to make bats miss at the prolific rate he did during his brief stint with Baltimore at the tail end of the 2019 season.

Betances (shoulder) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The deal is worth $2.75 million at the MLB level and includes up to $500,000 in performance-based incentives, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Betances' 2021 season with the Mets came to an end when he underwent shoulder surgery in late June, but he'll get a chance to complete his rehab with the Dodgers organization. Where exactly the 34-year-old stands in his recovery isn't exactly clear, but the Dodgers likely wouldn't have signed if a lengthy absence was anticipated. The 34-year-old has struggled to stay healthy over the last few years, appearing in only 17 MLB games since the 2018 season. The right-hander is well removed from his prime years that resulted in four consecutive All-Star campaigns from 2014 through 2017, but the Dodgers are hopeful the organization change may help Betances rebound to some degree.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that White's chances of making the Opening Day roster are increased by the fact that the team opens the season in Colorado, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Colorado, of course, is notoriously a tough location for pitchers, and the Dodgers' starters aren't yet built up to a full workload due to the shortened spring training. Those two factors make White -- who can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen -- particularly valuable. "Mitch is ready to go. He's in a good place. He's done a lot of good things for us, and his role is sort of long relief. He's embraced that role," Roberts stated Monday. White appeared in 21 games for the Dodgers last season, posting a 3.66 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 49:17 K:BB across 46.2 innings.

Roberts will break camp as part of the big-league bullpen, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Roberts recorded a 3.00 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 54 innings of relief split across the two highest levels of the minors last season, striking out 32.6 percent of opposing batters while walking 7.7 percent. He'll presumably start off in a lower-leverage role, but if he's able to maintain something close to that level of performance, he could move closer to the back of a wide-open Cubs bullpen.

Rolison was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday with a left shoulder strain.

Rolison has been shut down from throwing for two weeks after receiving two anti-inflammatory shots in his left shoulder, and he'll now be sidelined for at least the first two months of the season. The 24-year-old has yet to make his big-league debut and is likely to pitch at Triple-A Albuquerque once healthy.