MLB Player News

Alvarado has not made an appearance this spring due to "a little neck issue," manager Joe Girardi revealed on Saturday.

Alvarado was shut down from throwing for three days beginning Thursday as he looks to recover from the issue. The reliever hopes to be ready for the start of the season, but may be delayed if the issue lingers.

Kahnle (elbow) threw live batting practice Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Saturday's session was Kahnle's first live batting practice since he underwent Tommy John surgery back in August of 2020. He's being brought along carefully this spring and isn't considered likely to make the Opening Day roster, but he doesn't appear to be too far behind. The 32-year-old righty should have the chance to carve out at least a middle-relief role once fully healthy, as he owns a 3.82 ERA and a 29.3 percent strikeout rate in 277.2 career major-league innings.

Rogers left his spring outing Saturday against the Reds after getting hit by a comebacker, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Rogers took a hard hit in his lower right leg from a one-hopper off the bat of Joey Votto and exited with a team trainer. If he suffered nothing worse than a bruise, he should still have time to get up to speed by Opening Day, but a more serious issue could send him to the injured list.

Antone (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Antone underwent Tommy John surgery in late August and is expected to miss most or all of the 2022 campaign, so his placement on the 60-day IL isn't surprising. The move clears space on the 40-man roster for Tommy Pham, who officially signed a one-year contract with Cincinnati on Saturday.

Bender could step in as the Marlins' closer early in the season since Dylan Floro is behind schedule in camp due to arm soreness, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

Bender made his major-league debut in 2021 and posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 61.1 innings across 60 appearances (one start). The right-hander converted three of five save chances while recording 12 holds during that time. It's possible that Bender will be able to carve out ninth-inning work early in the 2022 campaign.

Floro is dealing with arm soreness and is behind schedule, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

Floro was the presumed closer in Miami after he served in the role for the final two months of the 2021 campaign. It remains unclear whether this injury will prevent Floro from being ready for Opening Day, though he has yet to appear in any spring training games. Anthony Bender figures to earn save chances if Floro begins the season on the injured list, though Anthony Bass has picked up saves in both Seattle and Toronto in recent campaigns.

Naughton was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Naughton was claimed off waivers from the Angels on Monday but won't get the chance to earn an Opening Day roster spot for his new team. He could return to the big-league roster to cover for an injury later in the season, but his 6.35 ERA and 12:14 K:BB in 22.2 innings last season suggests he still has some development to do if he's to become a weapon at the highest level.

Reyes (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday.

Reyes finally had a healthy season last year and finished with 29 saves and a 3.24 ERA, but he apparently won't be able to stay healthy two years in a row. He's been dealing with a shoulder issue all spring and received a stem-cell injection in mid-March. Previous reports indicated he'd be out until late May at a minimum, but he'll now be ineligible to return before early June.

Abbott was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday.

Abbott was likely always a long shot to break camp with the team after a poor debut season last year. In 17.1 innings, he stumbled to a 6.75 ERA and 12:11 K:BB.

Marte was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Marte was competing for a spot in the major-league bullpen, but it appears he'll begin the season in the minors instead. The 27-year-old right-hander has yet to make his major-league debut. He was solid with a 3.49 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 62:23 K:BB in 56.2 innings across 43 appearances with Sacramento last season, and his 3.15 FIP indicates he could have more room to grow.