MLB Player News

Colome signed a one-year contract with Colorado on Saturday, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports.

Colome's 155 saves give him the coveted "proven closer" label, and he continues to find work in the ninth inning despite the fact that his career 21.7 percent strikeout rate comes in far below typical closer territory. He picked up 17 saves for the Twins last season despite a mediocre 4.15 ERA, and it would hardly be a surprise to see him eclipse that number in 2022. While Coors Field will inflate his ERA and WHIP, he only has to beat out a mediocre mix of Carlos Estevez, Daniel Bard and Robert Stephenson to earn the ninth-inning role. If you want the cheapest path to saves and don't care about getting much else from your closer, Colome could be the answer.

Sims said Saturday that he's "all clear" regarding any potential arm troubles, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Reds general manager Nick Krall said earlier in the day that Sims was behind schedule to start camp, though he didn't give a reason for the delay. An arm injury seemed like the most logical explanation, given that Sims dealt with elbow issues last year, but that's apparently not what's ailing the righty. Sims' draft stock should perhaps dip slightly until the conflicting reports are cleared up, but it still looks as though he has a real chance to open the year as the Reds' closer.

Romero (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Romero couldn't be on the injured list over the offseason, but he was always going to return to it as soon as possible, as he's out for the early part of the season while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He'll be ineligible to return before early June, though he could be out longer than that given he underwent the procedure in mid-May of last year. He could return to the big-league bullpen in the second half.

Sims is behind to start camp, though the Reds have yet to specify why, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Sims looks like the favorite to close in Cincinnati this season, as his 4.40 ERA last year came with ERA estimators that painted a far more positive picture, with SIERA (2.50) and xERA (2.51) looking the most optimistic. His 39.0 percent strikeout rate is closer material, while his 9.2 percent walk rate was only half a point worse than league average. He was limited to 47 innings by elbow troubles, however, and his readiness for Opening Day could be in doubt if it's another elbow issue that's bothering him this spring.

Santillan underwent ankle surgery during the offseason but has been throwing bullpens to begin spring training, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Santillan made his major-league debut in 2021 and recorded a 2.91 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 43.1 innings across 26 appearances (four starts). General manager Nick Krall classified Santillan's surgery as a right ankle debridement that he underwent on Oct. 29, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. It's not yet clear whether the right-hander's offseason procedure will force him to miss time early in the regular season, but the fact that he's already throwing bullpens signals that any potential absence is unlikely to be a significant one.

Gilbert (elbow) could be a frontrunner for the Diamondbacks' fifth-starter role, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

With the top four rotation spots in place, Gilbert and Dan Straily are considered the frontrunners for the final spot. Gilbert made a splash last season as a 27-year-old making his MLB debut, when he tossed a no-hitter against the Padres. He went on to post a 3.15 ERA over nine starts before elbow inflammation ended his season in September.

VerHagen signed a two-year, $5.5 million deal with the Cardinals on Friday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

VerHagen becomes the first major-league signing since the end of the lockout. The 31-year-old righty owns an unremarkable 5.11 ERA and an 18.3 percent strikeout rate in 199 innings at the MLB level, with most of his time coming in relief. The last of those innings came in 2019, as he spent the last two years pitching for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan. He looked good at that level, working as a starter and posting a 3.49 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while striking out 25.0 percent of opposing batters. It's possible he'll have the chance to compete for a spot at the back of the Cardinals' rotation, though his expected role has yet to be clarified.

General manager John Mozeliak said that getting Hicks stretched out prior to Opening Day will be a challenge, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Rather than a build-up of at least six weeks, players will be limited to just under a month between reporting to spring training and the first pitch of the regular season in 2022. As a result, that could jeopardize the Cardinals' plans to use Hicks in the rotation rather than in a bullpen role. Mozeliak did note that he had to observe where Hicks stands from an arm strength and conditioning perspective, so his exact role remains unclear for now.

Brigham made a 20-pitch appearance Thursday in a game against Nationals farmhands during the Marlins' minor-league camp, Joe Frisaro of ManOnSecondBaseball.com reports.

Frisaro notes that the outing was Brigham's first game action of any kind since July 26, 2020, when he made a one-inning appearance with the Marlins during the pandemic-shortened campaign. Since then, Brigham had been shut down with a nerve issue in his right biceps that prevented him from pitching at any level in 2021. Miami outrighted Brigham off its 40-man roster in October, but he rejoined the organization on a minor-league deal this winter and looks set to open the campaign with Triple-A Jacksonville.

Heuer's unspecified arm procedure that he underwent Monday was in fact Tommy John surgery, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Heuer announced the surgery on his personal Instagram page but didn't note exactly what the procedure was. It's now clear that he'll be unable to return until some point in 2023, likely closer to midseason. Rowan Wick seemingly has a firmer grip on the Cubs' closer job in Heuer's absence, with Brad Wieck and Manuel Rodriguez lining up as potential challengers.