MLB Player News

Guzman (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to March 29.

The 25-year-old was sidelined with right elbow inflammation in early March and was unable to fully recover before the start of the season. Guzman made his big-league debut with one appearance last season and figures to join Triple-A Jacksonville for the start of the minor-league season in May once healthy.

Young (0-1) allowed two hits and a run while striking out one in 1.1 innings, recording both the loss and blown save in Thursday's 8-7 loss to San Diego.

The lefty put together a mundane spring training after posting an unremarkable 5.44 ERA in 2020 while working as both a starter and reliever. Performances like Thursday's will do Young no favors in earning more opportunities out of the bullpen. Injuries in the rotation may still push him into an occasional spot start, especially in the absence of Zac Gallen (forearm), but Young will have to make significant improvements to merit any fantasy consideration.

Nelson pitched two-thirds of an inning against Colorado on Thursday, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out one. He also uncorked two wild pitches.

Nelson was detrimentally wild in his first appearance since 2019, throwing only 15 of 28 pitches for strikes and twice watching runners cross the plate following a wild pitch. The right-hander made the Dodgers' roster in a bullpen role as the result of a strong spring, and it would be understandable if his ineffectiveness Thursday was at least partially tied to rust and nerves. He'll get more opportunities to prove he still has something left in the tank, though Nelson doesn't figure to pitch in high-leverage spots out of the gate.

Garcia allowed two runs on two walks and struck out one in one-third of an inning to earn a hold in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Mariners.

While Garcia earned a hold in his first appearance, it was anything but a smooth process. Both batters he put on base with walks came around to score after Tyler Rogers entered the game. Garcia was excellent last season with a 0.49 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 18.1 innings, but there's little chance he performs near that level. Nonetheless, he'll likely play a role in the late innings to begin 2021, although he's not expected to see many save chances.

Rogers allowed an unearned run and one hit in two-thirds of an inning, getting charged with a blown save in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Mariners.

Rogers entered the game after Jarlin Garcia worked into a jam in the eighth inning. An error by Brandon Belt allowed two runs to score, handing Rogers the blown save, although Alex Dickerson's homer in the ninth got the 30-year-old righty off the hook. It's a slightly discouraging beginning to the year for Rogers, especially considering Jake McGee worked a scoreless ninth inning in a non-save situation. There's no clear answer as to which pitcher will rise above the rest for saves in a crowded Giants bullpen, if any, but Rogers should be expected to see usage in high-leverage situations.

Brogdon (1-0) picked up the win in Thursday's season opener against Atlanta, tossing a clean 10th inning.

In an oddity that can only happen in an era where teams start with a runner on second base in extras, Brogdon only faced two batters to retire the side. He shut down a pair of very good ones however, getting Freddie Freeman on a groundout before Marcell Ozuna flew out to center fielder Roman Quinn, who threw Ozzie Albies out at home for the inning-ending double play. It's notable that it was Brogdon who was called upon for the high-leverage frame after Archie Bradley, Jose Alvarado and Hector Neris had already been used. That suggests that Brogdon is fourth in the team's hierarchy -- nowhere near save chances at the moment, but within striking distance should he pitch well to open the season while the more established names ahead of him struggle.

Alvarado allowed three baserunners (a walk, a single and a hit by pitch) but didn't allow a run in his inning of work Thursday against Atlanta, striking out three.

The outing gave Phillies fans the full Jose Alvarado experience in his first game with his new club. He struck out half the batters he faced and only allowed one out of six to make contact, but he also loaded the bases. A steady diet of both walks and strikeouts should be expected from the lefty this year, as he owns a career 28.1 percent strikeout rate and a 12.3 percent walk rate.

Garcia (0-1) allowed a solo home run to Austin Meadows in the eighth inning of Thursday's 1-0 loss to the Rays.

It was the only baserunner the right-hander gave up and he did strike out a batter, but with the Marlins' bats quiet, there was no margin for error for any Miami pitcher. Thursday's usage does at least confirm Garcia will handle a high-leverage role to begin the season, and the 30-year-old righty could be the next man up in the ninth for manager Don Mattingly if Anthony Bass falters as the team's closer.

Smith struck out the side in a perfect ninth inning during Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Phillies.

With Atlanta on the road, manager Brian Snitker elected to turn to his closer in a tie game against the top of Philadelphia's order rather than hold Smith back for a possible save situation later. The veteran southpaw responded by fanning Andrew McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper on only 14 pitches. Atlanta's bullpen depth will allow Sntiker to deploy Smith outside of closing situations on occasion, but he will be the team's primary relief weapon and should see the bulk of the save chances.

Underwood struck out the side in a perfect fourth inning during Thursday's 5-3 win over the Cubs.

Underwood holds a career 7.9 K/9 while working predominantly as a starter in the minors, but his pitches have played up as a reliever in the big leagues and he has a 11/1 K/9 in 37.1 MLB innings following Thursday's appearance. Pittsburgh currently envisions using Underwood as a multi-inning reliever. Acquired from the Cubs in early March, the 26-year-old could get a look as a starter if he continues to pitch well given the uncertainty in the Pirates' rotation.