MLB Player News

Gsellman has been informed that he'll make the Opening Day roster, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Gsellman made five relief appearances for the Mets this spring and posted a 5.63 ERA and 2.00 WHIP. While his performance during Grapefruit League play was enough to break camp with the team, the right-hander is unlikely to pitch in many high-leverage situations in 2021 after he allowed 15 runs in 14 innings last season.

Vizcaino (elbow) was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday.

Vizcaino returned to the mound Sunday after battling elbow soreness over the past week, and he allowed no hits and one walk while striking out one in one scoreless inning. However, the right-hander will be sent to minor-league camp ahead of the regular season and won't break camp with the Mets after he made just two relief appearances this spring.

The Cardinals placed Hudson (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Sunday.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in late September of last season, Hudson is projected to miss the entire 2021 campaign while he completes the arduous rehab process. Though he'll be on the 10-day IL to open the season, Hudson will likely be shifted to the 60-day IL as soon as the Cardinals need to open up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Clarke is slated to begin the season in the bullpen after manager Torey Lovullo announced Sunday that Taylor Widener will open the year in the rotation as a replacement for Zac Gallen (forearm), Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Clarke's expected middle-inning/mop-up role out of the bullpen will limit his fantasy appeal, but he should be the next man up for a rotation spot if Widener falters or if one of the Diamondbacks' current starters misses time. The 27-year-old has made 17 starts for Arizona between the past two seasons, turning in a 5.67 ERA across 87.1 innings.

Medina is viewed as one of the Phillies' top options for rotation depth, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Medina was one of the Phillies' top pitching prospects in the not too distant past, but his stock took a significant hit after a poor season at the Double-A level in 2019 in which he struggled to a 4.94 ERA while striking out just 17.5 percent of opposing batters. He made his major-league debut with a single spot start last season but will begin this year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Vince Velasquez will begin the year in the big-league bullpen and will be the primary option for a spot start, but Medina could be right behind him, as Spencer Howard (back) is expected to work in a multi-inning relief role early in the year once he gets healthy.

Howard (back) is still viewed as a starter long-term, but the Phillies intend to use him in a hybrid role this season when he returns to the big leagues, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Back troubles prevented Howard from pushing for an Opening Day rotation role, though they aren't considered a long-term issue. Howard will open the year in the minors due to his lost buildup time this spring, but he could be back in the big leagues before too long. Rather than keep him stretched out at Triple-A, however, the Phillies intend for him to rejoin the big-league squad and pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen or potentially make short starts of no more than two or three innings. It's possible Howard will be a true starter by the end of the year, but the Phillies don't want to use up too many of his innings too early in the season.

Alvarado will be the only left-hander in the Phillies' Opening Day bullpen after JoJo Romero was optioned Sunday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Alvarado pitched himself into the closer mix alongside Hector Neris and Archie Bradley this spring, showing significantly improved conditioning and triple-digit heat. As the lone lefty in that trio, Alvarado would figure to earn save chances when opposing left-handers are due up in the ninth inning should the Phillies adopt a committee approach, but manager Joe Girardi has expressed a preference for a traditional closer. It may be tough for Girardi to give Alvarado the role, as that would leave him without any southpaws to deploy prior to the ninth inning.

The Diamondbacks reassigned Mantiply to their minor-league camp Sunday.

Mantiply was among Arizona's final five cuts as the team trims down its roster to 26 before Opening Day. The 30-year-old impressed this spring with a 1.23 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 7.1 innings, but he's been equally uninspiring over a similarly small sample of regular-season action in the majors. Over 10 career MLB appearances, Mantiply has posted a 13.50 ERA and 2.63 WHIP across eight innings.

Boxberger re-signed Sunday with the Brewers on a minor-league contract.

Milwaukee released Boxberger earlier in the weekend after he was informed he wouldn't break camp with the big club, but he seemingly has renewed hope of making the Opening Day bullpen after reliever Justin Topa experienced elbow discomfort during his appearance in a "B" game Saturday. With manager Craig Counsell confirming that Topa would begin the season on the injured list, Boxberger would be a logical candidate to join the active roster if the Brewers decide to fill Topa's spot with another reliever.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Topa will open the season on the injured list after experiencing elbow discomfort during his appearance Saturday in a "B" game, Sophia Minnaert of Fox Sports Wisconsin reports.

Milwaukee is still awaiting the results of Topa's MRI before providing an updated timeline on his return, but given the nature of his injury, the right-hander seems likely to spend more than the minimum 10 days on the IL. The Brewers had been hoping the hard-throwing Topa -- who logged a 2.35 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and struck out 12 over 7.1 innings as a rookie in 2020 -- would fill a key role out of the bullpen to begin the season.