MLB Player News

Biddle was one of three players assigned to the Reds' minor-league camp Friday, along with pitcher Brandon Finnegan and catcher Rocky Gale.

Biddle was already up against it to make the team, and then he had to deal with shoulder problems at the start of spring training.

Matzek has posted a 2.25 ERA and 12:5 K:BB through eight innings this spring.

The run prevention is nice, but Matzek has had a little trouble getting the ball over the plate consistently, an issue that plagued him in the past prior to his remarkable comeback in 2020. The left-hander has the strikeout stuff to get out of jams and is still expected to fill a high-leverage role in the Atlanta bullpen to begin the season, but if he can't rein in the walks he could slip down the pecking order quickly.

Ponce de Leon, who allowed three earned runs on five hits and six walks while striking out three over 4.1 innings versus the Astros on Thursday, is on track to begin the season in the Cardinals' starting rotation, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Kwang Hyun Kim (back) is still building up to a starter's workload as camp winds down, allowing Ponce de Leon to open 2021 in the starting rotation. The 29-year-old may only receive one or two starts until Kim is fully stretched out, but a strong showing could go a long way toward creating additional opportunities. Ponce de Leon had eight starts in nine appearances with a 4.96 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 45:20 K:BB over 32.2 innings for the Cardinals in 2020.

Thompson was reassigned to minor-league camp Thursday.

Thompson hasn't pitched above High-A in formal game action, so his chances of making the big-league team were exceptionally low. He's projected to start the season at Double-A Springfield, where he'll continue develop as one of the Cardinals' top prospects.

Miller is a possibility for a rotation spot due to his strong spring performance, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Kyle Hendricks, Jake Arrieta and Zach Davies will be the team's top three starters to begin the season, and it's been assumed that Trevor Williams and Alec Mills will round out the rotation, but manager David Ross has not confirmed that notion. Miller's strong spring performance (1.00 ERA and 12 strikeouts across nine innings) has kept him in the mix for the back of the rotation. Even if Miller doesn't make the cut as a starter, he could be a versatile bullpen option.

Alzolay is a candidate to begin the regular season at the Cubs' alternate training site, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The team learned on Tuesday that it will have a fourth option year on Alzolay, meaning he can be moved to the minors or the alternate site without passing through waivers. If Alzolay starts at the alternate site, it gives the Cubs an easy way to manage the 26-year-old's innings this year. Alzolay hasn't topped 100 innings in a season since 2017, so it makes sense that the organization wants to build him up carefully. From a fantasy standpoint, Alzolay might be a more interesting option later in the season if he's been able to secure a more prominent role.

Kahnle (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Kahnle underwent Tommy John surgery last August and is likely to miss most -- if not all -- of the 2021 season. The move opens a spot on the 40-man roster for Jimmy Nelson.

Nelson was added to the team's 40-man roster Thursday.

Nelson was in camp as a non-roster invitee, but he's seemingly done enough to make the Opening Day roster. He's thrown seven innings across four appearances, surrendering no earned runs while striking out nine and walking only one. Nelson figures to pitch out of the bullpen, potentially in a multi-inning role.

Hicks was credited with his first save since June 13, 2019 in a Grapefruit League win over the Mets on Wednesday, with his velocity topping out at 100.4 mph, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Hicks worked around a leadoff walk, cruising through the next three batters in the ninth inning and lowering his spring ERA to 3.38 through four appearances. The hard-throwing right-hander has now worked an inning in back-to-back outings, but president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirmed Wednesday the team wants "to be smart" with respect to how quickly Hicks is thrown back into high-leverage situations once the regular season begins.

Holmes threw a scoreless inning against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing no hits or walks while striking out one batter.

Holmes, who was taken off the 40-man roster over the winter, has strung together eight scoreless spring outings covering 7.2 innings. The nearly 28-year-old has struggled in the majors, as he owns a 5.91 ERA and 78:59 K:BB in 77.2 innings, but he's finally healthy. Fantasy managers need not pick up Holmes right now, but he looks like a completely different pitcher so far in 2021 and will likely get a chance in the majors at some point this summer.