MLB Player News

The Diamondbacks optioned Bukauskas to Triple-A Reno on Tuesday.

Bukauskas was the most surprising of the Diamondbacks' five roster cuts Tuesday, as he appeared to be on solid ground in his bid for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The Diamondbacks are expected to continue developing Bukauskas as a reliever as he heads back to the minors, but the organization presumably wants to see how he fares in his first exposure to Triple-A hitters before considering a promotion. Bukauskas endured a rough 2019 campaign with the Diamondbacks' and Astros' Double-A affiliates, compiling a 5.44 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 92.2 innings.

The Brewers optioned Bickford to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.

Bickford's demotion clears room on the 26-man roster for infielder Travis Shaw, who was informed Tuesday that he would join Milwaukee for Opening Day. A 2015 first-round pick of the Giants, Bickford got the chance to make his big-league debut with Milwaukee last September, giving up four runs in his lone inning of relief work.

Suter (hand) is listed on the Brewers' pitching schedule for Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Once starting pitcher Josh Lindblom's day is done, Suter is expected to check into the game for his first appearance since March 8. The Brewers were just exercising some caution with Suter after he was struck in the hand by a comebacker in his previous outing. He remains on pace to be ready for Opening Day.

Suero has yet to give up a run over five Grapefruit League appearances (five innings) while posting a 9:1 K:BB.

The 29-year-old right-hander has been well ahead of the batters he's faced so far. Suero isn't expected to factor into the saves mix for the Nats this season, but after finishing second on the team in holds in 2020 while posting a strikeout rate north of 27 percent, he should be an important bridge to setup men Will Harris and Daniel Hudson.

Hicks faced only the Mets' Lucas Guillorme in the right-hander's Grapefruit League debut Sunday, engaging in a 22-pitch sequence that culminated in a walk.

Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports the at-bat took 12 minutes and included six pitches of over 100 mph. It was Hicks' first taste of official game action since June 22, 2019, and while the original plan had been to deploy him for one inning Sunday, he was removed from the contest following the walk due to his pitch count.

Kelly (shoulder) threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Monday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Kelly still hasn't been cleared to throw in a game situation, and while it's a good sign that he continues to ramp up, he still has a few more hurdles to clear, as Plunkett mentions. He is running out of time to get ready for Opening Day.

Strop has yet to pitch in a Cactus League game after being delayed by COVID-19 protocols, but he should be able to make his debut soon, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Strop had to isolate from the team after violating the league's health and safety protocols, so he's been unable to appear in a Cactus League game yet. The veteran reliever tossed a bullpen session Sunday and likely will do so again this week before getting into a game. It remains to be seen whether he'll be able to get ready for a potential Opening Day roster spot. Strop is currently a non-roster invitee, so his role is certainly not secure, though he does have some goodwill with the Cubs based on his past performance.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said that Hudson (elbow) played catch Monday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last September, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Due to the timing of his surgery, Hudson is expected to miss the entire 2021 season, but the right-hander isn't giving up hope of making a late-summer return in a relief role. The Cardinals' decision on whether to bring Hudson back this season will likely hinge not only on how he fares during the lengthy recovery process, but also on where the team stands in the playoff race in September. Hudson at least appears to be on track with his rehab, but he still has several more hurdles to clear before the idea of him pitching in games in 2021 would be seriously entertained.

Ferguson (elbow) was cleared to begin a throwing program earlier in spring training, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Ferguson is just under six months removed from Tommy John surgery, so he isn't expected to do anything more than long toss off flat ground for the duration of the spring. He could be cleared to face hitters by the end of the season, but the Dodgers are unlikely to activate him from the 60-day injured list at any point in 2021.

The Dodgers optioned Vesia to their minor-league camp Monday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Vesia, whom the Dodgers acquired in February, will likely report to Triple-A Oklahoma City or Double-A Tulsa as he begins his career with a new organization. The 24-year-old got the chance to make his MLB debut for the COVID-19-depleted Marlins in 2020, posting an 18.69 ERA over his five appearances out of the bullpen.