MLB Player News

Howard was scheduled to throw two innings Monday against the Yankees but was scratched due to back spasms, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Howard had been looking good this spring, with his velocity and conditioning both in a better place than they were during his disappointing rookie season, but he already appeared likely to open the year in the bullpen or minors due to the offseason acquisitions of Matt Moore and Chase Anderson. While the back issue doesn't appear to be a particularly serious one, it could keep him off the Opening Day roster given that his spot already appeared precarious to begin with. Even if he fails to crack the rotation to start the year, however, he should be one of the top options to step into a starting role when someone ahead of him gets hurt, so he could certainly still earn a fair number of starts at some point this year.

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

Uceta will likely open the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. His last minor-league action came in 2019 at Double-A Tulsa, with whom he logged a 3.21 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 76:33 K:BB across 73 innings.

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

Jackson will likely open the season at Double-A Tulsa. During his last minor-league season in 2019, he split time between High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Low-A Great Lakes, logging a 3.06 ERA and a 141:57 K:BB in 114.2 innings across the two stops.

The Cubs optioned Thompson to Triple-A Iowa on Monday.

Thompson's demotion leaves the Cubs with 47 players still left in big-league camp as the club looks to pare down its active roster to 26 men ahead of Opening Day. The 26-year-old right-hander will get his first taste of Triple-A in 2021 after he previously made 14 starts for Double-A Tennessee between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

The Giants reassigned Jackson to their minor-league camp Monday.

Of the 17 non-roster invitees the Giants cut from big-league camp, Jackson was one of only three who had logged prior service time in the majors. Jackson showed an ability to make bats miss over his 28 appearances with the Brewers in 2019 (13.9 K/9 in 30.1 innings), but poor command and control likely prevented him from getting a look in the big leagues in 2020, when he was a member of the Reds organization.

The Giants optioned Menez to their minor-league camp Monday.

Menez delivered some strong peripherals (2.38 ERA, 0.97 WHIP) in a limited sample of seven appearances out of the San Francisco bullpen last season, but an unsustainable .138 BABIP had a big hand in his success. Since Menez still has options remaining and his command and control could use some sharpening, the Giants will likely assign him to Triple-A Sacramento, where he should work as a starter.

The Giants optioned Santos to their minor-league camp Monday.

Santos has yet to pitch above the Low-A level, so he likely wasn't a serious candidate to break camp with the Giants. After losing a year of development time due to the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, Santos will likely begin the upcoming campaign at High-A Eugene or Double-A Richmond.

The Giants optioned Doval to their minor-league camp Monday.

Doval has yet to pitch above the High-A level, so he likely wasn't a serious candidate to break camp with the Giants. After losing a year of development time due to the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season, Doval will likely begin the upcoming campaign at Double-A Richmond.

Guzman (elbow) is expected to begin a throwing program later this week, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Guzman was shut down last week due to right elbow inflammation, but the 25-year-old doesn't look like he'll be in store for a lengthy absence. Since he'll still need at least a couple weeks to work his way through a throwing progression before being ready to face hitters, Guzman shouldn't be expected to make any further appearances during the Marlins' Grapefruit League schedule. He looks on track to be healthy in time for the start of Triple-A Jacksonville's season in May, however.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Floro (undisclosed) would be available out of the bullpen for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Floro looks poised to make his spring debut after the Marlins delayed his entry into the pitching schedule while he dealt with some soreness earlier in camp. After mostly working in middle innings as a member of a deep Dodgers bullpen in 2020, Floro is expected to pitch in more high-leverage situations for a Marlins squad lacking in established relief options. He could even factor into the mix for saves, though Anthony Bass is probably the most likely candidate to open the season as the Marlins' primary closer.