MLB Player News

Kimbrel allowed four earned runs on four hits in an inning of work in Friday's Cactus League game against Cleveland. He struck out one.

This was not the type of Cactus League debut Kimbrel was looking for coming off a 2020 season in which he posted a 5.28 ERA across 15.1 innings. The veteran closer was even worse in 2019, posting a 6.53 ERA in 20.2 innings of work. This is just one outing, of course, but if Kimbrel continues to struggle during spring training, fantasy managers won't have much confidence in him to start the year. The Cubs may also lose confidence quickly, leaving Rowan Wick (ribs) and possibly Brandon Workman as options to take over as the closer at some point.

Voth would be an option for the final spot if the Nationals open the season with a six-man rotation, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The right-hander is currently battling Joe Ross and Erick Fedde for the No. 5 job, but with Jon Lester (thyroid surgery) now questionable for Opening Day another spot could open up, and given the overall state of the team's veteran and injury-prone top of the rotation, all three could wind up getting turns in the early part of the season. The Nats also only have two scheduled off days over the first three weeks, giving them extra incentive to take it easy on the likes of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. Voth made 11 starts in 2020, but his 6.34 ERA and 1.51 WHIP over 49.2 innings limit him to being a deep-league streaming option at best even if he does break camp in the rotation.

Clarke allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out four over three innings in Friday's spring game against Cincinnati.

Clarke has made two spring appearances as a reliever but is being stretched out as a potential starter. He worked two innings in his debut and was Arizona's first pitcher to throw three innings in a game. His flexibility could result in him being used as a starter and as a multi-inning reliever.

Reyes fired two perfect innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Astros on Thursday, recording three strikeouts.

Reyes' second dominant outing in as many spring appearances came as his fellow competitor for the No. 5 starter role, Carlos Martinez, struggled badly to open the contest. Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports that Reyes remains receptive to any role he ultimately is assigned. "I would love to start," the right-hander said after Thursday's game. "That's what I've done as a minor leaguer, that's what I've done my whole career. Pitching in the bullpen is also fun. Our organization, we're blessed with so many talented guys, that's the fun part about spring training -- coming out here and competing. However it ends up, it ends up; all I want to do is be on that roster."

Kelly (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Friday and is progressing through his throwing program, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Kelly has started slowly this spring due to a bout of soreness and an unspecified illness, but he appears to be working his way back in shape. The Dodgers expect the right-hander to be ready for Opening Day, and he figures to be a key cog in the team's bullpen as long as he stays healthy.

Jansen won't appear in a game for at least a few days after he felt uncomfortable with his mechanics during a live batting practice session Thursday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Jansen looked great in his spring debut Monday, retiring all three batters he faced -- two by strikeout -- on only nine pitches. There's no indication that the right-hander's issues while throwing to teammates Thursday has anything to do with an injury, so it sounds like the team is simply giving Jansen a few days to get right before he returns to game action. Though his numbers have fallen a bit over the past few seasons, he'll enter the campaign as the Dodgers' Opening Day closer once again.

Graterol is on track to throw off a mound for the first time this spring within the next few days, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Manager Dave Roberts explained Friday that Graterol wasn't able to pitch regularly in Venezuela over the winter, which explains why the Dodgers have held him back in his throwing program thus far. Graterol is expected to play a key high-leverage role in the team's bullpen this season, so the hope is that he'll still have time to properly ramp up before Opening Day.

Kimbrel will likely make his Cactus League debut Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs have ramped up Kimbrel and Jake Arrieta slowly during camp, as both have yet to appear in a Cactus League game. The team is being cautious with its veteran closer in hopes of keeping him fresh for the upcoming 162-game slate. Kimbrel has been up and down since coming to Chicago, but he finished 2020 on a high note (13:0 K:BB, 0.00 ERA and 0.41 WHIP over 7.1 innings in September), so there could be some reason for optimism. That said, Kimbrel's overall struggles over the past few seasons make him a somewhat risky fantasy selection.

Nelson worked effectively with his fastball and slider Thursday against the Cubs, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Nelson was sitting between 94 and 96 miles per hour with his fastball and also generated at least one whiff with his slider. After missing the entire 2020 campaign while recovering from back surgery, Nelson is back to full health and has a chance to win the fifth slot in the Dodgers' rotation. While it doesn't seem likely that Nelson will be able to hold a rotation spot all season long due to the team's depth, it's nevertheless a positive that he's been relatively sharp early on this spring.

Guerra was diagnosed with a Grade 1 UCL sprain Thursday and will be sidelined 2-to-4 weeks as a result, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Guerra missed the end of the 2020 season for personal reasons, and he could be sidelined to begin the 2021 campaign due to his elbow injury. While the right-hander could begin throwing prior to Opening Day, he'll likely require time to build back up before he's cleared to return to game action. Guerra made 14 relief appearances for San Diego last year and posted a 10.13 ERA and 2.25 WHIP over 13.1 innings.