MLB Player News

Castano will get the start in the Marlins' Grapefruit League opener Sunday against the Astros, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw isn't thought to be a candidate for a rotation job for the beginning of the regular season, but Castano is firmly in the mix for a long-relief or swingman role out of the bullpen. The 26-year-old posted a superficially strong 3.03 ERA over 29.2 innings last year in his big-league debut, but his 12:11 K:BB and 4.80 FIP offer a better reflection of his likely upside.

Betances' fastbabll was sitting in the low 90s during Friday's live batting practice session, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander typically takes a while to ramp up his velocity -- last year at this time he was topping out at 86 mph, before eventually averaging 93.6 mph during the abbreviated regular season -- so this is an encouraging start to the spring for Betances. The 32-year-old has yet to rediscover the heat he flashed in his Yankees heyday prior to an injury-riddled 2019, but a return to something close to that form would provide a big boost to a Mets bullpen that will be missing Seth Lugo (elbow) to begin the campaign.

Sims (elbow) threw for the first time in camp Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Sims has had a delayed start to spring training due to some right elbow tightness. Although he was shut down for several days early in camp, he said that he'll be ready for the regular season. His brief absence could hinder his chances to begin the season as the team's closer, but he should still have time to prepare for Opening Day as long as he doesn't face any setbacks.

Morejon will start San Diego's first Cactus League game Sunday against Seattle, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Though Morejon doesn't currently project to be among San Diego's top five starters, the team has decided to stretch him out to start during camp. There's a decent likelihood the Padres will use a six-man rotation to kick off the campaign, and Morejon would be a top candidate to start games in that scenario. As such, his performance during spring training could set up his opportunities in 2021.

Beede (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It's not clear when exactly Beede is expected to return from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in March of last year, but this transaction makes it clear that he'll remain out for the beginning of the upcoming campaign. The move clears a space on the 40-man roster for the Giants to add Jordan Humphreys, who was claimed off waivers in a corresponding move.

Gott cleared waivers Friday and was outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Gott allowed 13 runs in 11.2 innings last season and owns a career 5.01 ERA, so it's no surprise to see him pass through waivers unclaimed. He'll remain an organizational depth option for the Giants going forward.

Hand appears to be the Nationals' closer but may not be fully locked into the job, with manager Dave Martinez merely saying Friday, "In a perfect world, he'll be our closer," Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

It's possible all it takes to qualify as a "perfect world" in Martinez's mind is that Hand remains healthy this spring, something that shouldn't be too difficult given that he hasn't hit the injured list since 2014. If that's all the manager meant, there's little reason to worry here, but it's nevertheless strange to see Hand given less than a full endorsement. He sure looks like the closer after saving 103 games over the last four years while posting a 2.61 ERA, so there's probably not much reason to worry unless the Nationals continue to refer to him in somewhat ambiguous terms.

Frias (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Friday.

The 22-year-old was unable to report to spring training at the start of camp after testing positive for the virus, but he's been cleared to join the team. Frias didn't end up missing significant time, so he shouldn't have any issues being ready for the start of the regular season.

Weathers threw two innings in a simulated game Thursday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Weathers continued his work to stretch out as a starter this spring while pitching against Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado and Tommy Pham. He reportedly generated several swings and misses without allowing any hard contact. Weathers isn't likely to start the season in the Padres' rotation, though it can reasonably be expected that he will make a significant impact with the club during the regular season.

Adams is fully recovered from ACL surgery and healthy for the 2021 season, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Adams was acquired from the Mariners to bolster the Padres' bullpen just prior to the trade deadline last season. He wasn't particularly effective in the short stint with his new club, but disclosed that he was still getting back to full strength after recovering from ACL surgery. Reports to this point in camp suggest that his velocity has returned and his command has been sharp. Though not likely to factor into the saves picture, Adams could occupy a high-leverage role in the Padres' bullpen.