MLB Player News

Floro was mentioned by manager Don Mattingly on Monday as someone he thought could handle save opportunities, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

Anthony Bass and Yimi Garcia are thought to be the favorites for late-inning work in the Miami bullpen, but Floro might pitch his way into the picture with a strong spring. The right-hander is still looking for his first career save, but he's coming off a solid 2020 campaign with the Dodgers in which he posted a 2.59 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 24.1 innings.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Williams (shoulder) is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session of spring training Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Though Williams received full medical clearance in October after a sore right shoulder prevented him from competing in the Brewers' wild-card series loss to the Dodgers, the team has been deliberately easing him into workouts in the early stages of spring training. Counsell stressed that Williams isn't dealing with any setbacks, so assuming the right-hander checks out fine in Tuesday's throwing session, he should still be able to make his 2021 debut early in the Brewers' Cactus League schedule. Williams took home NL Rookie of the Year honors after dazzling in a setup role in 2020, finishing with a microscopic 0.33 ERA to go with a 0.63 WHIP and 53:9 K:BB in 27 innings.

The Diamondbacks placed Frias on the COVID-19 injured list Monday.

Frias didn't report to the Diamondbacks' facility last week for the start of spring training while he continues to recover from COVID-19. With Arizona making his move to the IL official Monday, the transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for newly-signed infielder Asdrubal Cabrera.

Adam figures to be part of the Cubs' bullpen "core" this season, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Adam looked good in a small sample size last season, registering a 3.29 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 21 strikeouts across 13.2 innings. That audition will likely lock the 29-year-old into a setup role ahead of the likes of Rowan Wick (chest) and closer Craig Kimbrel. The latter has struggled some since arriving in Chicago, so Adam has an outside chance at closing some games depending on how things shake out.

Gott was designated for assignment by the Giants on Sunday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Gott recorded four saves for the Giants last season, but he also allowed 13 runs in 11.2 innings and posted an 8:8 K:BB. With a career 5.01 ERA in parts of six big-league seasons, he probably won't be a particularly hot commodity on the waiver wire.

Hudson (elbow) remains likely to miss the entire 2021 season, but he's holding out hope that he can make a September return, even in a relief capacity, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. "Mentally, I'm waiting on September," Hudson said. "I'm waiting and I'm doing my work, trying to hit my marks. And then I'm just trying to stay on pace to where that's an opportunity to compete at the end of the year. Be available is the ultimate goal."

The right-hander's Tommy John surgery unfolded in September 2020, making the 12-month mark the first realistic opportunity he'd have to return to live action. Hudson is set to continue his intensive rehab program during spring training and is shooting for March 15 as a date to begin playing catch. If Hudson ultimately isn't able to toe the rubber again until 2022, it won't be for lack effort; the 26-year-old is already drawing raves from manager Mike Shildt for his mindset and work ethic during the rehab process, with the Cardinals skipper noting "he's super dedicated to what he's doing, how he's doing it."

Arano's arrival at camp has been delayed by visa issues, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

A handful of players have faced similar delays as international travel remains complicated due to the coronavirus pandemic. The delay should wind up nothing more than a minor blip in a fairly long run of misfortune for the 26-year-old, who owns a career 2.65 ERA in 74.2 innings of relief at the highest level but threw just 4.2 frames in 2019 and none in 2020 while dealing with arm troubles. Arano flashed high-leverage promise before those issues began, though Atlanta will likely be happy if he merely bounces back as a serviceable middle reliever.

Heller (biceps) signed a minor-league deal with Arizona on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Heller recently passed through waivers unclaimed, so it's no surprise he had to settle for a minor-league contract. Heller owns a 2.59 ERA in 31.1 career innings at the major-league level, though that's not remotely supported by his 5.57 FIP. He threw just six major-league innings last season before ending the season on the injured list with a biceps nerve injury. It's not clear whether or not the injury is still affecting him.

Morejon is likely to spend the beginning of spring camp stretching into a starter, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Morejon split time last season between the bullpen and the rotation, though he never went longer than three innings. His high pitch count came in a postseason start against the Dodgers, when he threw 50 pitches and allowed three earned runs over two innings. Morejon has started each of his 43 minor-league appearances, however, and San Diego clearly sees him as a rotation option in the long term. The left-hander is likely to open the season in the big-league bullpen but could be in line to shift to the rotation if a need arises.

Ponce de Leon is a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation as spring training begins, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

There are several candidates for the final spot in the rotation as spring training opens, as Carlos Martinez, Alex Reyes and even Johan Oviedo are also in contention. Silver points out that if manager Mike Shildt ultimately opts to go with a more steady presence, Ponce de Leon could be the choice, considering he's performed well overall in his 20 career starts and finished 2020 with a 2.65 ERA and 12.7 K/9 in the 17 innings covering his last three trips to the mound. The 29-year-old right-hander has also proven effective as a reliever, however, so there's also the chance he's a victim of his own versatility if Shildt decides Ponce de Leon's services could be better utilized in the bullpen.