MLB Player News

White is dealing with soreness and is not ready to throw bullpen sessions yet, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Manager Dave Roberts didn't give any specifics as to the location or severity of White's soreness. White made his big-league debut in 2020, throwing three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He figures to start the season in the minors, but will likely pitch at the big-league level as bullpen depth throughout the campaign.

Manager Dave Roberts stated that Kelly is not yet ready to throw bullpen sessions due to soreness, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Roberts didn't give any specific details related to the soreness, but instead said that Kelly is "still coming back" and "not quite there yet." Given the timing of the issue, it doesn't appear that there should be any concern for Kelly's status to start the regular season. While Kenley Jansen will start the season locked in the closer role, Kelly should fill high a high-leverage role in the Dodgers' bullpen.

Jansen is expected to serve as the Dodgers' Opening Day closer in 2021, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Jansen struggled during the postseason in 2020 and lost out on some save chances as a result, but manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that he expects the right-hander to begin the season as the team's closer. Jansen converted on 11 of his 13 chances and recorded a 3.33 ERA and 33:9 K:BB over 24.1 innings in 2020. If he struggles to begin the season, Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol could see some save chances for the Dodgers.

Bukauskas will spend this spring as a reliever, though the Diamondbacks aren't closing the door on him as a starter down the line, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

Bukauskas has been almost exclusively a starter in the minors, but his command issues hint that the bullpen may be his best home. He has great stuff, and he's now on the 40-man roster, so it's not out of the question that he could help the bullpen right away.

Smith has the confidence of manager Brian Snitker should Atlanta choose to use a traditional closer, but the team isn't committing to going that route, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Smith has a solid case as Atlanta's top reliever and has saved 49 games in his career, but he's also left-handed, so the team could deploy him against an opposing lineup's top lefties whenever they're due up, which may not always be in the ninth inning. If the team uses a committee approach, Chris Martin and A.J. Minter, among others, could also find themselves picking up saves. If Smith does open the year as the locked-in closer, there's no guarantee he keeps the job, as his numbers fell across the board last season. His ERA jumped from 2.76 to 4.50 as his strikeout rate fell from 37.4 percent to 29.0 percent. He also gave up seven homers in just 16 innings of work.

Hudson (elbow) said Wednesday that he's progressing "really well" in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in late September, Jim Hayes of FOX Sports Midwest reports.

Hudson has yet to resume throwing, but he's been pleased with how the process of regaining strength and full range of motion in his elbow has gone thus far. He plans to continue rehabbing with the team at the Cardinals' spring training facility in Jupiter, Fla. with goal of beginning a long-toss progression by the middle of March. The Cardinals aren't counting on Hudson pitching in 2021, but assuming he avoids any snags in the lengthy recovery process, he should enter spring training in 2022 with little or no restrictions.

The Nationals announced Wednesday that Cronin would be invited to major-league spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Cronin was part of the Nationals' 60-man player pool in 2020 but spent the entire season at the alternate training site. The southpaw was dominant for Low-A Hagerstown in 2019, posting a 0.82 ERA and 41:11 K:BB over 22 relief innings. The southpaw likely needs more minor-league experience prior to making his debut with the big-league club, but he should have a chance to develop this spring as a non-roster invitee.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that Frias has yet to report to spring training due to a positive COVID-19 test result, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

After being added to the 40-man roster during the offseason, Frias is slated to attend big-league spring training for the second straight year. Frias will have to complete a quarantine and clear all COVID-19-related protocols before reporting to camp. The 22-year-old right-hander split the 2019 season between short-season Hillsboro and Low-A Kane County, posting a 2.83 ERA and striking out 101 over 76.1 innings.

Antone is in a job battle with Wade Miley and Michael Lorenzen for a rotation spot, as the Reds are leaning towards using a five-man rotation, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds, like many other teams, have discussed the possibility of a six-man rotation, but for now it looks more likely they'll open the season with a conventional five-man crew. It's going to be a fluid situation for Cincinnati and many other teams, particularly with younger pitchers that need to have their workload monitored.

The Giants placed Brebbia (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The transaction is merely procedural, as Brebbia isn't expected to be fully cleared for competitive action until the second half of the season while he continues to recover from June 2020 Tommy John surgery. The newly-signed Jake McGee will take Brebbia's spot on the 40-man roster.