MLB Player News

Sims said Wednesday that a recent MRI on his right elbow revealed nothing concerning, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Sims will be behind his fellow relief pitchers to begin spring training while recovering from right elbow tightness, but both he and the Reds are confident that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day. The delayed start to camp could still hurt Sims' chances of contending for the closer role, which appears to be wide open following the offseason trade that sent incumbent Raisel Iglesias to the Angels. Along with Sims, Amir Garrett and Sean Doolittle look to be the primary candidates for the ninth-inning gig.

Padres manager Jayce Tingler said Wednesday that he feels good about where Lamet (elbow) stands in his throwing program for the start of spring training, Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press reports.

Tingler relayed that Lamet regularly threw bullpen sessions and did everything that trainers recommended over the winter, which offers some reassurance about his health after he missed the tail end of the 2020 regular season and entirety of the Padres' playoff run due to a right elbow injury. Lamet was able to avoid corrective surgery to address the matter, instead treating the injury with platelet-rich plasma injections and rest before he resumed throwing. While Lamet tentatively looks to be on track for Opening Day, expect the Padres to monitor his usage carefully this spring so as to avoid a more serious setback with the elbow.

Dominguez (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Dominguez may not pitch in the majors during the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so his placement on the injured list is simply procedural. The move will clear up a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Brad Miller.

The Marlins placed Brigham on the 60-day injured list Wednesday for an unspecified reason.

The Marlins had previously activated Brigham from the 60-day IL on Oct. 31, after he had previously been placed on the list in early August. The Marlins shut Brigham down at around the same time that they experience a team-wide COVID-19 outbreak, but it's unclear if the right-hander tested positive. An explanation behind his latest move to the IL isn't known, but Brigham will likely miss the first two months of the 2021 campaign as a result. The transaction opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly signed Adam Duvall.

Gott (elbow) completed a bullpen session Wednesday during the Giants' first workout of spring training, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Gott finished the past season on the injured list while battling right elbow inflammation, but his ability to throw at the start of camp suggests he'll enter the 2021 campaign with no restrictions. The right-hander received a look in the closer's role last season but couldn't hold down the job, posting a 10.03 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 15 appearances before being shut down. With Reyes Moronta (shoulder) healthy for the start of 2021 and the Giants also adding Jake McGee and Matt Wisler in free agency, Gott will likely find himself lower in the bullpen pecking order.

Soriano (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Soriano was selected by the Pirates with the first pick of the Rule 5 draft in December, but he'll begin the season on the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery in February 2020. The move will clear a spot on the 40-man roster for southpaw Tyler Anderson. Prior to his surgery, Soriano recorded a 2.55 ERA and 84:48 K:BB over 77.2 innings at the Low-A level.

Strop signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Wednesday as a non-roster invitee, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Strop signed with the Cubs for the final month of the 2020 season, and he'll return to the team to compete for a major-league roster spot during spring training. The right-hander failed to appear in the big leagues with Chicago last year but has made 54 relief appearances with the Cubs and Reds over the past two seasons. During that time, he posted a 4.91 ERA and 52:26 K:BB over 44 innings.

The Marlins acquired Curtiss from the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for first baseman Evan Edwards, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Curtiss emerged from relative obscurity to become a key piece in the Tampa Bay bullpen in 2020, submitting a 1.80 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 22.2 K-BB% over 25 innings. The 27-year-old looked on track to factor into the setup mix for Tampa Bay in 2021, but the organization instead elected to cash him in for a minor-league prospect in Edwards to clear up space on the 40-man roster. The move to Miami should at least put Curtiss in better position to contend for saves and holds, as the Marlins' late-inning pecking order remains unsettled heading into spring training. Anthony Bass, who inked a two-year deal with Miami in the offseason, will presumably enter the spring as the frontrunner for the closer's gig, but Curtiss could eventually gain traction in the ninth inning if he's able to carry over his strong form from 2020.

Varland will join the Dodgers at their big-league camp in spring training, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Varland was acquired by the defending champions from Oakland in a trade last week, and he'll now get a chance to show off his ability during spring training. The right-hander has shown considerable success across 64.1 minor-league innings, though he has yet to pitch above the High-A level.

Hicks, who missed the 2020 season due to the completion of his recovery from Tommy John surgery and his decision to opt out for precautionary health reasons, is expected to eventually return to full-time closing duties, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Goold answers a reader question about whether the hard-throwing right-hander has a chance to be named the official closer by Opening Day by emphasizing there are likely to be a couple of moving parts to the equation. How Hicks looks after last pitching in a major-league game June 22, 2019 will naturally be one of the major factors at play, as well as how others capable of handling ninth-inning work such as Andrew Miller and Giovanny Gallegos perform in exhibition play. Goold adds it's his belief the Cardinals will unsurprisingly err on the side of caution with Hicks and allow him to reacclimate at his own pace, as opposed to applying any indirect pressure by officially labeling him the closer early in camp.