MLB Player News

Antone (groin) expects to make his next Cactus League start, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Antone felt a small tweak in his groin during the third inning of Sunday's spring start against the Padres, but he sounded upbeat after the game and said that he thinks he'll be fine. While the Reds will presumably monitor him over the next few days, it doesn't sound as though Antone's injury will be a long-term issue.

Antone left Sunday's spring game against the Padres due to a mild right groin strain, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Antone allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out five over 2.2 innings during Sunday's start, but he was unable to complete the third frame due to a groin issue. It's not yet clear whether the injury will force Antone to miss additional time or whether the issue will impact his availability for Opening Day.

Manager Joe Girardi said Brogdon is "fine" after a rib issue forced him to exit Sunday's spring game against the Pirates, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It's apparently a somewhat common issue for the 26-year-old to have a rib pop out, so the rib was popped back in and he's good to go. Brogdon made his big-league debut for the Phillies last season and pitched well with a 3.97 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB over 11.1 innings.

Morejon hurled three innings in Saturday's Cactus League contest versus Arizona, allowing one run on four hits and no walks while striking out five.

Morejon surrendered a leadoff home run to Ketel Marte, but he had little trouble with the Diamondbacks thereafter. The southpaw has allowed only two runs through seven innings this spring while striking out 10. His six walks are worrisome, but Morejon eased some of that concern by refusing to yield a free pass Saturday. The 22-year-old is expected to break camp with San Diego, though his role has yet to be laid out. Morejon is in contention for a rotation spot, but he could also function in a multiple-inning relief role.

Ponce de Leon started Saturday's Grapefruit League win over the Marlins, allowing an earned run on four hits, a walk and a hit batsman across 3.2 innings. He struck out two.

Ponce de Leon entered spring training as a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation, which, at the time, was the only projected vacancy. Subsequently, No. 3 starter Miles Mikolas (shoulder) has seen his chances of Opening Day availability diminish significantly, and more recently, No. 2 hurler Kwang Hyun Kim has been temporarily sidelined with back tightness after struggling with velocity early. Consequently, Ponce de Leon's chances of earning some early-season starts seem to have gone up, and Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports Saturday's outing naturally served to fuel his candidacy. "I was really encouraged by Ponce's start tonight," manager Mike Shildt said postgame. "His arsenal was quality tonight. Really big league quality for sure."

Brogdon was removed from his relief appearance in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates due to a back injury, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

After striking out the first batter he faced, Brogdon asked out of the contest when manager Joe Girardi and a team trainer visited him on the mound. The 26-year-old can be considered day-to-day until the Phillies provide another update on his condition.

Fulmer was claimed off waivers by the Reds on Sunday.

The 27-year-old spent time with the Tigers, Orioles and Pirates last season, and he'll now receive a chance with the Reds after being waived by the Pirates. Fulmer appeared in 10 games during 2020 and gave up five runs with an 11:5 K:BB over 10.1 innings.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said that Williams will throw a live batting practice session Tuesday before likely making his Cactus League debut late next week, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Though Williams received a clean bill of health early in the offseason after a sore right shoulder prevented him from pitching in the Brewers' wild-card round series loss to the Dodgers, the coaching staff has been deliberately easing the reigning National League Rookie of the Year along during spring training. At this stage, the Brewers haven't voiced any concerns about Williams, who Counsell said looked good during his most recent live BP session Saturday. Josh Hader remains in line to save games for Milwaukee in 2021, but Williams profiles as the top non-closer reliever in fantasy baseball after delivering unparalleled ratios (0.33 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 44.0 K-BB% over 27 innings) during his first full season in the majors.

Devenski (elbow) made his third Cactus League appearance in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Padres, striking out two over a perfect inning in relief.

Devenski required surgery last September to remove a bone spur in his right elbow, but he reported to spring training at full health and looks well on his way to winning a spot in Arizona's bullpen, despite his status as a non-roster invitee. He's now tossed three scoreless frames so far this spring while allowing only three baserunners.

Rainey (collarbone) tossed a live batting practice session Sunday, Pete Kerzel of MASNSports.com reports.

After experiencing no issues with his collarbone coming out of his bullpen sessions in recent days, Rainey was cleared to take the next step forward in the recovery process by facing hitters. The Nationals have yet to pinpoint a target date for Rainey to make his Grapefruit League debut, but his activity Sunday is certainly a step in the right direction. Rainey was arguably the Nationals' top reliever in 2020, finishing the abbreviated campaign with a 2.66 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.