MLB Player News

Nelson (back) landed on the 45-day injured list Tuesday, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

The righty is set to undergo lumbar surgery, a procedure which will wipe out his 2020 season entirely. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the Dodgers to add Jake McGee, who signed a major-league deal.

Alexander (undisclosed) tossed a simulated inning Monday, but his status for Opening Day remains in question, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

Alexander did not report to camp until July 13 and has yet to throw in a game setting, so he may need extra time to ramp up before pitching in a regular-season contest. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that the team has yet to make a decision on Alexander's next steps, casting doubt on the reliever's status for Opening Day.

Webb was placed on the 45-day injured list with a right shoulder strain Tuesday, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Webb could have played a role in Atlanta's bullpen this season, as he produced a strong 1.39 ERA in his 32.1-inning debut last year, but he'll now be sidelined for at least the majority of the campaign. It's not clear when he's expected to return, but he won't be eligible to do so until early September.

White won't be part of the Dodgers' initial 30-man roster, but he'll maintain an elevated pitch count in case the team needs him to start at some point during the season, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

White looked great in an exhibition start against Arizona on Sunday, giving up only one hit -- a solo home run by Ketel Marte -- in five innings. While there is no room for White in the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation, the team appears to be comfortable looking to him as a contingency plan in case a need for a spot starter arises. "To see him playing for us this year wouldn't be a surprise at all," noted manager Dave Roberts.

Garcia (undisclosed) will likely not be available for Opening Day, Amy Gutierrez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Manager Gabe Kapler expects to be without Garcia or Trevor Cahill (finger) for the Giants' season opener Thursday against the Dodgers. Garcia has been absent from the team throughout training camp, but is expected to rejoin the team soon. The 27-year-old had a strong spring and set himself up to be in the discussion as one of San Francisco's top lefty options out of the bullpen. If Garcia is forced to miss extended time to begin the season, Wandy Peralta and Conner Menez are two southpaws who are likely to experience an uptick in playing time.

Hoffman tossed three scoreless innings Wednesday in his most recent intrasquad appearance, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Hoffman struck out three over the 44-pitch outing, scattering two walks and one hit. Before spring training was cancelled in mid-March, Hoffman had been locked in a tight battle with Chi Chi Gonzalez for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, and it appears neither pitcher has ceded any ground in the competition during summer camp. Like Hoffman, Gonzalez also worked three scoreless innings Wednesday, so the final starting role could hinge on how the two fare in their last outing of summer camp this week. Due to a pair of off days early in the season, the Rockies could get by with a four-man rotation until Aug. 3, so both Hoffman and Gonzalez may open the campaign in bullpen roles.

The Cardinals placed Hicks (elbow) on the restricted list last week after he informed the team that he was opting out of the 2020 season.

The transaction removes Hicks from the Cardinals' 40-man roster, giving the team some more flexibility before it begins its season July 24. Per Mark Saxon of The Athletic, Hicks' choice to skip out on the 2020 season wasn't totally motivated by concerns about the health risks he may have faced pitching amid the COVID-19 pandemic as a Type 1 diabetic. Instead, the 23-year-old disclosed that he recently dealt with inflammation during his throwing program as he worked back from his June 2019 Tommy John procedure. The extra time off to rest should allow Hicks to report at full health for 2021 spring training, at which point he could re-emerge as the Cardinals' top closing candidate.

Voth tossed four scoreless innings in Saturday's exhibition game against the Phillies. He allowed two hits and no walks while striking out five.

Voth continues to impress while competing with Erick Fedde for the No. 5 starter job ahead of the regular season. Fedde also fired four scoreless innings in an intrasquad matchup Wednesday, but it's encouraging to see Voth perform so well in an exhibition. Manager Dave Martinez was impressed with Voth's performance. "He threw the ball really well," Martinez said. "He threw some crisp changeups. I know he's been working on it. It was really nice." Whichever pitcher doesn't win the starting job is expected to begin the season in the bullpen, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Crowe (undisclosed) reported to Nationals camp Sunday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Crowe wasn't in camp for the first several weeks while quarantining at his offseason home, but he was able to participate in workouts at the team's alternate training site Sunday, signaling that he cleared intake testing. The right-hander figures to work primarily with the squad at the alternate training site this season after posting a 6.17 ERA and 1.70 WHIP over 54 innings with Triple-A Fresno in 2019.

Gsellman has been shut down from throwing off a mound for the past couple days due to right triceps tightness, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The injury doesn't appear to be severe since the 27-year-old has continued playing catch, but it's still a troublesome development with less than a week until Opening Day. Gsellman posted a 4.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 60:23 K:BB over 63.2 innings during 2019 before suffering a partially torn right triceps in August. It remains unclear if the current injury is related to the one suffered last year.