MLB Player News

Perdomo (illness) was added to the Brewers' 60-man roster Thursday.

Perdomo tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the start of the Brewers' camp last week, but he'll get a chance to work at the team's alternate training site once he recovers. It's unclear whether the left-hander is symptomatic, but under MLB protocol, he'll need to undergo two negative tests prior to joining the team.

Bickford was added to the Brewers' 60-man roster Thursday.

Although he hasn't progressed past High-A Carolina, Bickford was a non-roster invitee during spring training, where he tossed 3.2 hitless innings over four appearances while striking out eight. The right-hander will attempt to build on his momentum from the spring against some of the team's top prospects at the alternate training site, but he's unlikely to join the conversation for a spot in the majors this year.

Andrews was added to the Brewers' 60-man roster Thursday.

Andrews served as a non-roster invitee during spring training, and he'll get a chance to continue developing as part of the team's 60-man roster. The southpaw will report to the team's alternate training site to work with other top prospects within the organization. Andrews allowed one earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out one over two innings in Cactus League play.

Morejon has impressed in intrasquad games and is pushing for a spot on the Padres' initial 30-man roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Prior to the cancellation of the minor-league season, Morejon was expected to work as a starter at Triple-A. Instead, the southpaw is battling for a spot on the team's Opening Day roster. Though a big-league role remains far from certain, Morejon could theoretically help the club as a short-inning starter, a multi-inning reliever or an opener.

Castillo has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 lat strain and could miss six weeks as a result, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

This is a tough blow for Castillo, who suffered the injury during Tuesday's intrasquad game. While the Padres are hoping that he'll be able to pitch at some point during the abbreviated 2020 season, manager Jayce Tingler acknowledged that Castillo will "need some breaks" in order for that to happen.

Stephenson returned to Cincinnati's summer camp Thursday after missing time with a sore wrist, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

It doesn't sound like the issue was anything overly serious, as Stephenson missed just a couple of days as a result. The right-hander established himself in Cincinnati's bullpen in 2019, posting a 3.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 81:24 K:BB across 64.2 innings of relief.

The Giants placed Garcia on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with an unspecified issue.

After being scooped up off waivers from the Marlins in February, Garcia was set to compete for a spot in the Giants' Opening Day bullpen. His move to the IL now leaves his availability for the July 23 opener versus the Dodgers in peril.

Uceta was placed on the injured list Wednesday for undisclosed reasons, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The team is unable to legally provide any specifics if Uceta's absence is related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 22-year-old spent most of 2019 at Double-A Tulsa and had a 3.21 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 76:33 K:BB over 73 innings to earn a spot in the Dodgers' 60-player roster pool.

Rondon was added to the Cardinals' 60-man roster pool and will report to the alternate camp in Springfield, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Rondon spent 2019 at Double-A Springfield and had a strong season with a 3.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 112:42 K:BB over 115 innings. The 22-year-old is likely a longshot to see the majors in 2020 since he's heading to the alternate site, but his inclusion in the 60-man pool could be significant for his development with the cancellation of the minor-league season.

Helsley was the first name Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak mentioned Tuesday as a potential closing candidate to begin the season in the event Giovanny Gallegos (non-injury related) isn't ready to go for Opening Day, Mark Saxon of The Athletic reports.

With Jordan Hicks (elbow) still on the mend from Tommy John surgery and set to open the campaign on the injured list, Gallegos appeared to be the odds-on favorite to close for St. Louis coming off a brilliant 2019 season out of the bullpen and a solid spring training. Unfortunately for Gallegos, the COVID-19 pandemic has created complications with traveling from his native Mexico, as he has yet to arrive in St. Louis since summer camp began last week. Even if Gallegos makes it back to the United States before Opening Day, the Cardinals may not be comfortable using him in high-leverage spots right away, which could pave the way for the fireballing Helsley to see some save opportunities. Helsley's numbers from 2019 weren't exceptional (2.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 7.9 K/9 in 36.2 innings), but the Cardinals were encouraged by the strides he made during the spring and seemingly have him earmarked for a key role out of the bullpen in his second MLB season. In addition to Helsley, Carlos Martinez could also enter the mix for saves if Gallegos isn't available, though the Cardinals still intend to give Martinez a chance to lock down the fifth spot in the rotation during summer camp.