MLB Player News

Neris was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Phillies initially didn't reveal the reason why Neris and three other players were placed on the injured list, but it's since been revealed that they're all on the COVID-19 injured list, rather than the regular 10-day injured list. That doesn't necessarily mean that any of them have caught the virus, however, as players can also be placed on the list simply for having had contact with someone who has since tested positive. With players' medical information being closely safeguarded in this area, it's not clear when Neris is expected to rejoin the team.

Smith (elbow) is a member of the Mets' 60-player roster pool and could be ready for the start of the season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2019 but appears to be in the final stages of his recovery, as he's been throwing off a mound since March. Smith had a solid rookie showing in 2018 with a 3.54 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB over 28 innings, so he could be a factor in the Mets' bullpen once fully healthy.

Gallegos won't be present for the early portions of the Cardinals' summer training while he remains in Mexico, Mark Saxon of The Athletic reports.

Teams are reporting to camp this week to begin ramping up for the 60-game regular season, but the 28-year-old won't be joining his teammates early on for unspecified reasons. The timing of Gallegos' arrival could impact his availability once games start toward the end of July. He's pegged as the closer with Jordan Hicks (elbow) beginning the season on the injured list, but if Gallegos is also unavailable duties could fall to Ryan Helsley, John Gant or Andrew Miller.

Alzolay is a candidate to break camp as Chicago's fifth starter, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

While Alec Mills appears most likely to fill in for the injured Jose Quintana (thumb) -- who is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season after undergoing thumb surgery Thursday -- Alzolay and Colin Rea were also mentioned by president of baseball operations Theo Epstein as possible options. Alzolay started a pair of games for the Cubs in 2019, allowing eight runs while notching a 7:5 K:BB across 7.1 innings. The righty also made 15 starts for Triple-A Iowa, posting a 4.41 ERA and 91:31 K:BB in 65.1 innings.

Burdi could see his stock rise quickly after missing most of 2019 with a biceps injury, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

He was hitting triple digits with his fastball during Grapefruit League action, where he struck out eight batters in 4.1 innings. The 27-year-old might not hold much fantasy value currently, but that could change if he pitches similarly to the way he did during spring training.

The Phillies placed Neris on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to an unspecified issue, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Neris was one of four Phillies placed on the IL on Wednesday, with no reason provided behind any of the transactions. More clarity on Neris' situation could be provided the next time manager Joe Girardi meets with the media, but for now, the 31-year-old's status for Opening Day in late July is muddled. Neris had been projected to serve as the Phillies' closer in 2020 after converting 28 of 34 save chances and posting a 2.93 ERA and 1.02 WHIP last season, but if he's forced to miss any time, Girardi could opt to take a committee approach to the ninth inning.

Clarke is expected to be a depth starter for the 2020 season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

With Mike Leake opting not to participate in the season, Clarke and other starters move up a spot on the depth chart. Merrill Kelly is expected to fill Leake's rotation slot while Clarke joins Alex Young and Jon Duplantier as the leading depth options. The right-hander labored through 23 appearances (15 starts) in 2019, posting a 5.31 ERA (6.40 FIP) and giving up 23 home runs over 84.2 innings (2.4 HR/9).

Young and Merrill Kelly are expected to be the leading candidates to replace Mike Leake as the fifth starter, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Kelly, who led the Diamondbacks with 32 starts in 2019, may be the frontrunner, but Young is in the mix. He made 17 appearances and 15 starts in 2019. If Young enters the season as a sixth/spot starter, he still might get use as the five-member rotation will not be stretched out initially. The left-hander compiled a 3.56 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 83.1 innings, which looks fine and warrants consideration for the rotation, but there were underlying peripherals (1.5 HR/9, 4.80 FIP, 20.3 K%) that paint a less sanguine picture. Jon Duplantier and Taylor Clarke are also around for starting depth.

Megill will be a part of the Cubs' 60-man player pool this season and will head to Wrigley Field for summer camp.

Megill was a Rule 5 pick back in December, and newly revised MLB rules for the abbreviated season stipulate that these players need to spend 50 days on the active roster, as opposed to the usual 90. If Megill doesn't hit the 50-day mark, his Rule 5 status would carry over to next season, meaning the Cubs would have to keep him on the big-league roster or waive him. Typically, teams like to keep their Rule 5 picks around, so Megill will likely have some sort of bullpen role when the season gets underway.

Hicks (elbow) will open the season on the injured list, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The news isn't a big surprise, as Hicks is still just barely over 12 months removed from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in late June 2019. The Cardinals do expect him to contribute at some point this season, though exactly when remains to be seen. It's also not clear whether or not he'll immediately regain his closer role when he eventually returns or if he'll have to win it back from presumptive favorite Giovanny Gallegos.