MLB Player News

The Phillies optioned Cleavinger to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

Though Philadelphia added Cleavinger to the 40-man roster over the winter, that transaction was mostly for the purpose of shielding him from the Rule 5 draft rather than an indication his big-league debut is imminent. The 25-year-old lefty reliever will head to Triple-A for the first time after spending the entire 2019 campaign at Double-A Reading, where he accrued a 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 83 strikeouts over 51.2 innings.

Martin (oblique) is listed as an available reliever for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Martin has been limited to two appearances this spring while contending with the oblique injury, but he'll get the green light to return to action after facing hitters last week without issue. The right-hander is locked into a spot in the Braves' Opening Day bullpen, though he may have to settle for more middle-relief work this season after Atlanta bolstered its relief corps with the addition of Will Smith over the winter.

Howard will make his spring debut Tuesday against the Twins, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Howard was delayed by a knee tweak early in camp, but the reason he's been held out of Grapefruit League action thus far is probably more a matter of workload management. The righty should be starting in the majors at some point this season, as he owns a 3.28 ERA, 2.50 FIP and 32.8 percent strikeout rate in his minor-league career, but with only six starts at the Double-A level, he'll likely need some more time in the minors before being considered for a callup. The Phillies won't want to waste too many of his innings outside the big-league roster in a season in which they're hoping to finally compete. He's unlikely to handle a particularly heavy workload after throwing just 71 innings last season. In that context, his slow start to spring makes sense.

Avila (elbow) was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The move is purely procedural as Avila was invited to big-league camp despite undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. He is not expected to play during the 2020 season.

Erceg was reassigned to minor league camp Monday.

Erceg took 22 at-bats with the big club this spring but recorded a hit in just four of them. He was considered one of the Brewers' better prospects a few years ago, but down seasons at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels leave him a fringe prospect for now. Erceg will presumably open 2020 at the Triple-A level, so he could at least give himself a shot to play at the top level if he can make some strides in the average and on-base departments.

Minter was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

Minter struggled in the majors last season with a 7.06 ERA and 2.01 WHIP over 29.1 innings, which resulted in a trip to the minors. The 26-year-old will begin 2020 with Triple-A Gwinnett due to the Braves' abundance of bullpen options, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Minter back in the major-league bullpen if injuries occur.

Santana has pitched 5.1 scoreless innings in Cactus League play, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out 10.

Santana has been a pleasant surprise this spring for the Dodgers following a 2019 campaign in which he struggled with a 6.94 ERA at the Triple-A level. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, the right-hander has forced his way into the conversation for an Opening Day spot in the bullpen, particularly considering the struggles of fellow reliever Adam Kolarek (15.43 ERA this spring).

Kolarek has struggled this spring and is in danger of losing his spot in the bullpen, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Kolarek gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning Sunday, bloating his ERA to 15.43. Although the southpaw pitched well last season -- he posted a 3.27 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 80 games between Tampa Bay and Los Angeles -- there is no guarantee that he will break camp with the big club given his Cactus League struggles.

Weigel has rung up a 0.00 ERA, 0.47 WHIP and 6:1 K:BB through 6.1 innings this spring.

The 25-year-old right-hander has yet to make his big-league debut and missed nearly the entire 2018 campaign following Tommy John surgery, but Weigel appears ready to make the leap to the majors based on his performance in camp so far. Whether Atlanta has room for him in the Opening Day bullpen is another question, but even if Weigel doesn't make the cut right away, he'll be on the short list of potential reinforcements during the regular season.

Matzek has allowed only one hit and posted a 0.00 ERA and 7:0 K:BB through 3.2 innings of relief this spring.

The southpaw was the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, but after climbing steadily through the Rockies' system he developed anxiety issues in the majors and couldn't find the plate, eventually washing out of organized baseball in 2016. Per David O'Brien of The Athletic, Matzek has since learned to put himself in a better mental space and rebuilt his mechanics in independent ball, and he was rewarded with a minor-league deal by Atlanta last year. The 29-year-old isn't on the 40-man roster and is still a long shot to break camp in the Braves' bullpen, but even resuming his pro career is a major accomplishment, and he could be on the cusp of returning to The Show.