MLB Player News

The Giants want Gott, who is one of only a couple relievers assured of making the Opening Day roster, to be versatile enough to pitch at any time, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The 27-year-old righty is out of minor-league options, so he should make the 26-man roster out of camp, but it doesn't sound like he is being groomed for a ninth-inning role. Manager Gabe Kapler said that if a pitcher grabs a hold of the closer role during spring training, he would name an official closer, but he is also open to going into the season with undefined roles. Tony Watson is the most accomplished reliever of the bunch, so he is the de facto favorite to lead the team in saves, but this could be a situation where there is not one pitcher getting enough consistent save opportunities to provide fantasy value in mixed leagues.

Coonrod has added a cutter to his arsenal this spring, Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR.com reports.

The 27-year-old righty made his big-league debut last season and finished with a 3.58 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 50 percent groundball rate. Strikeouts eluded him (17.5 percent strikeout rate) and he issued too many walks (13.2 percent), but he was nonetheless effective. His average fastball velocity (96.6 mph) ranked in the 93rd percentile while his curveball spin was in the 90th percentile. With the addition of a cutter, he may be able to keep hitters off balance, which could lead to more strikeouts. Tony Watson is the de facto favorite to open the year as the closer, but there are no defined roles at this point in camp, so Coonrod could pitch his way into a high-leverage role. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two and blowing a save in one inning during his first appearance of the spring.

Nelson has been shut down from throwing after experiencing lower-body discomfort coming out of Wednesday's bullpen session, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Nelson's latest health-related setback is presumably related to the groin and lower-back injuries that had hampered him earlier in camp. Though Opening Day is still about a month away, Nelson's shutdown likely means that even if he's cleared to resume a throwing program next week, he won't have enough time to get the innings he needs this spring to stake his claim to a rotation or bullpen spot.

Diaz gave up two runs on three hits in an inning of work Wednesday against the Astros, Mike Puma of The New York Post reports.

While his fastball was topping out at 98 mph, Diaz wasn't able to put it where he wanted within the strike zone -- the same issue that marred his 2019 campaign. "I felt good out there," he said through an interpreter after the outing. "A little bit anxious because it was the first time being out there in a real game and facing real batters, but other than that I felt really good." Diaz needed 25 pitches to escape the inning, so he at least got his work in, but the 25-year-old will need to tighten his command before Opening Day if he wants to avoid being on the hot seat as the Mets' closer right out of the gate.

Manager Brian Snitker said Webb (elbow) is healthy and throwing well during Braves camp, but the right-hander is still about a week away from being cleared for his Grapefruit League debut, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Snitker had similar comments about fellow reliever A.J. Minter (shoulder), who is being brought along slowly this spring after his 2019 season ended in early September due to injury, just as Webb's did. The delay in the two pitchers' schedules probably won't put either at risk of missing Opening Day, though the fact that both have minor-league options remaining could factor into Snitker's roster decisions. Webb seemingly has a better case for a spot in the Atlanta bullpen by virtue of his performance last season prior to requiring arthroscopic elbow surgery. Over his 36 appearances, Webb posted a 1.39 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB in 32.1 frames.

Manager Brian Snitner said Thursday that Minter (shoulder) is healthy and throwing well, but the lefty isn't expected to make his Grapefruit League debut until next week, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The Braves are bringing Minter along slowly coming off a tough 2019 season that concluded in early September, when he was shut down with shoulder inflammation. While it's encouraging that Minter has seemingly moved past that injury, the 26-year-old doesn't look like he'll be entrusted with a key role out of the Atlanta bullpen right away, even if he cracks the Opening Day roster. Minter still has two minor-league options remaining, so he could be a candidate to open the season at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Burdi struck out two batters in a scoreless fourth inning against Boston on Wednesday.

The righty's season ended in late April last year, when he suffered a nerve injury relating to thoracic outlet syndrome. Manager Derek Shelton remains cautious regarding his pitcher's health. "It's just making sure every time he goes out, he's feeling OK -- not only today, but he's definitely one of those guys we're checking in with tomorrow just to make sure he feels the way he should," Shelton noted. Burdi reached 100 mph with his fastball Wednesday.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday, "We're excited about Rogers," after he retired all three batters faced in a Cactus League game against the White Sox, Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR Radio reports.

Rogers made his major-league debut in 2019 and delivered a 1.02 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB over 17.2 innings while recording five holds. The 29-year-old submariner may begin 2020 in a high-leverage role, given San Francisco's lack of established back-end options in the bullpen.

Dominguez has yet to see Grapefruit League action due to an elbow issue, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Dominguez has thrown bullpen sessions and said previously that he'd be ready for Opening Day. With that date still a month away, that's certainly still quite possible, but it would definitely be reassuring to see him pitching and showcasing his typical stuff in a spring game. Elbow issues shut the righty down in June last season. Tommy John surgery appeared to be on the table, but he wound up needing nothing more than rest and rehab. Whether or not that worked remains to be seen. Dominguez saved 16 games as a rookie back in 2018 and could challenge Hector Neris for saves this season if he's healthy and effective.

Reyes was unable to complete a full inning Tuesday in what was supposed to be a two-inning appearance, as he struggled with his command, Rob Rains of KSDK.com reports.

He walked two batters and allowed two hits while only retiring one of the five hitters he faced. Only half of his 24 pitches were strikes. He hit 95 mph with his fastball and threw a quality changeup, but he did not display starter-level command. The Cardinals would obviously like for their former top prospect to work his way into the rotation mix this spring, but he has not gotten off to a good start. He still has minor-league options remaining, so if his struggles continue, he may open the year at Triple-A.