MLB Player News

Bard signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies on Wednesday that includes an invitation to big-league camp, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Bard announced his retirement from professional baseball in January 2018, but he'll make another run at a comeback bid with Colorado. The 34-year-old had 66 holds and 150 strikeouts in 143 appearances for the Red Sox between the 2010 and 2011 seasons, but fell out of the majors in 2013 and moved around the minors over the next few years. There shouldn't be significant expectations, but Bard is a good zero-risk flier for the Rockies.

Neris and the Phillies settled their arbitration case Friday, agreeing to a one-year, $4.6 million deal, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Neris is set for a substantial raise after making $1.8 million last season. He saved a career-high 28 games with a 2.93 ERA last season and looks set to close again under new manager Joe Girardi, who has a reputation for preferring much more rigid bullpen roles than his predecessor, Gabe Kapler, did. The deal also includes a club option for the 2021 season which will pay Neris a base salary of $7 million with the potential to earn more in incentives, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Hudson is slated to pitch in Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against a Mets split squad, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Hudson is slated to slot in as the third or fourth starter in the rotation this coming season when Miles Mikolas (forearm) is healthy. Hudson will get his first turn against an opposing uniform Saturday at some point after starter Jack Flaherty exits, with Brett Cecil and Kwang-Hyun Kim also slated to log innings during the contest.

Betances faced live batters for the first time since partially tearing his Achilles in September, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Betances reported no setbacks after the work, saying, "It's always good to get the first one out of the way." He entered camp still limited by his injury, and it's unclear whether he has cleared the hurdles necessary to fully participate in team workouts. Still, this was a step forward for Betances, who expects to be ready to take the mound by Opening Day.

Stephenson spent a good part of his offseason working on improving against opposing baserunners, who were six of seven in stolen-base attempts against him, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After struggling to gain a foothold in the majors, Stephenson took a major step forward in the bullpen in 2019 and can now afford to refine certain weaknesses, like his ability to hold runners. He'll likely be deployed in a higher-leverage role than he was last season.

Rodriguez is scheduled to start Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Dodgers, Amy Gutierrez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Rodriguez started 16 games for the Giants in 2019, recording a 5.64 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 71:36 K:BB across 99 innings. The 27-year old is among a plethora of pitchers vying for a back-end spot in the starting rotation following San Francisco's offseason additions of experienced major-league arms Kevin Gausman and Drew Smyly. While it is encouraging that Rodriguez is getting the nod to begin spring training, he is likely heading for a move to the bullpen or the minor leagues unless the Giants' pitching staff is plagued by preseason injuries.

Nelson (groin/back) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Thursday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Everything appeared to go off without a hitch in what was Nelson's first bullpen session since being shut down earlier in the month with groin and back tightness. The right-hander is competing for a spot on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster as a starter or multi-inning reliever.

Treinen (back) completed a bullpen session Thursday and doesn't appear to have any restrictions this spring, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

While he was a member of the Athletics last season, Treinen was shut down in mid-September due to a stress reaction in his back, but the injury was never expected to be an issue heading into spring training. Treinen's ability to complete a bullpen session Thursday can be taken as a sign that he's healthy, so he'll now turn his focus to getting his arm conditioned ahead of Opening Day. After signing a one-year, $10 million deal with Los Angeles in the offseason, Treinen should be the leading candidate to serve as the top setup option to closer Kenley Jansen if he can recapture the form that made him an All-Star in 2018.

Nelson (groin) has shown improvement but won't throw off the mound for multiple days, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

In addition to groin soreness, Nelson is also suffering from a tight back. The 30-year-old has pitched only 22 innings since the end of the 2017 campaign and is not a lock to make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster. If he does earn a spot on the squad, Nelson could be used as a starter or as a "Brandon Morrow-type reliever," per Gurnick.

Arano (elbow) played catch from about 100 feet during a workout over the weekend, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

After requiring season-ending elbow surgery last May, Arano enters spring training behind the majority of the Phillies' other relief candidates. Per Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the right-hander estimated that he would be able to advance to mound work by late February or early March, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to go by the time Opening Day arrives. Whenever he's deemed healthy again, Arano could be a late-inning factor for the Phillies after posting a 2.65 ERA and 26.3 strikeout percentage through his first three years in the majors.