MLB Player News

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.

Gallegos has yet to arrive at the Cardinals' summer camp while he continues to await clearance to travel to the United States from his native Mexico, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Though Gallegos' health isn't in any question due to coronavirus-related concerns, the pandemic has presented complications with his ability to travel. The Cardinals are unsure when Gallegos will be able to board a flight to St. Louis, so his availability for the July 24 season opener versus the Pirates remains something of a question mark at the moment. Before spring training was suspended in mid-March, Gallegos looked like the frontrunner for the Cardinals' closing role, but the team will likely reopen the competition for the job while his status remains up in the air. Per Mark Saxon of The Athletic, general manager John Mozeliak mentioned Ryan Helsley as a potential replacement for Gallegos, while Carlos Martinez could also get a look in the ninth inning if he's unable to lock down the fifth spot in the rotation.

Castillo exited Tuesday's intrasquad scrimmage with what appears to be a lat strain, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Castillo is set to undergo additional testing in the coming days, after which the specifics and severity of his injury should become clearer. If the southpaw is in fact dealing with a strained lat, there's a good chance it could impact his availability for the start of the season.

Neris (illness) completed an abbreviated bullpen session at the Phillies' summer camp Wednesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The Phillies have yet to formally activate Neris from the COVID-19 injured list, but his ability to work out with the rest of his teammates suggests he's at least produced two negative test results while he was quarantined. Since Neris only missed a handful of training sessions, he tentatively looks on track to be ready to handle closing duties when the Phillies begin their season July 24 versus the Marlins.

Thompson was added to the Cardinals' summer camp roster Tuesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The 2019 first-round pick covered 13.1 innings and had 19 strikeouts for High-A Palm Beach last year, and he was likely to end up at Double-A Springfield at some point in 2020 prior to the cancellation of the minor-league season. Thompson is one of the organization's top prospects and is unlikely to see major-league action this year, but his presence at Busch Stadium should aid in his development.

Kimbrel struck out two batters but also allowed a home run in an intrasquad game Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

While this is just one outing in a scrimmage, Kimbrel is a player worth watching closely in the early going considering his struggles a year ago. The Cubs and fantasy owners will surely want to see the veteran reliever get off to a fast start. If he looks like he did in 2019 (6.53 ERA and 1.60 WHIP across 20.2 innings) for an extended period of time, Chicago could turn to someone like Jeremy Jeffress or Rowan Wick to close out games.

Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Alexander hasn't reported to camp yet, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Roberts couldn't provide a reason for Alexander's absence, and it's unclear whether the absence is related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It remains to be seen when the southpaw will join the team and whether his absence will impact his availability for the start of the regular season.