MLB Player News

Gallegos was credited with a save in a Grapefruit League win over the Nationals on Saturday, allowing a hit over a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one.

The hard-throwing right-hander's spring got off to an inauspicious start Wednesday, as he allowed three runs on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning versus the Marlins. Gallegos' resurgent effort Saturday was therefore particularly encouraging, especially considering a report by Anne Rogers of MLB.com indicating Gallegos' fastball-slider combination and impressive strikeout rate in 2019 could make him a leading candidate for the primary closer role during the first half of the season, at minimum, while Jordan Hicks (elbow) remains sidelined.

Lamet hurled two scoreless innings against Cincinnati on Saturday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three.

Now two seasons removed from Tommy John surgery, Lamet has emerged as a popular breakout candidate following a 14-game stint in the majors last season during which he struck out 105 batters in 73 innings. He's a lock to open the campaign in the Padres' rotation, and he has the tools -- including a fastball that sits in the mid-90s -- to put it all together this season if he can stay healthy.

Jansen has retired all nine batters he has faced this spring, six by strikeout.

Per Michael J. Duarte of NBC Los Angeles, Jansen is throwing less cutters this spring while relying more on his two-seam fastball and slider. There have also been reports of Jansen throwing with increased velocity in the early going. All of this bodes well for a bounceback campaign from the veteran closer, who posted a career-worst 3.71 ERA last season.

Rodriguez left Sunday's game against the Mariners with right biceps discomfort, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The 23-year-old sailed a fastball against the third hitter he faced during the sixth inning Sunday before alerting the dugout of an issue with his right arm. Rodriguez has been scheduled to receive further evaluation Monday.

Holmes was diagnosed with a fractured foot Sunday and will be in a walking boot 4-to-6 weeks, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Holmes was forced to leave Saturday's game after being struck by a comebacker on his first pitch, and he'll now miss the start of the regular season as a result. The 26-year-old could potentially be in the walking boot until mid-April, so there's a very real chance he won't be cleared for game action until May. Holmes is out of minor-league options and the team will need to decide whether to carry him on its active roster once he's healthy.

Dominguez (elbow) threw a 13-pitch simulated game against minor-league hitters Sunday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old was previously limited to bullpen sessions, so the move to facing live hitters is a promising step for his potential Opening Day availability. Dominguez was shut down in June with elbow issues and missed the rest of the season, so it's not surprising to see the team remaining cautious about his workload in spring training.

Hudson is schedule to make his first appearance of the spring Monday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander will throw a side session Sunday, and if all goes well he'll make his spring debut after a day off. Hudson was eased into camp after seeing a heavy workload down the stretch and into the playoffs last year, and while Sean Doolittle will likely be the Nats' primary closer to begin the regular season, Hudson will still be a key part of the team's late-inning crew.

Bickford tossed a scoreless ninth inning and picked up the save in Saturday's spring game against the Cubs.

Bickford was twice a first-round pick and once a Top-100 prospect, but he fell off prospect lists several years ago and became a reliever in 2018. He struggled some that year, but he was brilliant last season, striking out 53 batters over 32.2 innings and limiting opposing hitters to a .197 BAA. Granted, that came at the High-A level, but Bickford clearly has arm talent, and it's not out of the question he could be an option for the big-league club at some point if he is able to sustain success.

Williams tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Saturday's spring game against the Cubs.

Williams kept the opponent off the scoreboard Saturday after allowing three earned runs over his first two appearances of the exhibition season. He pitched 13.2 innings with the big club last season and saw mixed success, striking out 14 batters but posting a 1.76 WHIP. With a few more quality outings over the remainder of the spring, he will have a chance to break camp with the Brewers for the first time.

Clarke allowed six runs on seven hits while striking out three over 2.2 innings in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers feasted on Clarke's mistakes, which were primarily pitches that landed in the middle of the zone. It was the second straight shaky outing for the right-hander, who allowed three runs over 1.2 innings in his previous spring appearance.