MLB Player News

Pivetta is hoping to throw a changeup more often this season, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Pivetta threw his changeup just 2.3 percent of the time last year. The Canadian already has plenty of sleeper hype, as his 3.80 FIP and 27.1 percent strikeout rate were both strong last year. If the changeup does turn into a weapon, that would only help increase the excitement, as it could keep hitters from squaring up his fastball and could help him fight his homer problem. Pivetta's fastball was reportedly in the high 90s in his appearance Tuesday against the Cardinals, well above his 94.8 mph average from last season.

An MRI revealed Bracho is dealing with a partially torn UCL, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

Bracho suffered the injury over the weekend, and Monday's MRI confirmed fears that the issue isn't a minor one. While a course of action has yet to be determined for the right-hander, Tommy John surgery remains a distinct possibility; his test results are being sent to Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion.

Nelson (shoulder) will take part in an intrasquad game in the next few days, likely on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Nelson's fastball sat around 90-to-92 miles per hour in his live batting practice session Monday, down from his 94.6 mph average in his last major-league action in 2017. Given Nelson's lengthy layoff, it might be fair to expect his velocity to continue rising as he works his way back from a serious shoulder injury. He'll hope to get into a Cactus League game following his intrasquad appearance, but a set date for that hasn't been announced.

Bracho (elbow) was scheduled for an MRI on Monday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Results of the MRI have not been made public, but the Diamondbacks fear Bracho's elbow injury is serious. "(I) had some conversation with him and (he's) obviously a little bit disappointed," manager Torey Lovullo said, "but we're going to hope for the best and I told him to remain as optimistic as possible." The right-handed reliever bounced back in 2018 after two subpar seasons, but underlying metrics and this injury do not portend a repeat in 2019.

The Diamondbacks feel De La Rosa may be best served starting the season at Triple-A Reno, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

De La Rosa is pitching again after missing 18 months due to Tommy John elbow surgery -- the second time he's undergone that procedure. He's had a pair of scoreless outings this spring, including one in an appearance against the Reds on Monday, when he flashed a high-90s fastball while striking out the side. By having De La Rosa start at Reno, the organization can easily limit the length and frequency of his appearances. Once the right-hander is eased into the season, De La Rosa can rejoin the Diamondbacks' bullpen, where he's shown flashes of being a dominant late-inning weapon.

Hernandez threw a bullpen session Monday and his shoulder is starting to feel better, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Hernandez is tentatively expected to see his first game action over the weekend, presuming his live batting practice session Wednesday goes well. "It all depends on how the live BP goes," Hernandez said. "Playing catch, I feel fine. It's ramping up the intensity is what inflamed my shoulder."

Iglesias made his spring training debut Monday against the Cubs, allowing a run on one hit, one walk and one wild pitch over one inning, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I felt really good today," Iglesias said through an interpreter. "My pitches were there, my velocity was there. That's my main focus right now -- keep throwing my pitches and get ready for Opening Day."

Injuries were not a part of the Reds' decision to delay Iglesias's debut, and the Reds put a positive spin on his outing. "It was really good to see Iglesias get out there and get the first one out of the way," manager David Bell said. "I thought he was throwing the ball well. In some ways, it looked like he hadn't been out there. But the velocity was there. I think he was trying to find his groove a little bit."

Strahm is expected to be a member of the rotation this season if he's able to get stretched out for the role in time for Opening Day, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Strahm has potential sleeper value as a starter if the skills that led to a 2.05 ERA and a 28.2 percent strikeout rate as a reliever last season transfer over to the rotation. His workload could be managed carefully if he does earn a rotation spot, though, as he threw just 75.2 innings last year and 39.2 innings in 2017. With starters as a whole throwing fewer and fewer innings every year, however, that's less of a concern than it's ever been, so Strahm could remain interesting even if used cautiously.

Nelson's (shoulder) live batting practice session went well Monday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Nelson threw 20 pitches without issues, a positive step as he works his way back from missing an entire season due to shoulder problems. He also dealt with a minor forearm setback this spring, though the issue was unrelated to his shoulder problems. The 29-year-old should have time to be ready for the start of the regular season, though it remains to be seen when he'll get some game action in the Cactus League. Per McCalvy, Nelson is expected to ramp things up during another live batting practice session later in the week.

Ponce de Leon, who allowed three earned runs on four hits over three innings in a 10-8 Grapefruit League loss to the Mets on Sunday, worked on developing his curveball this winter after using it sparingly last season, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The promising right-hander used the curve occasionally in the minors, but he essentially kept it in mothballs during his 2018 big-league stint. Ponce de Leon only threw 18 curveballs across his 581 major-league offerings, but he focused on developing it this winter in an effort to enhance an arsenal that already includes a four-seam fastball, changeup and cutter. Ponce de Leon focused more on fastball command during his Sunday outing against the Mets, however, and his use of the power pitch helped lead to three strikeouts. Ponce de Leon is one of several candidates for the Cardinals' open rotation spot after generating a solid 2.73 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB across 33.0 innings over 11 appearances (four starts) last season.