MLB Player News

Alzolay is building up his arm strength in extended spring training and should head to Triple-A Iowa once he's ready to start, MLB.com's Jim Callis reports.

According to the report, Alzolay is healthy, he's just not ready to take on a starter's workload. He is already on the 40-man roster and could be an option in the big-league bullpen or rotation later this summer if he stays healthy.

Manager Bruce Bochy announced that Blach will start Sunday's game against the Dodgers, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Blach had been bumped to Monday as a result of Friday's postponement, but the team's manager ultimately changed his mind and will keep the young lefty on schedule. Blach lines up to face off with Clayton Kershaw for the second time this season.

Hader could be in line for some saves as the Brewers employ a closer committee while Corey Knebel (hamstring) is on the disabled list, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Knebel will be out for at least six weeks, and there's no obvious candidate to take over for him in the Brewers' bullpen. Manager Craig Counsell confirmed that the team will use a committee, though he didn't specify who would be a part of it. Hader's electric stuff has led him to a 37.7 percent strikeout rate and a 1.95 ERA in his short major-league career -- definitely prototypical closer numbers. The Brewers may prefer to keep him in a high-leverage setup role, though, as he's excelled there so far.

Lamet (elbow) threw from 60 feet on flat ground Friday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Lamet is moving quickly through his rehab, as he returned to throwing from a stationary position Thursday. No firm timetable for his return has been released, though this relatively torrid throwing program pace makes it seem like he won't miss that much more time.

Ottavino collected the win Thursday against the Padres after throwing two scoreless innings. He allowed a hit and struck out two in the outing.

Ottavino looks like an entirely new pitcher so far this season. He struck out the side in his first two appearances of the campaign and currently has a 10:1 K:BB in five innings pitched. Granted, the sample size is pretty small. However, he typically has solid ratios when he's healthy, and this early showing makes it seem as if he's firing on all cylinders right now.

Blach will not start Sunday's game against the Dodgers, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic Bay Area reports.

The southpaw was initially tabbed to take on Clayton Kershaw in the series finale, but Friday's rainout now has Chris Stratton in line to toe the rubber Sunday. This leaves Blach without an expected two-start week, though he could be in line for a pair of starts next week depending on how manager Bruce Bochy decides to re-arrange his rotation.

White is being held back in extended spring training after suffering some minor dings in camp and will join Double-A Tulsa in the coming weeks, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear what the exact issue is with White, and it's possible the Dodgers are simply being cautious with one of their better pitching prospects. Mitchell was excellent in his Double-A debut last season (2.57 ERA with 31 strikeouts over 28 innings), so he could quickly make the jump to Triple-A if he replicates that success early on this year.

Estevez (oblique) navigated a scoreless inning with Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday, striking out one.

The right-hander looked sharp during the rehab outing, requiring just nine pitches to complete the frame and throwing seven of those offerings for strikes. Estevez appears to be nearing a return to the Rockies' bullpen, though he may make a couple more rehab appearances before being activated from the disabled list.

Hoffman (shoulder) will throw a simulated game Friday at the Rockies' facilities in Arizona, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Hoffman was scratched from a start during spring training back on March 4, but it seems like he's nearing a return to game action. If all goes well in Friday's session, the pitching prospect is expected to embark on a rehab assignment with High-A Lancaster. He'll likely need a couple rehab starts in order to build back up to a starter's workload.

Scribner was claimed by the Diamondbacks on Friday.

He was designated for assignment by the Angels on Tuesday to make room for Akeel Morris. Scribner was claimed by Arizona and optioned to Triple-A Reno. The 26-year-old reached the majors for the first time last season, tossing 23.2 innings with a 4.18 ERA and a 7.00 FIP. In a corresponding move, Jeremy Hazelbaker was designated for assignment.