MLB Player News

The Giants are unsure if Melancon (arm) will be ready for Opening Day, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Melancon is apparently feeling something in his arm, though manager Bruce Bochy wouldn't elaborate. This is certainly a concern after a series of arm issues derailed his first season with the Giants in 2017. He hasn't pitched since Friday, but the veteran is expected to play catch Tuesday and Wednesday, after which there should be a clearer idea regarding his status for the start of the season. If Melancon is ultimately forced to open the year on the disabled list, Sam Dyson would likely step in as the team's closer.

Hernandez (mouth) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Hernandez will start the 2018 campaign on the disabled list as he continues to work his way back from dental surgery to remove his wisdom teeth. It's unclear when the Rule 5 pick might be ready to return, but the Marlins will likely decide whether or not to keep him or return him to the Astros following his minor-league rehab assignment.

Brebbia was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Brebbia was fighting for a spot in the Cardinals' Opening Day bullpen, but the team's decision to carry top prospect Jordan Hicks to open the season leaves Brebbia bound for Triple-A for a second straight year. The 27-year-old posted a solid 2.44 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 51:11 K:BB across 51.2 innings of relief for the big club last season, so he should be the first man called upon when the Cardinals require additional bullpen help.

Hicks will make the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Hicks, one of the Cardinals' top prospects, was expected to open the year with Double-A Springfield, but an impressive showing in camp prompted the Cardinals to give him a spot in the big-league bullpen to open the season. The 21-year-old notched an impressive 2.53 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB across 7.2 spring innings. His spring was highlighted by a spot start against a regulars-heavy Nationals lineup that saw him toss four scoreless innings while allowing just one baserunner. Hicks is expected to factor into the late-inning mix for the Cardinals, and seeing as the team has yet to name a closer, the flamethrower should be a name to keep an eye on given his potential. He still hasn't pitched above High-A in his professional career, however, so it's also possible that he's sent back to the minors for more seasoning if he struggles to find his footing.

The Pirates aren't counting on Burdi (elbow) to join the big-league bullpen until August if his rehab goes according to plan, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Burdi underwent Tommy John surgery in late May of 2017, so it would seem the Pirates are preparing for a 14-month timeline for a full recovery. Prior to going under the knife, Burdi was viewed within the Twins organization as a potential closer down the road, with the right-hander validating that optimism with a 0.53 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB in 17 innings at Double-A Chattanooga before the injury surfaced. Burdi will face an uphill battle to regain the triple-digit fastball velocity he flashed pre-surgery, but the Rule 5 selection is an intriguing project for Pittsburgh.

Cimber has won a spot on the Padres' Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old has yet to appear in the majors, though he had a solid season for Triple-A El Paso last year. In 64.2 innings, the sidearmer posted a 2.92 ERA, walked just 3.2 percent of the batters he faced and generated a 54.3 percent groundball rate. He continued to impress this spring, striking out nine and allowing four hits, one walk and no runs in nine innings of work.

Miller (elbow) threw his fifth bullpen session of the spring Tuesday, incorporating breaking balls for the first time, Jack Magruder of FanRagSports.com reports.

Miller is working his way back from Tommy John surgery in May. The standard recovery timetable would see Miller returning to the big leagues at some point in June or July. He could be a factor down the stretch for the Diamondbacks and for fantasy owners, though with xFIPs of 5.06 and 4.84 in the last two years, he's both an injury risk and a performance risk.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Boxberger will be the Diamondbacks' closer to open the season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

With Opening Day just days away, Lovullo has finally picked his ninth-inning man, going with Boxberger over the likes of Archie Bradley and Yoshihisa Hirano. Boxberger has plenty of experience as an endgamer, notching 41 saves for the Rays back in 2015. While he's struggled to stay healthy over the past two seasons, he seemed to find his form in September of last year, posting a 0.96 ERA and 17:2 K:BB across 9.1 innings.

Richards could open the season as part of the Marlins' starting rotation, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Nothing has been announced yet, but injuries and the Marlins' lack of viable major-league options have left the door open for Richards to claim one of the team's final rotation spots out of camp. The 24-year-old has made as strong case for himself in spring training, accruing a 0.75 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 12 innings of work, albeit with a mediocre 9:5 K:BB. Richards has never pitched above Double-A, however, so it remains to be seen what the team will do with him at this point. He has yet to register an ERA north of 4.00 in his three professional seasons, though he could prove overmatched at the major-league level if he does break camp with the big club.

The Pirates reassigned Schultz (elbow) to their minor-league camp Monday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The demotion came on the same day that Schultz made his first appearance of the Grapefruit League in the Pirates' 6-3 loss to the Phillies, tossing a scoreless seventh inning. It also marked Schultz's first competitive outing since he underwent Tommy John surgery almost exactly a year earlier. While Schultz has endured no complications thus far in his recovery from the procedure, he'll still need further time to build up his arm after remaining idle for the past year. Schultz will stick around at extended spring training to pitch in additional simulated games or report to High-A Bradenton, which isn't far from the Pirates' facilities in Florida.