MLB Player News

Kay (elbow) threw to batters this spring and considers himself "fully good to go," Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com reports.

Kay, a 2016 first-round draft pick out of the University of Connecticut, underwent Tommy John surgery in October of that year. He missed all of the 2017 season as a result, but it seems like he'll be back to full health for the start of the minor-league campaign. Kay has yet to appear in official game action this spring, but things appear to be trending upward for the pitching prospect.

Cimber has impressed manager Andy Green this spring, tossing eight scoreless innings in the Cactus League while striking out eight, walking one and holding opposing hitters to a .148 batting average.

The 27-year-old had a solid showing at Triple-A El Paso last season, posting a 2.92 ERA in 64.2 innings and walking just 3.2 percent of the batters he faced. He's "thrust himself into the conversation," according to Green. It would be something of a surprise if a 27-year-old with no major-league experience and no spot on the 40-man roster makes the team, but Cimber appears to have an outside chance to do that based on how he's performed this spring.

Brebbia fired a scoreless fifth inning in Tuesday's 8-7 Grapefruit League loss to the Mets, allowing a hit and recording two strikeouts.

Brebbia has been similarly effective throughout the majority of his eight appearances, but one rocky outing against the Astros back on March 9 in which he surrendered all four of the runs on his spring ledger has led to a somewhat bloated 4.70 ERA. The 27-year-old opened eyes in his rookie 2017 campaign, generating a 2.44 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 51:11 K:BB and five holds over 51.2 innings across 50 appearances. That major-league track record gives him a potential leg up for a roster spot over the impressive duo of Mike Mayers and Josh Lucas, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports, with the final days of the exhibition slate likely to sort matters out.

Mayers fired two perfect innings in Tuesday's 8-7 Grapefruit League loss to the Mets, recording two strikeouts.

It was another pristine performance from Mayers, who's now up to 11 scoreless frames this spring. A fastball that's consistently hit the high 90s and an equally effective slider have been keys to his success, as has the right-hander's full embrace of a bullpen role over winter ball, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports. The 26-year-old remains in contention for an Opening Day roster spot, with a likely high-leverage role at Triple-A Memphis a fallback scenario to open 2018.

Reyes (elbow) was able to toss 45 pitches over three "innings" to hitters on a back field Wednesday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Reyes continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent last February. The team has remained adamant in taking it extremely easy on the right-hander as Reyes is set to open up the 2018 season on the 10-day disabled list. Expect to see him back in the major-league bullpen around early May barring a setback.

Grace has a 2.53 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 6:2 K:BB through 10.2 innings this spring.

The left-hander is expected to fill a role in middle relief this season, pitching more than one inning as necessary rather than working as a LOOGY. Grace has never been a big strikeout pitcher, so even if he tops last year's career-high 50 innings, he likely won't provide enough bulk Ks or holds to have much fantasy value even in deep NL-only formats.

Gsellman is likely to open the season in the Mets' bullpen, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

With relievers Hansel Robles and Rafael Montero posting spring ERAs of 9.00 or above, the Mets could turn to Gsellman and Seth Lugo to fill out their bullpen. Gsellman has just four major-league relief appearances to his name, but it's possible his stuff will play up in the bullpen. He's likely to make at least a handful of starts this season when other Mets starters get injured.

Montero's poor performances this spring have left him unlikely to make the Mets' Opening Day roster, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Montero is out of options, but the Mets may be willing to risk losing him on waivers given how poorly he's pitched. He's allowed at least one run in each of his last six appearances and has five walks in 8.2 innings. It's not as if these struggles are new, as he owns a career 5.38 ERA in parts of four major-league seasons, walking 12.6 percent of the batters he's faced. He's not an asset the Mets can't afford to lose.

Hernandez (mouth) is expected to begin the season on the disabled list, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Hernandez has been out for over a week while recovering from dental surgery to remove his wisdom teeth. He's back throwing now and could possibly be ready to go by Opening Day, but the Marlins may look for opportunities to delay their decision on whether or not to keep the Rule 5 pick on the roster. If he opens on the disabled list, he can remain in the minors for a time while making rehab appearances.

An MRI revealed that Leiter has a mild flexor strain, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It seems like Leiter avoided the worst-case scenario, but he's still expected to miss a good chunk of time. The Phillies plan to shut him down for 2-to-3 weeks, meaning that the earliest he can return to action is late April. This essentially guarantees a trip to the DL to start the season, which opens the fifth starter competition back up for Ben Lively, Zach Eflin and non-roster invitee Drew Hutchison.