MLB Player News

Gott tightened his slider during the offseason, giving him a second strong pitch and putting him in contention for the final spot in the Nationals' bullpen, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

The right-hander has only thrown nine innings in the big leagues over the last two seasons, but Gott has yet to allow a run this spring with a 5:2 K:BB through six innings and has impressed the coaching staff with his improved breaking pitch. If he does win a spot on the 25-man roster it still wouldn't come with much fantasy upside, however.

Stephenson made it through only two innings in Wednesday's spring training start against the Diamondbacks, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks. He could not command his breaking pitches, MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince reports. He threw over 30 pitches in the first inning, going to three-ball counts on each of the first five hitters.

There are opportunities to be had in the Reds' rotation, but Stephenson has done very little to claim them. "It's a challenge, for sure," said Stephenson, who has a 9.00 ERA through eight innings. "I definitely want to go out there and prove that I belong in that rotation. And I feel that when I'm pitching the way I should, I definitely do. But the way I have lately, I'm not very happy with it."

Manager Bud Black said that Estevez (oblique) is progressing well and could get into a Cactus League game soon, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The reliever has been sidelined since late February -- he was originally projected to return in just 5-to-7 days. Oblique injuries can tend to linger longer than expected. Estevez should be back relatively soon, but it's unclear if he'll build up enough innings to be ready for Opening Day. The 25-year-old made just one spring appearance prior to getting injured.

The Braves reassigned Jackson to their minor-league camp Tuesday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Jackson, who was in camp as a non-roster invitee, turned in a 4.62 ERA and 5.9 K/9 over 50.2 innings out of the Atlanta bullpen in 2017. The right-hander did little this spring to convince the Braves he was worth adding back to the 40-man roster, surrendering five runs in 3.1 innings during Grapefruit League action before being reassigned. Look for him to work as long reliever or spot starter for Triple-A Gwinnett for most of the upcoming campaign.

Miller (elbow) was able to throw a 15-pitch bullpen session Tuesday, Jody Jackson of Fox Sports Arizona reports.

This marked the first bullpen session for Miller since undergoing Tommy John surgery last May. He is expected to miss the first couple months of the 2018 season while continuing his recovery, but there hasn't been any clear timetable for his eventual return at this point. Expect a better picture once he's able to increase activity.

Strop (calf) is closing in on a return to the mound for a spring game, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Strop has yet to appear in a spring contest due to a sore left calf, but said he's almost there in terms of his recovery. Expect the right-hander to be fully operational by the time Opening Day rolls around.

Manager Andy Green added Lamet's name to the list of pitchers he envisions making the Padres' starting rotation to begin the year, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

It was a bit surprising that Lamet wasn't given this vote of confidence earlier this spring considering the quality of the two pitchers who got the nod ahead of him (Clayton Richard and Bryan Mitchell). Better late than never. While Green didn't fully confirm the 25-year-old's placement in the rotation, he added that "he's moving closer to [securing a rotation spot]" after showering the youngster with praise following Tuesday's victory over the Cubs. Lamet experienced extreme peaks and valleys on his way to a 4.57 ERA over 114.1 innings as a rookie last year, but the notable stat was his strikeout rate (10.9 K/9), which ranked ninth among all major-league starters. The righty has been working on adding a curveball to his repertoire during exhibition play to complement his mid-90s fastball, hard-biting slider and mediocre change. Lamet has the highest fantasy upside of any of the Friars' rotation candidates, and the strikeouts alone should make him a viable option in most fantasy formats.

Collins has been hitting the mid-90s with his fastball this spring, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

The results have backed up the radar gun readings, as Collins has a 9:3 K:BB through 6.2 innings. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2014 due to two Tommy John surgeries and the Nats have plenty of other left-handed options for their bullpen, making Collins a long shot to break camp on the team's 25-man roster. Once upon a time he was a prototypical high-K reliever, posting a 12.0 K/9 over 69.2 innings for the Royals in 2012. If he has indeed rediscovered something close to his old form, the 28-year-old could make his return to the bigs at some point this season -- whether with Washington, or with another club willing to take a chance on him.

Holmes could join the Pirates' rotation early in the 2018 campaign. "If we carry (Steven Brault and Tyler Glasnow) in the bullpen in April, we are going to need guys in May and June, and Clayton continues to show us he can be a major league starting pitcher," general manager Neal Huntingdon told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's just a matter of trust, trust his weapons. He has weapons to get major league hitters out."

The 24-year-old righty, who missed 2014 and most of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery, advanced to Triple-A last summer where he compiled a 3.36 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 99:59 K:BB in 112.2 innings. His career minor-league rates (6.8 K/9, 4.5 BB/9) aren't particularly impressive, but he could get a chance to debut with a strong start at Triple-A.

Suero (side) was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse by the Nationals on Tuesday, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

Suero posted a 1.70 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 42 strikeouts across 42.1 innings for Syracuse in 2017, with similar numbers in a shorter stint at Double-A Harrisburg. The 26-year-old is currently dealing with side tightness and his current status remains day-to-day, but he'll need to wait beyond Opening Day to make his MLB debut.