MLB Player News

Lopez may remain in the bullpen this season, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

It was previously reported that Lopez would return to starting this season, but new reports suggest that he may remain in the pen. He was moved to the bullpen at Double-A Biloxi in the middle of last season. The move was somewhat successful, as his 3.62 ERA as a reliever was nearly a run lower than the 4.61 ERA he posted as a starter, though his strikeout rate was actually higher as a starter (9.9 K/9) than as a reliever (7.7 K/9).

Williams (elbow) has been able to throw off a flattened mound in recent days, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Williams is coming off Tommy John surgery that he underwent in late March of 2017 and it's expected that he will be able to return to the field in game shape around the beginning of May. A clearer picture of his timetable will come into focus once he's able to progress to throwing off a regulation mound.

Hudson (ankle) completed a scheduled bullpen session Tuesday, CBS Pittsburgh reports.

A sprained ankle prevented Hudson from throwing during the first week of camp, but now healthy the righty will look to rebound from a disastrous 2017 campaign. After signing a two-year, $11 million deal in December of 2016, Hudson compiled a 4.38 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 61.2 innings. A career-worst 4.8 BB/9 highlighted his struggles. Look for Pittsburgh to move Hudson at the trade deadline if he shows any signs of life.

Hammer has yet to start throwing during spring training, but said Monday that he isn't dealing with any sort of injury, Matt Gelb of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

It appears the Phillies are simply taking it easy on the 23-year-old Hammer after he compiled 71.1 innings in his second professional season -- nearly double his total from 2016 -- before taking part in the Arizona Fall League. Acquired from the Rockies last July, Hammer quickly distinguished himself as one of the Phillies' top relief prospects in the lower minors after posting a 0.57 ERA, 0.66 WHIP and 20:2 K:BB in 15.2 innings at High-A Clearwater following the trade.

Strahm has impressed the Padres' brass in his bullpen sessions early on during spring training, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Shipped to San Diego last July in a deal that sent three pitchers to the Royals, Strahm is still awaiting his Padres debut after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon prior to the deal. As a 6-foot-3 left-hander with a fastball that sits around the mid-90s and a plus curveball, Strahm possesses perhaps the most intriguing skills among the Padres pitchers competing for back-end rotation spots. He'll probably need to turn in a few productive outings in the Cactus League to secure a starting job, but if relegated to the bullpen to begin the year, Strahm could quickly settle into a key setup role.

Stephenson is being held back in spring by a "crick" in his neck, John Fay of Cincinnati.com reports.

The good news is the issue doesn't appear to be anything overly serious, as manager Bryan Price noted the team is simply being cautious with the righty. "He's fine. The arm is great," Price said. "We're making sure the neck doesn't get him in bad habits." Stephenson is set to compete with the likes of Sal Romano, Amir Garrett, Tyler Mahle, Michael Lorenzen and Jackson Stephens for the Reds' final rotation spot. Assuming the neck issue doesn't affect his performance throughout spring, the 24-year-old Stephenson is one of the favorites to win the gig.

Burdi (elbow) was transfered to the 60-day disabled list Tuesday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic Pittsburgh reports.

This was a move to make room on the 40-man roster for recently acquired outfielder Bryce Brentz. Burdi, a Rule 5 pick, is still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so he was a clear choice to move to the 60-day DL. At this point, it seems like the right-hander is still on track to return to game action sometime over the summer.

Hoffman will compete for the Rockies' final rotation spot this spring, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

At this time, the top four spots in the rotation seem to belong to Jon Gray, German Marquez, Tyler Anderson and Chad Bettis. This leaves one spot for either Hoffman, Kyle Freeland or Antonio Senzatela. Hoffman certainly has the most prospect pedigree of the trio, although his numbers in the majors have left much to be desired. The 25-year-old holds a career 5.65 ERA and 1.53 WHIP to go with a 7.2 K/9. His FIP is 50 points lower than his ERA, but his struggles at Coors Field and his control issues the past two years make him a risky bet heading into 2018. He'll need to pitch well this spring to crack the big-league roster.

Minter will no longer be restricted from pitching on back-to-back days, MLB.com reports.

Minter had pitched on consecutive days just twice in his professional career after recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2015. The Braves now feel that he's fully recovered and will use him like any other reliever. The lack of restrictions should help Minter cement his spot in the Braves' bullpen and potentially push for the closer role down the line.

Lopez will return to starting in 2018, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Lopez had moved from the rotation to the bullpen last season at Double-A Biloxi, finishing the year with 13 starts and a further 26 appearances out of the pen. He spent the winter starting games in the Dominican Winter League. The 25-year-old has made brief appearances at the big-league level in two of the last three seasons, starting two games in 2015 and appearing once out of the bullpen last season.