MLB Player News

Smith (elbow) was removed from the 60-day DL on Friday.

Smith underwent Tommy John surgery in March, but was able to start throwing again in September, which marked the first step in his recovery. It's still expected that the reliever will miss a little time at the beginning of the 2018 season, as Smith still has a long ways to go before returning to action.

Miller (elbow) was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list Friday.

Miller underwent Tommy John surgery in early May and was actually able to throw off flat ground in October, so it remains to be seen what his timetable will be heading into the 2018 season. At this point, it seems likely that the right-hander will begin the season on the DL, but it will all depend on how he progresses during the offseason.

Torres cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Wednesday.

Torres, who is set to turn 35 before the start of next season, is coming off a rough 2017 campaign during which he compiled an unremarkable 4.21 ERA and 56:33 K:BB across 72.2 innings. He's expected to refuse his outright assignment, making him a free agent. Wherever he ends up, he likely won't be more than a low-leverage bullpen piece in 2018.

Dillard inked a minor-league deal with the Brewers on Tuesday.

Dillard finished 2017 at Triple-A Colorado Springs, accruing a 5.17 ERA over 62.2 innings pitched. The 34-year-old right-hander has struggled in recent years, posting an ERA over 5.00 in each of his last three seasons. Fortunately for Dillard, the Milwaukee bullpen was inconsistent last season, meaning there's a chance he could get called up at some point during next year.

Beede (groin) took the hill Tuesday in the Arizona Fall League, the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman reports.

Beede suffered a significant groin injury in late July, which ended his 2017 season before he got the chance to make an appearance with the big-league club. The right-hander was able to toss two innings against Salt River on Tuesday, allowing five earned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out one. More importantly, he was finally able to get back into the swing of things, and should be fine moving forward.

Wilson is not on the NLCS roster for the series against the Dodgers.

Wilson only pitched once during the NLDS against Washington, recording two outs during Wednesday's Game 4 loss. He was replaced on the active roster by Hector Rondon, but could rejoin the 25-man for the World Series were the Cubs to advance.

Miller (elbow) was able to throw off flat ground Monday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery May 10, Kevin Zimmerman of ArizonaSports.com reports.

According to Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, Miller threw from about 45 feet 30-to-40 times. The right-hander is scheduled to continue light throwing for the next several weeks before he's rested throughout November and December to keep his arm fresh for the start of spring training. The Diamondbacks haven't issued a timetable for Miller's return to the big club, but the expectation is that he'll open the 2018 campaign on the disabled list before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment.

Nelson (shoulder) will miss a "meaningful" portion of the 2018 season, according to general manager David Stearns, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

There is not a concrete timetable for Nelson's return from mid-September surgery to repair his labrum. He carries a lot of risk in single-season leagues, as it's possible he could miss several months. However, he proved this year that he has top-of-the-rotation upside when he's healthy, posting a 3.49 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 199 strikeouts in 175.1 innings.

Hoffman finished the regular season with a 5.89 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 99.1 innings pitched.

The former pitching prospect struggled mightily following his September callup, sporting a 12.91 ERA and 2.48 WHIP in 7.2 innings in relief. Hoffman's future still lies in the rotation, but he hasn't been able to strike out enough batters to make up for his control issues to this point.

Estevez finished the regular season with a 5.57 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 in 32.1 innings pitched.

The young right-hander performed well after his September callup, producing a 9.3 K/9 in 11.2 innings of work and throwing eight straight scoreless appearances to close out the campaign. At just 24 years old, Estevez has the stuff to be a future closer for the Rockies, but he needs to control his offerings better before the Rockies let him go near high-leverage innings again.