MLB Player News

Hoffman (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday.

This is not surprising, as he has been dealing with shoulder soreness since early March. There is no firm timetable for Hoffman's return, so consider him out indefinitely for now.

Smith (elbow) was placed on the 10-day disabled list.

This was a forgone conclusion. Smith is on track for a return May 1, and he may join a shorthanded bullpen, as closer Mark Melancon hit the DL with a flexor strain in his throwing elbow. That said, Sam Dyson, Hunter Strickland and Tony Watson figure to be ahead of Smith in the pecking order for saves if Melancon's injury leads to an extended absence.

Melancon (elbow) will open the year on the 10-day DL, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The Giants are calling Melancon's injury a right elbow flexor strain, which is not good at all, as it's the type of injury that could cost the Giants' closer significant time, and may even require another surgery. Sam Dyson seems like the best bet to get saves initially, as he was a competent fill-in for Melancon last year. Hunter Strickland would be the option with more fantasy upside, but he is unproven in such a role. Consider Melancon out indefinitely.

Iglesias was placed on 3-day paternity leave Thursday.

This timing couldn't have been much worse, as it was announced on Opening Day and could result in Iglesias being unavailable through the end of March. With David Hernandez and Michael Lorenzen on the disabled list, Wandy Peralta and Kevin Quackenbush look like the favorites to close games if a save situation arises while Iglesias is away from the team. That said, the Reds open against the Nationals, facing Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg on Friday and Saturday, respectively, so it would have been a bit of a challenge for Iglesias to notch a save in either game.

Hernandez (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day DL.

He is dealing with right shoulder inflammation, so it's possible he needs more than the minimum 10 days to get right. Once healthy, he should take over a setup role in the Reds' bullpen.

The Marlins recalled Peters from Triple-A New Orleans on Thursday, MLB.com reports.

Peters was initially slated to begin the season in New Orleans, but a rotation spot with the big club opened up for the young lefty after Dan Straily unexpectedly developed right forearm inflammation late in camp and was forced to the disabled list. Peters is slated to make his season debut Sunday versus the Cubs and should have ample opportunity to stake his claim to a permanent rotation spot with only Jose Urena, Straily and Wei-Yin Chen (elbow) seemingly assured starting roles with Miami when all are healthy.

Hoffman (shoulder) is expected to begin the season on the disabled list, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The pitching prospect has been out of commission since early March due to shoulder soreness. Since he's not expected to return to some form of game action until sometime in April, it makes a lot of sense for the team to simply open up his roster spot to begin the year. With Hoffman starting the season on the disabled list, Kyle Freeland will grab the fifth starter role while Antonio Senzatela begins the season as a long reliever in the big leagues.

Estevez (oblique) will be placed on the disabled list to start the regular season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The young right-hander was already prepared to miss the first few games, but this move will ultimately allow the team to keep a fresh arm on the roster in his stead. No word has come forth as to how soon he'll be back in action. This will open the door for Scott Oberg and Antonio Senzatela to start the season in the major-league bullpen.

Shaw concluded spring training with a 9.00 ERA and a 2.33 WHIP in six innings pitched.

Much of the damage done to the veteran's stat line came courtesy of the home run ball, as he served up four of them in his limited spring action. One silver lining to his rough spring was the nine strikeouts he collected in that span. Overall, it doesn't seem like Shaw's standing in the bullpen is impacted by these struggles since the Rockies tend to focus more on individual adjustments rather than the results during the spring. The 30-year-old appears to still be in line for a prominent late-inning role in the Colorado bullpen.

Garcia was recalled from Double-A Jacksonville on Thursday and will work out of the bullpen in long relief during the first series of the year against the Cubs, which means he likely won't start Monday's game against the Red Sox, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Garcia profiles best in relief and has never started a game in the majors, so this isn't a huge surprise. It is unclear who will start Monday's game. Adam Conley and Sandy Alcantara would be the most fantasy-relevant options, and both would be eligible to be recalled as they were sent to minor-league camp over a week ago.