MLB Player News

Estevez has won a job in the major-league bullpen, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old worked to simplify his pitching mechanics this spring, and it paid off in a huge way. Estevez concluded Cactus League play with an outstanding 1.74 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 12:1 K:BB across 10.1 innings. Estevez has some closing experience under his belt from last season, but it's unlikely that he'll get many opportunities this season with Greg Holland, Adam Ottavino, and Jake McGee seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order for ninth-inning opportunities.

Law failed to record an out Sunday, giving up one run on three hits in a 6-5 loss to Arizona.

It wasn't the greatest start to the season for Law, who is looking to solidify his role as a late-inning bridge to Mark Melancon. It was just one poor outing, so expect the 26-year-old to bounce back, considering he posted a 2.13 ERA and 0.96 WHIP last season. The young pitcher should continue to be viewed as a good source for holds.

Melancon blew a save and took the loss in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out one and recording just two outs.

Melancon entered with a one-run lead and retired the first two batters he faced, but he proceeded to allow the next four men to reach base as Arizona plated a pair for a walkoff win. Big things were expected from the veteran after he was acquired during the offseason, and despite this inauspicious start to his run with the Giants, he should bounce back in no time.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Sunday that Rodney will be the team's undisputed closer, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

While there are many questions surrounding how Arizona will utilize the rest of its bullpen, it appears Rodney will consistently get the ninth inning whenever he is available. The 40-year-old veteran right-hander is coming off a solid 2016 season in which he posted a 3.44 ERA and 3.80 FIP. While he will likely get a vast majority of Arizona's save opportunities, it's worth noting the amount of saves he actually ends up recording will depend on how often his team can get to the ninth inning with a lead, something that the Diamondbacks struggled to do often last season.

Iglesias (elbow) said he had no issues during his appearance in a minor-league game Friday and will be ready to go for the start of the season, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.

Prior to Friday, Iglesias hadn't pitched in 17 days after he suffered a bone bruise in his throwing elbow stemming from a hard fall in the shower. He tossed a scoreless inning and felt his control and command were both on point during the outing, which gave the Reds enough confidence that he'd be ready to go for Opening Day. Because of the extended time off, Iglesias may only be used in one-inning scenarios to begin the season while he builds up arm strength, but manager Bryan Price envisions using both Iglesias and Michael Lorenzen as multi-inning relievers capable of finishing out games. Iglesias is still expected to see the lion's share of the save opportunities, however.

Rusin (oblique) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday.

Rusin strained his oblique on March 3 and has been ramping up his rehab during the past few weeks. Though he'll miss Opening Day, the team is hoping he'll be ready to go when he comes off of the disabled list on April 12.

Castro was designated for assignment Sunday.

Castro was in competition for one of the final spots in the Rockies' bullpen during spring camp but was sent to minor-league camp in mid-March. If he passes through waivers, he'll open the season with Triple-A Albuquerque.

Smith (elbow) was placed on the 60-day disabled list Sunday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Smith underwent Tommy John surgery in late May and will miss the entire 2017 season. He'll hopefully be ready to return to live action in early 2018.

Stewart (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday.

Stewart continues to rehab the shoulder tendinitis that has plagued him throughout camp. His timetable for return is still a bit unclear, but an activation during April would be surprising. He'll likely open the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Okert was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The club was choosing between Okert and Neil Ramirez to fill its final spot in the bullpen. Although Okert has experience with the big club -- he posted a 3.21 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 16 games (14 innings) in 2016 -- Ramirez ultimately got the nod to be on the Opening Day roster. While it's possible that Okert could work his way back up to the majors at some point this season, he'll return to Sacramento for the time being.