MLB Player News

Stewart (shoulder) received a cortisone shot this week and is unlikely to start pitching in games until May, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Stewart, one of the top pitching prospects in the Dodgers' organization, has been hindered by tendinitis in his throwing shoulder for the past two weeks. He has been going through strength and conditioning work, but has yet to resume throwing. He'll likely be shut down a few days following the injection, and it's unclear when the Dodgers will start him back up on a throwing program.

Carasiti was reassigned to minor league camp Saturday.

The Rockies trimmed their roster down with three moves Saturday. Carasiti inked a minor league contract with the organization this offseason and made five appearances in spring training, notching four strikeouts and four walks while allowing one run over 4.2 innings. He figures to slot into the bullpen at Triple-A Albuquerque when the season gets underway.

Rusin (oblique) is expected to return to game action before the end of March, Nick Groke of The Denver Post reports.

The left-hander appears to be on track in his recovery from a strained oblique after tossing his second bullpen session Friday. The next step of his rehab process will be to pitch to hitters Sunday, after which a firmer timetable for his return to the Cactus League likely will come forth. This development seems to have Rusin in line to be game-ready by Opening Day, although he likely won't be stretched out enough to garner one of the vacant positions in the rotation, leaving him in a bullpen role to start the season.

Milner, a Rule 5 pick, was returned to the Phillies on Friday after the Indians outrighted him.

He didn't have much of a shot to crack the big league bullpen after the Indians signed Boone Logan, so this doesn't come as much of a surprise. Milner held a 9.00 ERA and 1.71 WHIP through seven spring innings, though he was able to collect nine strikeouts as well. The 26-year-old will head back to the Phillies' organization, where he'll eventually compete for a bullpen spot.

Hernandez was released by the Giants on Friday, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area Sports reports.

Hernandez had requested the move after being informed he would not make the Opening Day roster. The 31-year-old was attempting to earn a bullpen spot after appearing in 70 games for Philadelphia last season, but posted a 4.76 ERA over six Cactus League games this spring. He'll look to latch on to a roster elsewhere.

Estevez is focusing on simplifying his delivery to the plate in an effort to produce more consistency, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The high-octane right-hander set a Rockies' rookie record by amassing 11 saves last season, but things fell apart toward the end of the season as "Wild Thing" stumbled to the finish line with an ERA north of 5.00. The Rockies believe that these issues stemmed from varying arm slots and too many moving parts in his delivery, so they hope to simplify his throwing process in an effort to help him build on his strong debut. The initial returns are promising: Estevez currently holds a 2.57 ERA to go with an 11:1 K:BB through eight Cactus League frames. The 24-year-old is fighting for a big league bullpen role this spring, and if he continues to perform this well to close out camp, he could force his way into a prominent role in Denver to begin the season.

Smith (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area Sports reports.

It appears to be the worst case scenario for Smith, who has been dealing with elbow inflammation throughout spring camp. The left-hander remains optimistic the procedure will allow him to be ready for the beginning of the 2018 season and says he didn't want to risk a failed rehab process, which could have cost him even more time. Smith joined the Giants late last season, compiling a 2.95 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26 games. Look for Josh Osich and Steven Okert to compete for the role of top left-hander in the San Francisco bullpen.

Treinen allowed one hit and struck out two while working the ninth inning in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

He's been somewhat overshadowed in camp by the attention given to Koda Glover, but Treinen has been outstanding in his own right, posting a 0.00 ERA and 8:0 K:BB in four innings. In fact, Thursday's hit was the first baserunner he'd given up in Grapefruit League action this spring. The Nats have yet to give a hint as to who will be their closer to begin the season, but Treinen remains firmly in the conversation.

Smith (elbow) is considering undergoing Tommy John surgery after going for a second opinion on his pitching arm this week, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

According to Schulman, Smith will meet with his agent Friday before making a final decision on his course of action. An MRI earlier in the week revealed that Smith had a sprained UCL in his left elbow and now it appears that a Tommy John procedure could be imminent. Smith was acquired by the Giants at the trade deadline and was strong down the stretch with a 1.78 FIP and 26 strikeouts over 18.1 innings. If the Giants lose Smith for a significant amount of time, they'd be missing a significant piece of their bullpen puzzle. More information on Smith's course of action should be made available over the weekend.

Torres, despite allowing five earned runs over 5.0 innings with the Brewers this spring, is a lock to open the season in the Brewers' bullpen, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Torres' numbers this spring (9.00 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 6:3 K:BB) are unsightly, but they have come in just five innings over four outings, so they also carry very little weight in the long run, particularly when compared to the numbers (2.73 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 78:30 K:BB) he posted over 82.1 innings out of the Brewers' bullpen a year ago. Torres will begin the year as one of the top relievers in front of closer Neftali Feliz and figures to work in either the seventh or eighth inning.