MLB Player News

Gearrin (finger) gave up one run on two hits in his lone inning of work on Tuesday.

Gearrin made his first appearance in 12 days, as the 30-year-old was dealing with a broken fingernail on his throwing hand. He posted a 4.28 ERA in 48.1 innings with the Giants last season, but his spot in the bullpen isn't guaranteed heading into the 2017 campaign. Gearrin still has time to prove himself this spring, but he'll need to improve upon his 9.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP if he's looking to return San Francisco's bullpen.

Rusin (oblique) completed a bullpen session Monday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

It was Rusin's first mound work since he first suffered a right oblique strain during a March 3 Cactus League appearance, and though he appears to be progressing, he's likely missed too much time this spring to seriously contend for the open spot in the Rockies rotation. That role is expected to fall to German Marquez, which likely puts Rusin on tap for a long-relief role to begin the season.

Smith (elbow) will head back to San Francisco on Tuesday for a second opinion, CSN Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reports.

There is concern about the integrity of his UCL after Monday's MRI, and it sounds like Tommy John surgery is a possibility. The Giants are hoping that Smith just needs treatment and rehab, which would still likely sideline him for the first couple months of the season. Steven Okert and Josh Osich project to open the year as the Giants two lefties out of the bullpen.

With Will Smith's (elbow) status for Opening Day in question, Okert's chances of making the cut increase.

The 25-year-old was competing with fellow southpaw Josh Osich for the Giants final bullpen spot. With Smith going down to injury, both lefties could end up making the squad after all. Okert had already put himself in a great position to earn a roster spot this spring, tossing six innings of shutout ball with three strikeouts and one walk. It is unclear if either lefty will fill the role of left-handed setup man if Smith does start the year on the disabled list.

Stewart (shoulder) remains without a timetable to play catch, SB Nation's Eric Stephen reports.

He has been limited to strength and conditioning exercises for almost two weeks, and appears likely to open the season on the disabled list. There are several pitchers ahead of Stewart in the pecking order for big league starts this season, but he doesn't have much left to prove in the upper levels of the minors, so he is worth keeping an eye on in deeper formats in case the Dodgers' rotation is dealt a couple injuries.

Judging by manager Bryan Price's comments to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Iglesias (elbow/back) might not miss much time. "He should be OK," Price said. "We're going to do a bit more of a thorough once-over today with both the elbow and back. There's no reason to slow him down completely."

While it's easy to think our initial reaction might be alarmist, it's also premature to send out the all-clear based on these comments. The fact is that he was shut down and was examined on Monday, and he's had issues with his shoulder in the past. The Reds aren't going to use Iglesias as their sole closer, but he's expected to be the most valuable arm in their bullpen. If he misses time, Michael Lorenzen and Drew Storen are the most likely to pitch in high-leverage situations in his place, with Tony Cingrani figuring into the mix as well.

Smith will undergo an MRI on his elbow after he felt something during Monday's spring game, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

This isn't good news for Smith, who was only making his second appearance back after being sidelined for much of spring with elbow inflammation. Given the time of spring, it seems likely the southpaw won't be ready for Opening Day. His status will be updated after the MRI results are known.

Smith left Monday's spring game early with a trainer, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

Smith deflected a grounder with his bare hand, but he was able to stay on and record two outs before being pulled in the middle of an at-bat. It's not clear if the injury is related to the ball that ricocheted off his hand or his elbow that sidelined him for the first three weeks of spring games. The southpaw should be considered day-to-day until the Giants release more about his injury.

Iglesias was scratched from a workout Sunday after complaining of back and elbow soreness, the Reds' broadcast team reported during Monday's spring training game.

Iglesias is getting further examinations Monday, but given Iglesias's issues last season this is obviously a pretty big concern.

Vizcaino struck out two in a perfect inning of work during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 26-year-old has been impressive this spring, posting a 1.29 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10:2 K:BB through seven innings -- but most importantly, he's been healthy. Vizcaino will open the season setting up Jim Johnson, making him a safe bet for fantasy value in leagues that reward holds, but if the veteran gets dealt over the summer, Vizcaino could find himself back in the closer role.