MLB Player News

Gsellman allowed one run on four hits and a walk while striking out three over five innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

He continues to reel off solid performances as he looks to lock up the Mets' fifth starter role to begin the season. Gsellman now sports a 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB through 12 spring innings.

Manager Pete Mackanin reiterated after Saturday's 13-8 loss to the Pirates that Gomez is his closer "right now," Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Mackanin was asked by reporters if Gomez's status as closer had changed after the righty pitched two innings Saturday. There has been no change, but Gomez will likely be on a short leash after he struggled down the stretch in 2016. He's been solid this spring, having allowed just one run on four hits in 7.2 innings with four strikeouts and a walk.

Smith (elbow) fired a scoreless inning Friday, allowing two hits in a loss to the Rockies.

The veteran lefty made his return from a minor elbow injury that kept him out of the first few weeks of spring action. Smith didn't experience any setbacks, and the club feels It has enough time to get him up to speed before Opening Day. He will serve as the Giants' left-handed setup man this season.

Sewald allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two in 1.1 innings during Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

He was the first reliever out of the bullpen for the Mets and entered the game while the Cards still had a number of their regulars in the lineup, but Sewald ended up mainly facing subs anyway. The 26-year-old now has a 0.96 ERA and 0.64 WHIP through 9.1 spring innings, and while the team would have to find room for him on the 40-man roster to bring him north, Sewald is making a strong case for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

Bowman (1-0) gave up just one hit over a scoreless inning in Thursday's 2-1 Grapefruit League win over the Twins.

The 26-year-old remains perfect this spring, with Thursday's outing bringing his scoreless streak to six innings. Bowman has recorded five strikeouts and given up five hits over that span while also notching a save. The right-hander is projected for another robust workload in the middle-to-late innings in the coming season and should certainly have plenty of opportunity to build on the 13 holds he posted last season.

Gearrin threw for the first time Friday after missing a week due to a broken fingernail, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Gearrin's condition is improving, but it remains unclear when he will be able to return to Cactus League action. After posting a 4.28 ERA in 48.1 innings last season, Gearrin's spot in the San Francisco bullpen shouldn't be considered guaranteed. We'll monitor his status as spring continues.

Johnson was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

In an attempt to keep him healthy, Johnson was shifted to the bullpen full-time for the 2017 season after injuries marred his 2016 campaign. He struggled to a 6.14 ERA in 63 Triple-A innings last season, so the Cubs will likely want to see Johnson perform well there before calling him up. If he's able to keep up his 10.7 K/9 and drop his 6.1 BB/9 at Triple-A, he could find himself in the majors sometime in 2017.

Guerra was optioned to Double-A San Antonio on Monday.

Guerra went hitless in his 14 spring training at-bats, so it is no surprise that the Padres sent him back to the minors. The defensive-minded shortstop will try his luck with Double-A San Antonio after slashing .202/.264/.325 with High-A Lake Elsinore last season.

Garcia was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans on Friday, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Although Garcia earned a call-up in 2016, he didn't see any game action and hasn't pitched above Double-A in his career. With Miami's multiple offseason pitching acquisitions, it was unlikely the 24-year-old was going to win a spot in the rotation, so he'll head to Triple-A and work his way towards a call-up.

Smith will make his spring debut Friday after missing time with elbow inflammation, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Smith's injury was never considered overly serious, but the club decided to take it slow with the southpaw during an extended spring training. Manager Bruce Bochy said he wanted Smith to get in six spring training appearances before the season, and with the 27-year-old back in the lineup, he still has plenty of time to reach that mark. Barring any setbacks, Smith should open the season as the left-handed setup man for the Giants.