MLB Player News

Guerra (undisclosed) is hitless in nine at-bats so far this spring.

The young infielder does have three runs to his credit thanks to some pinch running appearances, but this poor showing at the plate comes as no surprise given his struggles at High-A Lake Elsinore last season. Barring any extraneous circumstances, Guerra will return to the low minor leagues to begin the 2017 campaign for further seasoning.

Stoffel (shoulder) started playing catch earlier in March, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The non-roster invitee was experiencing some shoulder discomfort toward the end of February, but it seems like the pain is beginning to subside. However, the Pirates may opt to take things slowly in his recovery process given the extended length of spring training, so don't be surprised if Stoffel doesn't find his way into spring games for a while longer.

Rodriguez (shoulder) was reassigned to minor league camp Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Manager Joe Maddon's reasoning behind the move was simply to get him more work, and given that Rodriguez is still working through a modified throwing program following surgery on his lat in September, this isn't too surprising. It's unclear how close the right-hander is to returning to game action, but that should become clearer as spring training progresses.

Blach continued his strong spring with 2.2 innings of shutout ball and two strikeouts in Monday's win over the Indians.

Blach lowered his Cactus League ERA to 1.35 over 6.2 innings, putting himself in the conversation for the Giants fifth starter job. He is outperforming veteran frontrunner Matt Cain, but it is early and the latter will likely be given first crack regardless of their final spring training ERAs. Manager Bruce Bochy may have tipped his hand when he had Cain start the game, and then brought Blach out of the bullpen in what should be considered a long-relief situation. After the game, Bochy even said that "[long relief] could be his role" when speaking about the usage of his young southpaw in Monday's game. Things could change, but Blach looks to be the underdog in the race for the fifth starter spot.

Smith (elbow) is throwing without pain and expects to return to throwing off of a mound next week, according to The Mercury News.

Smith's elbow injury was never considered serious, so the club has simply been taking it slow with the left-handed setup man during an extended spring training. Barring a setback, he should be a go for Opening Day.

Treinen remains among the favorites to win the Nationals closer job this spring, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

The righty with the bowling-ball sinker has looked very good through his first two Grapefruit League appearances, striking out four in two innings without allowing a baserunner. If Treinen does emerge with the job, he won't have to share it -- manager Dusty Baker made it clear Monday that he won't be using a committee to close games. Treinen's main competition comes from Shawn Kelley, although recent signee Joe Blanton and young Koda Glover may also get a look, and a trade to bring in a name-brand closer before Opening Day is also possible. Don't expect much clarity on the Nats closer situation until near the end of spring training, though.

Although Jansen is listed on the Netherlands' roster, he won't participate in the World Baseball Classic due to concerns regarding his workload, MLB.com reports.

Jansen threw 80.1 innings between the regular season and postseason last year, so he doesn't want to push himself this spring. That's probably a good development for his 2017 fantasy value.

Rodriguez has a shot at earning a bullpen spot with the Phillies this spring, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Rodriguez got a taste of the majors last season, allowing three runs on eight hits over 9.2 innings while striking out seven and walking four. His 95.3 mph fastball gives him the potential to be a dominant lefty killer in the majors if he can command his pitches. The southpaw held lefties under a .200 batting average in the minors last season, but he didn't have quite the same level of success in his limited time in the majors. Rodriguez is competing with Cesar Ramos, Sean Burnett and possibly Adam Morgan for one of the two lefty reliever spots manager Pete Mackanin wants to have on his roster.

Stewart was hammered for five runs over 1.2 innings Saturday. He walked one, hit two batters and gave up two hits -- including a grand slam to Kris Bryant -- in a 9-3 loss to the Cubs.

Stewart struggled with his control and command in this one, watching his spring ERA rise to 18.90 in just 3.1 innings. It is early, and the young pitcher has plenty of time to bounce back. That being said, he is locked in a battle with six other pitchers for just two remaining rotation spots, so his poor performance is causing his rotation bid to shrink. The 25-year-old has potential in his arm as a starter, and he still has minor league options, so a start in Triple-A Oklahoma City's rotation is a likely scenario.

Gott walked one and struck out one in a shutout inning during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

He has yet to give up a run in three innings so far this spring, but the Joe Blanton signing might have ended any realistic shot Gott had of breaking camp on the 25-man roster. Look for him to head back to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the regular season and get the call if and when injuries hit the Nats' middle relief corps.