MLB Player News

Runzler was reassigned to minor league camp Thursday.

Runzler owns a career 3.86 ERA in 72.1 innings, all with the Giants, but hasn't pitched in the majors since 2012. At least for the moment, the 31-year-old organizational depth reliever won't change that.

Iglesias (elbow) will begin a throwing program on Sunday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Contrary to an earlier update, there is some chance that Iglesias won't be ready for Opening Day. Missing Opening Day or even the first week or two isn't all bad news --after all, it's just a starting line. The concern of course is whether this will affect his performance when he's out on the mound, or whether the risk of recurrence is high.

Smith is scheduled to receive a second opinion on his sprained UCL from Dr. Neal El-Attrache, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

Smith was diagnosed with a sprain and a strain in his throwing elbow earlier in the week, but he's headed for a second opinion before making his final decision on surgery. With Tommy John surgery as a possibility, it will be a situation to monitor and more should be known about his decision after the checkup. Either way, it seems Smith is set to miss extended time to start the season.

Iglesias was diagnosed with a bone bruise after an MRI on his elbow confirmed there was no structural damage, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Iglesias experienced some back and elbow issues over the weekend, prompting the Reds to have the 26-year-old undergo some preliminary testing. The issue was never expected to be anything overly serious, and he'll miss a couple more days recovering. Right now it doesn't appear that the issue will impact his readiness for Opening Day, but it will be something to monitor in the coming days.

Smith (elbow) has been diagnosed with a sprain and a strain in his throwing elbow after undergoing a second MRI on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area reports.

This is less than encouraging news for Smith, who is hoping to avoid any sort of surgery to repair his injured elbow. The lefty specialist has not made any final decisions, but Tommy John surgery is still a definite option. More updates will hopefully become available in the coming days.

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.