MLB Player News

De La Rosa (0-2) couldn't get out of the fifth inning in Wednesday's start against the Dodgers, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in 4.2 frames. He struck out three.

The erratic righty has opened ugly this year, having tossed only nine innings between two starts and a relief appearance. De La Rosa has great raw stuff, but harnessing it has been a continuous challenge for him and it's starting to look like only a matter of time until he gets demoted into a bullpen role, where his fastball-slider repertoire seemingly would play much better than it does in the rotation. If any promising pitcher starts banging on the door in the minors, De La Rosa seems the likeliest Arizona starter to be displaced.

Gomez allowed one hit and a walk, as he yielded his first run of the season, but he did record his fourth save in as many opportunities against the Padres on Wednesday.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has yet to officially anoint Gomez the closer, but he continues to pitch the ninth inning. He isn't likely to average a strikeout per inning, but for the time being, owners can count on Gomez for saves.

Hader, 22, has a 1.00 ERA and 12:3 K:BB ratio through nine innings for Double-A Biloxi.

Hader has picked right up where he left off last season, using his funky delivery and improved control to baffle opposing hitters. He has emerged as a top-flight pitching prospect for the Brew Crew since coming over in the Carlos Gomez deal.

Sims, 21, has a 3.00 ERA and 16:7 K:BB ratio through nine innings for Double-A Mississippi.

The former first-rounder has seen an uptick in strikeouts since an abysmal 2014 campaign. Still, control remains a concern, as he walked 54 batters in 92.2 innings last year. Strikeout stuff is difficult to come by, though, so Sims remains a high-risk, high-reward prospect for the Braves.

Gomez is expected to continue to get save opportunities for the time being, Mehan Montemurro of The News Journal reports. "I have no problem calling him the closer. He's the guy I'm going to use," said manager Pete Mackanin on Wednesday.

The Phillies opened the season with more questions than answers in terms of options at closer, but Gomez has set himself apart from the likes of David Hernandez and Dalier Hinojosa. Gomez has converted his last three saves without any incident. Although Gomez does not have the inflated strikeout rate many desire from a closer, he does seem to be gaining a grasp on the role for now and should continue to be called upon in save situations.

Matzek has progressed to throwing 35-pitch bullpen sessions, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

The Rockies have decided to go "a bullpen at a time" with the left-hander as he returns from an absence caused by his performance anxiety. It's unclear when he'll return to game action, but the progression in pitch count during each bullpen session is a good sign that he'll be decently conditioned when he is able to return. Matzek will likely slot into the rotation with Triple-A Albuquerque when he comes of the disabled list.

Hudson appears to be locked in as the Diamondbacks' setup man.

All three of his appearances this season have been in the eighth inning, with Tyler Clippard pitching the seventh and Brad Ziegler getting the ball in the ninth if there is a save on the line. Hudson has allowed one hit and zero walks while striking out two over three innings, and would be the obvious choice to step into the closer role if anything happens to Ziegler.

Ottavino (elbow) threw breaking balls off a mound for the first time in his last bullpen session and plans to do so again Wednesday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

It appears Ottavino is making progress in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which is definitely good to hear. If the Wednesday bullpen session goes well, the right-hander will head to the Rockies' spring training facility to continue his throwing program. There is no firm timetable for his return, but Ottavino is hoping to be back around the All-Star Break.

Gomez picked up his third save Tuesday against San Diego as he worked around a hit for a scoreless ninth inning.

Gomez is perfect in three opportunities and has given up just two hits. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin has yet to officially anoint him the closer, but he keeps going to Gomez in the ninth inning, so it's hard to come to any other conclusion at this point.

Montero will not be active for the Mets game Tuesday against the Marlins despite being recalled earlier in the day, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports.

Although Montero was initially expected to provide some pitching relief for the Mets bullpen that was heavily taxed in Monday's bout with Miami, the 25-year-old will not be activated and instead kept on a taxi squad in an effort to avoid making a roster move this day. He could be activated following the game if Wednesday's scheduled starter Logan Verrett is forced to make a relief appearance Tuesday, which would allow Montero to possibly pick up a spot start in his place. However, if Noah Syndergaard is able to go deep into Wednesday's game, Montero may head back to the minors soon without even being activated by the big club.