MLB Player News

The Rockies purchased the contract of pitcher John Axford on Sunday, the team announced.

Axford was signed to a minor-league contract during the offseason, but the move places Axford on the MLB roster.

Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson didn't throw live batting practice as scheduled Saturday, with the team choosing to let his injured hamstring rest, MLB.com reports.

Manager Ron Roenicke reiterated Saturday that Nelson's hamstring injury is minor and that the pitcher is scheduled to throw Sunday. Roenicke added that he "would be surprised" if the pitcher was pushed back again.

Nelson saw his first significant action with the Brewers in 2014, going 2-9 with a 4.93 ERA and 57:19 K:BB ratio in 69 1/3 innings.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was fitted for a protective boot Friday as he continues to recover from surgery, MLB.com reports.

After Jansen has his stitches removed next week, Jansen will be able to begin placing weight on the foot and gradually increase athletic activity. He is expected to be out until at least the end of April after having a growth removed from his fifth metatarsal.

When news spread Thursday that Braves closer Craig Kimbrel was throwing changeups during batting practice, it generated some buzz before manager Fredi Gonzalez indicated it probably wouldn't be a pitch that makes it into Kimbrel's in-season repertoire.

It seems Kimbrel indicated as much Friday, saying throwing the changeup in spring training offers him a way to improve his mechanics and avoid putting too much early strain on his arm with an overabundance of curveballs.

"It does help me with extension and getting through my pitches," Kimbrel said, per MLB.com. "That's really the main reason I throw it. Plus, I don't want to go out there and flip off breaking balls over and over again until my arm is ready to do it. So why not throw a changeup?"

Brewers starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson rested again Friday due to a hamstring injury, according to MLB.com. However, manager Ron Roenicke continues to indicate it is not a serious injury.

Braves closer Craig Kimbrel has risen to the status of one of the elite closers in the majors behind his devastating fastball-combo slider. However, during live batting practice Thursday, he showcased another potential pitch for his repertoire -- a changeup.

Although, manager Fredi Gonzalez isn't sure Kimbrel will throw the changeup when the Braves starting playing in games, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Chris Johnson told me he threw a couple of changeups,” Gonzalez said. “He’s probably just playing with it. Add a third pitch if he has to. I don’t know how much he’ll use it when the games start.”

The Rockies will head into the 2015 season with LaTroy Hawkins as the team's primary closer, but manager Walt Weiss is ready to use other options in order not to overwork the veteran, MLB.com reports.

"Are we going to need other guys to finish games at times? Yes, we will," Weiss said Tuesday. "But he's the guy."

The Rockies have multiple pitchers with closing experience in camp in the form of lefty Rex Brothers and right-handed nonroster invitees John Axford and Rafael Betancourt. Righty Adam Ottavino is also an option for Weiss.

"It helps to have guys in the bullpen that have closed games before because there's a different mindset, but I feel like we have options and it doesn't have to be a veteran guy," Weiss said. "We have enough guys with stuff and presence."

Hawkins gave up no earned runs in eight innings last year while pitching on zero days of rest. He surrendered 12 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings while receiving just one day of rest. On multiple days of rest, Hawkins gave up eight earned runs in 33 innings of work.

Diamondbacks pitcher David Hernandez is hoping to start throwing soon, according to azcentral.com.

Hernandez underwent Tommy John surgery last season, and admitted it's been tough to watch the other pitchers throw early in camp. "That was hard — not hard, but frustrating," he said. "I feel like I could get up there and start throwing bullpens."

Hernandez added that he's still aiming to be ready be opening day, though it appears more likely he'll need a few weeks before he's activated. While Hernandez has some concerns about coming back from the injury, his pitching coach, Mike Harkey, isn't too worried about it. "If we can get him back to where he was before," Harkey said, "we could quite possibly have a really, really good bullpen, which would do wonders for us late in games."

Hernandez posted a 4.48 ERA over 62 1/3 innings back in 2013. 

Mets pitcher Rafael Montero may have an uphill battle to make the roster. When asked about the right-hander's role this upcoming season, manager Terry Collins told reporters Tuesday that he's unsure where the 24-year-old will fit on the team, per NJ.com.

"I don't have any idea where Montero is going to fit," Collins said. "Again, you're asking somebody to do something at the major league level that he hasn't done very much of.

"It's important that we get out of the gate. Knowing that Bobby is going to be ready, probably in the first part of May, I'm not sure where Raffy would fit in that bullpen coming out of spring training. If Dillon is there we only have one more spot left and we might go with a little more experienced guy at the beginning of the season."

Montero went 1-3 with a 4.06 ERA over 10 appearances (eight starts) in his first major-league season.

Nationals pitcher Matt Grace is auditioning for a spot in the team's bullpen, according to MLB.com.

Grace impressed pitching coach Steve McCatty during a recent bullpen session, and it seems like McCatty wants to get a good look at the 26-year-old this spring. "We are going to get him in as many games and see what happens," McCatty said.

Grace reportedly added a slider to his repertoire this winter, and that could make the difference going forward. McCatty said he was happy with Grace's entire pitch mix during the recent session. "He threw some good sliders and he also threw some good changeups, but also some good sinkers," McCatty said.

Grace posted a 1.17 ERA over two minor-league levels last year.