MLB Player News

The Pirates optioned Hernandez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

Hernandez had a solid spring, surrendering one run over six innings while striking out nine batters and walking six, but he will ultimately miss out on the Pirates' Opening Day bullpen. Hernandez only has 5.1 innings of Triple-A experience, so sending him back to the minors to continue developing could be beneficial after his unimpressive rookie campaign in 2023.

Junis didn't pitch as scheduled Friday due to a shoulder injury, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Manager Pat Murphy said the team doesn't believe Junis' injury to be serious, but the Brewers will likely play it safe with the right-hander. Junis has posted a 5.91 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 10.2 innings this spring, but his chances at making Milwaukee's Opening Day rotation increased significantly after the Brewers optioned Aaron Ashby to Triple-A Nashville on Friday.

Hoffman struck out the side against the Tigers on Friday and now has a 10:2 K:BB in 7.2 scoreless innings this spring.

After struggling as a swingman with the Rockies and Reds for most of his career, Hoffman suddenly emerged as a shutdown reliever for the Phillies last season. He finished the year with a 2.41 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 33.2 percent strikeout rate in 52.1 innings. If his spring numbers are any indication, he's on track for a similar performance this season. That could earn him a handful of saves if the Phillies go with a closer committee, which manager Rob Thomson has favored in the past.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced Friday that Thompson will be a member of the club's season-opening rotation, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Veteran Sonny Gray (hamstring) will begin the season on the injured list, opening the door for Thompson to earn a rotation spot. The southpaw pitched well during spring training with a 2.81 ERA and 14:6 K:BB across 16 innings, but Thompson will likely only get a few starts to stake his claim to a more permanent rotation spot since Gray isn't expected to have a lengthy absence.

Reds manager David Bell said Friday that Moll (shoulder) will begin the season on the injured list, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Moll made his spring debut Monday after being sidelined by shoulder soreness, but he won't be ready to start the season. The left-hander will continue ramping up his workload before joining the active roster.

The Reds reassigned Santillan to minor-league camp Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Santillan yielded just one hit with a 10:0 K:BB over five scoreless innings this spring but still wasn't able to make the team. It would not be a surprise if he decided to opt out of his contract and look for another gig elsewhere.

Hjelle (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The tall right-hander is ready to take the next step in his throwing progression as he works his way back from a partial UCL tear in his pitching elbow. Hjelle will need time on the injured list, but the hope is that he can avoid Tommy John surgery.

The Diamondbacks optioned Saalfrank to Triple-A Reno on Friday.

Saalfrank had a key role down the stretch for the Diamondbacks last season, but he had minor-league options remaining and that might have worked against him. The southpaw will likely to spend plenty of time in Arizona's bullpen this season.

Finnegan (back) allowed one earned run on three hits with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. He was struck on his right foot by a comebacker in the top of the seventh inning but quickly waved off the training staff and insisted he was fine, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The right-hander was fortunate that the comebacker struck the padded portion of the heel of his right shoe, absorbing the impact. Finnegan had been sidelined for over a week due to lower-back tightness, but he said after Thursday's appearance that he felt "great" physically. While he has Hunter Harvey breathing down his neck for save chances, Finnegan appears in line to open the season as the primary closer in Washington. He's expected to make one more appearance this spring to prepare for Opening Day.

Martinez (ribs) allowed three runs on three hits and four walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings in Thursday's spring start against Seattle.

Martinez hadn't pitched in a Cactus League game since Mar. 8. He hadn't allowed a run all spring until Thursday's first inning, when the Mariners scored three times. As for his health, the right-hander told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that his ribs and oblique felt fine after the outing. Martinez will be part of the starting rotation to open the season.