MLB Player News

Hjelle (elbow) will begin a throwing program Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Hjelle was shut down for a week after being diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow. While the hope is that he will able to avoid surgery on the elbow, it's no sure thing as he attempts to ramp back up.

Bummer gave up a run on two hits while striking out two in an inning of relief during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Acquired from the White Sox in the offseason, Bummer has been touched for runs in three of his five appearances this spring and has a 7.20 ERA, but he's largely been working later innings with minor-league defenders behind him. A better indication of how his camp has gone might come from his 5:0 K:BB through five innings. The 30-year-old could be the top lefty in the Atlanta bullpen to begin the year if A.J. Minter (finger) and Tyler Matzek (side) aren't ready for Opening Day, but regardless of where Bummer slots in the pecking order for setup duties, there should be plenty of leads to protect for a team that's won over 100 games each of the last two seasons.

Johnson struck out one in a perfect inning of relief during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The 32-year-old right-hander has looked good this spring, posting a 7:1 K:BB over five innings while allowing just one run. Johnson spent some time closing for the Rockies last season before being acquired by Atlanta, and he excelled in a setup role for the NL East champs, delivering a 0.76 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB through 23.2 innings while picking up one win and eight holds in 24 appearances. He should resume those duties in 2024 as one of the primary bridges to closer Raisel Iglesias.

Antone allowed two unearned runs on one hit and two hit batters over one inning in Thursday's spring game against the Rangers. He struck out one.

Antone was called on to open the game after starter Nick Martinez (rib) was scratched. He nearly got out of a first-inning mess, but a TJ Friedl fielding error allowed the two unearned runs to score. Antone appeared in just five games in 2023 after rehabbing from Tommy John elbow surgery and forearm issues, but he's been healthy thus far in camp and will hold down a bullpen spot if that remains true.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell isn't ready to hand out defined roles for Alzolay or any other member of the bullpen, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Counsell said Thursday that "every bullpen has to evolve" and that the role of his relievers is simply "to get outs." Alzolay certainly seems likely to get first dibs after saving 22 games while posting a 2.67 ERA and 67:13 K:BB over 64 innings for the Cubs last season. However, Hector Neris is also a candidate to be in the mix, along with Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter. Counsell has often had go-to closers during his time with the Brewers and one might very well emerge sooner rather than later with the Cubs, but for now there's some uncertainty.

Farmer allowed four runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two over one inning in Thursday's spring game against Texas.

Farmer cruised through his first five Cactus League outings -- no runs or walks allowed and five strikeouts over five innings -- before the Rangers hung a four-spot on him in the fourth inning, courtesy of a Wyatt Langford grand slam. Farmer is expected to return as an important piece of the bullpen for Cincinnati, working as a bridge to closer Alexis Diaz.

Cruz walked one and struck out four over two hitless and scoreless innings in Thursday's spring game against the Rangers.

The 34-year-old Cruz spent his first full season in the majors in 2023 and could maintain a largely low-leverage role for the Reds in 2024. The right-hander's advanced metrics from last season -- 2.83 FIP, 34.5 whiff percentage, 35.1 strikeout percentage -- suggest a better result than the 4.91 ERA he posted. Cruz has options remaining, which could be a factor when manager David Bell determines the lefty-righty mix needed in the bullpen to start the season.

Castro allowed one run on two hits while striking out two over 1.1 innings in Thursday's spring game against Kansas City.

Castro has allowed runs in five consecutive appearances and owns an 11.12 ERA through 5.2 Cactus League innings. There was a one-month stretch from mid-May to mid-June in 2023 when Castro was closing games and regularly pitching high-leverage situations, but things fell apart quickly. Despite the poor spring results, Castro is expected to be part of the Opening Day bullpen.

Martinez's next Cactus League appearance has been pushed back from Thursday to Saturday because of a rib injury, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Reds manager David Bell said that Martinez "may have a rib out of place," but the right-hander was still able to play long-toss Thursday and will start in a couple days. At this point, it doesn't sound like an injury to be concerned about. Martinez has allowed one unearned run with a 7:1 K:BB over five innings this spring. He's expected to open the season in Cincinnati's rotation.

Megill, Abner Uribe and Joel Payamps "seem to be the most obvious" candidates to replace the injured Devin Williams (back) as the Brewers' closer, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. However, manager Pat Murphy does not plan to name a closer anytime soon.

When asked Thursday about having a defined closer, Murphy replied, "I don't think that's important, especially not now." The skipper added that he's open to eventually naming a closer if a clear candidate emerges, but heading into the season it sounds like Murphy plans to use his high-leverage options at different points in the game, depending on the situation. Payamps, Uribe and Megill are all worthy of fantasy roster consideration, probably in that order of preference. Williams is expected to be sidelined for about three months with two stress fractures in his back, so there will be plenty of saves available in Milwaukee's bullpen during the first half.