MLB Player News

Pallante allowed a walk and struck out one in a scoreless inning during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game versus the Marlins.

Pallante has a 4:2 K:BB over three scoreless innings for the Cardinals in spring training. The reliever is still considered part of the core of the bullpen, per John Denton of MLB.com. Pallante had a just alright showing for Italy at the World Baseball Classic, allowing two runs on three hits, six walks and a hit batsman while striking out two over four innings across three appearances. He's unlikely to be in the conversation for saves with Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos around, but Pallante could be a steady source of holds if he can maintain a high-leverage role.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Thursday that Junis will be a swingman out of the bullpen rather than a starter to begin 2023, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Junis was in competition for a starting spot, but with the Giants' starters at full health, there was no room for him in the rotation. Webeck adds that Kapler is considering Junis in a piggyback role early on, typically in a pairing with Alex Wood. The choppy schedule early in the season means the Giants won't necessarily need a fifth starter until their first home series of the year, so going with pitching tandems could help ease all of the pitchers into the season. Junis' appeal in fantasy is limited in a bullpen role, but he could vulture some wins away from starters if he's able to regularly get two or three innings in a bulk-relief assignment. He's pitched to a 5.19 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 11:1 K:BB across 8.2 innings over four Cactus League appearances.

Floro gave up two hits and struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 32-year-old had a couple shaky outings early in March but has settled down nicely since, and Floro now sports an 8:2 K:BB through 8.1 spring frames. The Marlins will deploy a closer committee to begin the season with four high-leverage arms in the mix, but Floro still seems like the team's top option from the right side ahead of Matt Barnes.

Barnes walked one and struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The right-hander was the first reliever in the game for the Marlins after Trevor Rogers hit the showers, which in the spring is a spot generally reserved for high-leverage options. Barnes' 6:4 K:BB through 4.2 innings in camp isn't exactly sharp, however, and it's an ominous sign for a pitcher who's posted a walk rate above 11.0 percent in four of the last five seasons. Miami isn't expected to go into 2023 with a set closer, instead mixing and matching among four different late-inning arms, but Dylan Floro still seems to be ahead of Barnes in the pecking order from the right side.

Hernandez has covered five innings without allowing an earned run over three Cactus League appearances.

Hernandez has also posted a 6:1 K:BB with just three hits allowed. His workload hasn't been that heavy in the spring, but he's performed well in the limited sample. The 26-year-old right-hander looks set to fill a bullpen role as a multi-inning option this season. He struggled to a 7.39 ERA and 1.84 WHIP over 56 innings last season, but if he carries over his improved control from the spring to the regular season, he should at least enjoy a little more job security.

Barlow has allowed one earned run on six hits and a walk while striking out eight over eight innings during spring training.

Barlow is doing well in Cactus League play, and he should be at the head of a closer committee once the regular season starts. He matched his career high in innings pitched with 74.1 last season while posting a 2.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 24 saves, six holds and a 7-4 record. Barlow has been known to work more than just the ninth inning, and the presence of lefty Aroldis Chapman on the roster could make this a matchup-based approach. In any case, if Barlow continues to pitch well, he'll be considered for the most important moments in games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Nelson (elbow) will open the season on the injured list, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Nelson hasn't suffered any sort of setback, but the Dodgers want to give him more time to work fully into form after he missed the entire 2022 season following Tommy John surgery. It seems like he could be an option for the Los Angeles bullpen before the end of April.

Cubs manager David Ross said Thursday that he couldn't rule out Hughes (knee) requiring an IL stint, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Hughes hasn't appeared in a Cactus League game since March 16, and he acknowledged to reporters Thursday in Cubs camp that he's been battling lingering left knee inflammation for much of the spring. It's shown up in his production on the mound, as the 27-year-old left-hander has yielded three earned runs on five hits and three walks through four innings this spring. The hope is he can return to live action this weekend, but there's minimal margin for error with Opening Day just one week away.

Anderson could wind up being on the Opening Day roster with Raisel Iglesias set to begin the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with shoulder inflammation Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

He already got optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, but Iglesias' injury changes the bullpen picture for Atlanta and opens up a spot. Anderson didn't pitch in the majors at all last year after undergoing elbow surgery in October 2021, but he has a career 39.6 percent strikeout rate in the majors over 87.1 innings and has posted an 11:1 K:BB over eight frames this spring. The 32-year-old could work his way into a high-leverage role once he shows he's all the way back, although A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez are expected to handle the bulk of the closing duties in Iglesias' absence.

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Thursday that Minter "obviously would be the obvious guy" to fill in at closer while Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) is sidelined, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Snitker did backtrack a bit after that, adding that "it may be a matchup scenario-type thing." Still, it seems telling that Minter is the first guy that came to mind when the manager was asked the question, likely putting him at the top of the pecking order. Joe Jimenez is probably next in line. Atlanta is hopeful that Iglesias will need only a minimum stay on the injured list.