MLB Player News

Iglesias will begin the season on the injured list after he was diagnosed with low-grade inflammation in his right shoulder Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

It seems relatively minor as far as shoulder injuries go, but Iglesias will be shut down from throwing for at least seven days in hopes that the soreness clears up. That would seem to indicate Iglesias could be sidelined for several weeks, though his return timeline at this point remains unclear. A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez are candidates to fill Atlanta's closer role while Iglesias is on the shelf.

Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list due to right shoulder tightness, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The Rule 5 pick will be shut down for a week before being re-evaluated. Rodriguez has posted a 4.26 ERA and 6:3 K:BB over 6.1 innings this spring and had been in line for a middle-relief role.

Mills will be shut down for several days after experiencing elbow inflammation coming out of his most recent Grapefruit League appearance March 13, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Though Mills' injury isn't believed to be a significant one, it'll more than likely take him out of contention for a spot in Boston's Opening Day bullpen. The Red Sox acquired the 27-year-old right-hander in December after he turned in a 4.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 26:13 K:BB over 29.1 innings in the majors with Seattle and Kansas City in 2022.

Leclerc's fastball ranged from 92 to 94 mph Wednesday, down from the 96.5 mph it averaged in 2022, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Leclerc finished off Wednesday's spring game for the save, so reduced velocity doesn't necessarily mean he can't close games. That's something manager Bruce Bochy understands and about which he's not concerned, according to Grant. Leclerc cut down on fastball usage last season while increasing his slider and changeup. What he needs to do is fool batters with the change or have them chasing sliders outside the zone. If not, Leclerc will get behind in counts and may throw fastballs in hitters' counts. He's walked four batters in 6.2 Cactus League innings, so there are signs trouble, but he's managed to avoid damage with no earned runs allowed. In the event Leclerc doesn't pan out as the closer, Bochy could turn to Will Smith or non-roster invitee Ian Kennedy to save games.

Castro has allowed one hit and one walk while striking out seven over six scoreless Cactus League innings.

It's no surprise that Castro will make the roster, but his power arm could be utilized in high-leverage spots for a bullpen whose late-inning patterns are still taking shape. He's in the mix for save opportunities with Scott McGough and Kevin Ginkel with Opening Day coming next week. All three have posted strong numbers during spring ball.

The Dodges optioned Bruihl (back) to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Bruihl pitched in 24 games for Los Angeles last season, recording a 3.80 ERA and 1.18 WHIP through 23.2 innings. The 25-year-old southpaw appeared to enter spring training in good position to break camp with the big club, but a bout with back spasms might have derailed his chances of securing a spot in the Dodgers' Opening Day bullpen. Bruihl at least appears to be healthy again, as he returned from a two-week absence from the Dodgers' pitching schedule to retire one of the three batters he faced in Tuesday's 12-1 loss to the Giants in Cactus League play.

Stewart was reassigned to minor-league camp by Minnesota on Wednesday, Brandon Warne of Access Twins reports.

Stewart got hit around quite a bit in spring training, allowing eight earned runs over 9.1 frames. The 31-year-old reliever is still on his way back from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in May 2021, so he will need to re-establish himself in Triple-A before he gets a chance to pitch again in the majors.

Duran (leg) is scheduled to pitch in Thursday's spring training game against Toronto, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Duran took a line drive to the leg Sunday but walked away with nothing more than a bruise. There never was much concern over his injury to begin with, and Duran himself said his leg is fine. The 25-year-old reliever was dominant last season while recording eight saves alongside a 1.86 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through 67.2 innings, and he appears in line to have a similar 2023 campaign.

Smith threw a scoreless relief inning in Wednesday's spring game against the White Sox.

Smith hurled the eighth inning ahead of closer Jose Leclerc in what looked like the bullpen's dress rehearsal for the regular season. After five shutout innings from starter Nathan Eovaldi, Taylor Hearn got four outs and Jonathan Hernandez retired two batters before the back end of the bullpen finished it off. Smith has appeared in two games since returning to camp Monday following the birth of his son.

Henriquez (elbow) threw a successful 20-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Henriquez was shut down in late February due to right posterior elbow soreness, but he has experienced no setbacks since he resumed throwing a few weeks ago. The 22-year-old should be ready to enter game action with Triple-A St. Paul sometime in April.