MLB Player News

O'Brien tossed a scoreless inning Friday versus the Mets after being unavailable for more than two weeks due to right elbow soreness, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

O'Brien said his elbow "flared up" after his second spring outing Feb. 26, but he did not go for tests because the elbow responded immediately to rest and treatment. While the reliever was unconcerned about the issue, it should be noted that he missed much of the 2024 campaign with a flexor strain. The Cardinals will wait to see how O'Brien's elbow bounces back from Friday's appearance before scheduling his next outing. O'Brien is in the running for one of the final spots in the St. Louis bullpen.

Roycroft is one of four competitors eyeing one of the final two spots in the Cardinals' Opening Day bullpen, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Nick Anderson, Kyle Leahy and Riley O'Brien are the others in the mix. Roycroft has put his best foot forward to claim one of the jobs, tossing six scoreless frames with a 5:1 K:BB during Grapefruit League play. The 6-foot-8 right-hander excelled at limiting hard contact last season with a 33.7 percent hard-hit rate and two percent barrel rate, but he'll need to find a weapon against left-handed batters after they had a .955 OPS against him in 2024. If Roycroft makes the Opening Day roster, it's likely to be as a middle reliever initially.

Estevez (back) made his first appearance of spring training Friday, giving up one unearned run and two hits over an inning. "I feel great," Estevez told MLB.com. "Everything is going well with my body, and I'm in a good spot. For me, it usually takes me three, maybe four outings to say, 'OK, this is it, this is the point I want to be at.'"

Estevez has been slowed in camp by lower-back tightness, but the Royals say they are confident he'll be ready for Opening Day. He'll make six appearances between major-league and minor-league games barring any setbacks before spring training ends, according to MLB.com. Estevez is expected to be the primary closer for the Royals, with Lucas Erceg also getting some save chances.

Hicks has made three appearances during Cactus League play, recording five strikeouts, a 9.45 ERA and a 2.40 WHIP across 6.2 innings.

Hicks' struggles continued Friday, during which he gave up four earned runs over 2.2 innings in an 11-5 Cactus League loss to Milwaukee. He allowed five hits, including one home run, and one walk while striking out one batter. The right-hander is expected to stick in the Giants' starting rotation after covering 20 starts and nine relief appearances in his first season with San Francisco. In the 2024 campaign, he posted a 4.10 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and a 96:47 K:BB over 109.2 frames. Landen Roupp, Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong are all competing for the fifth starting spot, which means Hicks could shift to a relief role if his struggles persist into the regular season.

Through four Grapefruit League appearances, Holton has allowed one run on two hits and two walks across 3.2 innings while striking out three.

The Tigers haven't used Holton heavily so far this spring after the lefty logged a career-high 94.1 innings during the regular season last year followed by 5.2 more innings in the postseason. Holton was effective in the regular season with a 2.19 ERA and 0.78 WHIP, and he was able to give the Tigers some length out of the bullpen when needed. The 28-year-old also recorded eight saves as a secondary option behind Jason Foley, who led the team with 28 saves. Foley is still likely the top closing candidate in Detroit heading into 2025, but both Holton and newcomer Tommy Kahnle figure to be in the mix as well.

Through five Grapefruit League appearances, Foley has allowed five runs on eight hits across 4.1 innings.

Foley was solid for the Tigers in 2024, posting a 3.15 ERA and 1.18 WHIP during the regular season and leading the team with 28 saves, so the righty should have a little leeway despite his spring struggles. He still looks like the top candidate for saves in Detroit to start the year, though newcomer Tommy Kahnle is expected to be in the mix along with holdover Tyler Holton, and possibly Will Vest and Beau Brieske as well. Foley will likely need a strong start to his season to solidify his grip on the closer role.

The Mariners released Feliz on Friday.

Feliz was in camp as a non-roster invitee and allowed three runs with a 1:0 K:BB over four Cactus League frames. The former All-Star has not seen any action at the big-league level since 2021 and will turn 37 in May.

The Mariners optioned Klein to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday.

Acquired from the Athletics in January, Klein has allowed four runs (two earned) with an 8:3 K:BB over five innings during Cactus League play. He'll represent relief depth at Tacoma and should get an opportunity with the big club eventually.

The Marlins optioned de Geus to Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday.

De Geus landed back in Miami via waivers in late February but will not break camp with the big club after getting roughed up for six runs in 2.2 frames this spring. He could go back-and-forth between Jacksonville and Miami often this season as the club filters through relief options.

Swanson has been diagnosed with a median nerve entrapment in his right forearm, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Swanson has had recurring issues with his forearm/elbow and now there's an explanation as to what's going on. All things considered, the diagnosis could be worse, although it's not clear when he might be ready to pitch in games again. For now, Swanson will be shut down from throwing for at least a couple days. He is expected to begin the season on the 15-day injured list.