MLB Player News

Contreras earned a save Tuesday, pitching a scoreless inning in a 1-0 win against the Twins. He allowed no hits and one walk while striking out three, the Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Contreras, who isn't in the running for an Opening Day roster spot, impressed manager Derek Shelton with his outing. "I think I said the first time he pitched it brought a smile, but that was impressive," Shelton said. "For a kid that pitched in 'A' ball in 2019, that was kind of cool to see." Contreras hit 98 mph with his fastball and showed a hard, vertical break with his curve. The 21-year-old allowed 105 hits in 132.1 Low-A innings in 2019, registering a 3.33 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.

Walker will now pitch in a "B" game Wednesday.

Walker was initially scheduled to start in Wednesday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Cardinals, but Corey Oswald will take the mound for the Mets instead. The Mets haven't given any indication that Walker is dealing with an injury, but he'll pitch against teammates in Port St. Lucie rather than facing the Cardinals.

Kelly allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out three over 4.2 innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Mariners.

Kelly danced around a lot of hard contact as the Mariners hit nine balls at 97 MPH or harder, but he was pleased with his overall stuff, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. "As far as all four pitches go, that was probably the best I've executed them," Kelly said. "That was the best they've felt coming out of my hand." He was removed from the game in fifth inning and re-entered in the sixth, so that Kelly could simulate getting up and down six times without building his pitch count. The 32-year-old right-hander becomes slightly more important to the Diamondbacks after the team announced Zac Gallen will miss time due to a hairline fracture of the forearm.

Kim (back), who threw a simulated game Monday but has yet to be confirmed for one more Grapefruit League start, is being built back up with a starter's workload, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander appears to be making some progress from the back tightness that has besieged him since earlier in March, but there's yet to be a final determination on whether he'll have a chance for a tune-up against opposing batters prior to Opening Day. However, Silver's report confirms Kim is still envisioned for his originally projected No. 2 starter role when he does return, even if he has to temporarily shuffle to a spot in the latter portion of the rotation early to afford him more recovery time.

Miley threw 65 pitches and four simulated innings in a live batting practice session Tuesday to stay on schedule for his turn in the rotation, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Miley is locked into a rotation slot to begin the season, at least as long as he stays healthy -- he had a scare with a hamstring cramp earlier in March and missed time with multiple injuries last season. The Reds don't plan on going with a four-man rotation in April even though they have four off days early on, so Miley should take his regular turns once the season gets going.

Gallen was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right forearm Tuesday.

The 25-year-old was scratched from Monday's scheduled start with lateral soreness in his right forearm, and a hairline fracture was revealed upon further examination. It's unclear how long Gallen is expected to be sidelined, though he'll apparently be able to continue playing catch at "a low stress level" from the start of his recovery. The right-hander should be considered out indefinitely until a more concrete return timeline is provided by the team, though it's safe to assume he'll be unavailable for the start of the season with Opening Day little more than one week away.

Williams is expected to begin the season as the Cubs' No. 4 pitcher, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Kyle Hendricks was officially named the Opening Day starter Tuesday, and he's expected to be followed by Jake Arrieta and Zach Davies. Manager David Ross didn't confirm the order after Hendricks, but it makes sense based on how the pitchers have lined up this spring. Williams struggled last year with the Pirates, posting a 6.18 ERA and 1.57 WHIP across 55.1 innings, but he's turned in better results not too long ago (3.11 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 170.2 innings in 2018), so the Cubs are hoping he can recapture that form.

Davies is expected to begin the season as the Cubs' No. 3 pitcher, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Kyle Hendricks was officially named the Opening Day starter Tuesday, and Jake Arrieta has slotted in second all spring, so Davies figures to be third out the gate against the Pirates on April 4. The righty was solid for the Padres last year, registering a 2.73 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 63 strikeouts across 69.1 innings. Like Hendricks, Davies doesn't overpower hitters, but he can still be an effective fantasy pitcher due to good ratios and win potential.

Flaherty allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits, three walks and a wild pitch across 5.1 innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Marlins on Monday. He struck out five.

Despite the uneven final line, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports Flaherty came away from the outing satisfied, as the majority of his trouble was limited to a four-run fifth inning. Flaherty's fastball topped out at 95.5 mph, and he was able to go beyond his projected pitch count, leaving him confident in his readiness for Opening Day. "It feels like the season's here," Flaherty said. "It feels like the spring has gone real quick. I mean, I think we're out of here in a week, which is crazy to think about. But yeah, ready to go."

Suarez (quadriceps) was optioned to minor-league camp Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Suarez hasn't thrown a pitch in Grapefruit League action this spring, as he was delayed first by visa issues and then by a quadriceps injury. He could return to the active roster at some point this season, though his career 4.66 ERA in 67.2 innings at the highest level suggests he's best suited for a lower-leverage role.