Roster Notes (March 30, 2010)

Dontrelle Willis has won a spot in the Tigers rotation and will start the team's third game of the season. The odd man out, lefty Nate Robertson, wasn't the odd man out for long. He was traded to the Marlins, where he will presumably be the team's #5 starter. Bad news for Clay Hensley, who is well-deserving of a rotation spot after posting an 0.55 ERA in 16.1 IP this spring. The 30 year-old will still probably make the team as a reliever, which is an improvement from 2009 when he spent the entire season in Triple-A.

One contender for a spot on the Dodgers pitching staff, lefty Eric Stults, is out of the running after the Dodgers apparently sold his rights to the Hirsoshima Carp. Manager Joe Torre also announced yesterday that the team is likely going into the season with 11 pitchers, opening the door for an extra bench player and making it more difficult for a pitcher on the bubble.

Barring any last-minute trades or waiver-wire pickups, the Pirates pitching staff is set after they reassigned six pitchers to minor league camp. Of the 12 pitchers expected to be with the team on opening day, D.J. Carrasco and Jack Taschner must be added to the team's 40-man roster, which is currently at the 40-man limit.

After optioning Wilton Lopez and reassigning Casey Daigle and Gary Majewski to the minors, the Astros pitching staff is all but set. Two other pitchers in camp, Alberto Arias and Yorman Bazardo are likely headed to the DL, and the only decisions to be made are between Felipe Paulino and Brian Moehler (#5 starter/long reliever) and Brandon Lyon and Matt Lindstrom (closer/setup man).

With setup man Koji Uehara expected to start the season on the DL, three pitchers are left competing for two spots in the bullpen. Matt Albers (13 IP, 4 ER, 13 H, BB, 9 K) and Jason Berken (12.2 IP, 4 ER, 11 H, 3 BB, 7 K) have outpitched Kam Mickolio (9.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 BB, 7 BB, 10 K), who was the early favorite but has struggled with control this spring and could be the odd man out. In other news, David Hernandez has officially beaten out Chris Tillman for the #5 starter's job.