Benoit strained his right forearm back in spring training, and according to Zuckerman, he also picked up a shoulder injury along the way. Either way, the veteran was never able to ramp up his throwing and even declined surgery to fix the issues due to his age (41). This rough development and his middling performance in 2017 suggest he'll have a tough time finding work ahead of the 2019 season.

Benoit was removed from the 40-man roster in order to make room for Mark Reynolds, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Syracuse. The move is largely a bureaucratic one, as Benoit is still several weeks away from returning from a forearm strain.

This is a big step forward for the veteran reliever, as he had been unable to play catch since incurring a forearm strain at the end of spring training. However, given how long it's been since he's taken part in baseball activities, he'll likely need a few more weeks before a full return to action, though his return timetable should become clearer once he starts his rehab assignment.

Benoit has been dealing with this specific injury since the final week of spring training and it doesn't appear to be going away, as it's been over three weeks since the 40-year-old has played catch. At this point, it seems likely that he won't be back in action until the end of April, assuming he's able to start a throwing program in the near future. Expect an update on his status once he resumes activities.