Puk, who underwent shoulder surgery in mid-September, is expected to start the season out of the bullpen in order to manage his workload, Shayna Rubin of The Mercury News reports.
This news contradicts early December reports that Puk projected to break camp as a member of the starting rotation, and there could conceivably be a change of plans yet again before spring training concludes. However, given the towering southpaw already underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and has subsequently dealt with frequent shoulder issues, it certainly would be understandable if the organization erred on the side of caution. Puk didn't need any repairs during the cleanup procedure and was already projected to be ready for spring training since shortly after the operation, so he should be able to give manager Bob Melvin and his staff plenty of opportunity for evaluation over the coming weeks.