MLB Player News

McMillon (forearm) is scheduled to make a relief appearance in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

McMillon will likely cover an inning Wednesday in what will mark his spring debut. The hard-throwing righty has been eased along during spring training while he works his way back from a forearm strain, but assuming he escapes Wednesday's outing free of setbacks, he should be on track to win a spot in the Royals' Opening Day bullpen. McMillon was impressive over a small sample of big-league action in 2023, striking out eight and allowing one earned run on one hit and no walks over four innings.

Kahnle (shoulder) acknowledged Wednesday that he's unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Kahnle ended last season on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, and he's behind schedule this spring after the injury took a little longer than expected to clear up. The reliever is throwing pain-free bullpen sessions and looks to be on track to make a Grapefruit League appearance or two later this month, but he won't quite be ready for Opening Day. Kahnle held a nifty 2.66 ERA and 48:19 K:BB over 40.2 innings in 2023. If healthy, Kahnle should be a key setup man again for the Yankees in 2024.

Adcock (undisclosed) gave up an earned run on one hit over one inning of relief Tuesday in the Mariners' 10-9 Cactus League loss to the Rangers.

The one-inning outing marked Adcock's spring debut, after the Mariners had elected to take things slowly in camp with the right-hander while he managed an unspecified health concern. Adcock reached the big leagues for the first time in 2023, working 15.2 innings out of the Seattle bullpen while pitching to a 3.45 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 11:0 K:BB.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Wednesday that Stephenson (shoulder) will have time to get the appearances he needs in order to be ready for Opening Day, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The right-hander is working his way back from a sore pitching shoulder, but it sounds like he'll be part of the Halos' Opening Day bullpen. Stephenson will throw a bullpen session Wednesday and, assuming that goes off without a hitch, he will throw off the mound again this weekend. If healthy, Stephenson is slated for setup duties ahead of closer Carlos Estevez.

Jansen (lat) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Wednesday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

It's possible the session is postponed due to rainy conditions in Florida, but if not, it will be the first time Jansen has faced hitters this spring as he works his way back from right lat soreness. The 36-year-old closer shouldn't require too many Grapefruit League appearances to prep for Opening Day, so he has plenty of time to get ready as long as he avoids setbacks.

The Red Sox optioned Walter to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Walter has had a good spring, yielding just one run with a 4:1 K:BB over 4.2 innings. The Red Sox don't have room for him in the rotation or bullpen, though, so he'll begin the season at Worcester, where he'll likely serve as a starter.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone called Holmes "our closer" following Tuesday's spring training loss to the Mets, per the New York Post.

Holmes began last season in a diverse high-leverage role, mixing in closing duties with work in the seventh and eighth innings. However, all but two of his 28 outings following the All-Star break came in the ninth frame or later. Boone's comments Tuesday suggest that Holmes is safely entrenched as the Yankees' closer ahead of the coming campaign, and he could easily challenge the career-best 24 saves he racked up last season if he remains in that role throughout the year.

White (elbow) has been cleared for all baseball activities and may return to game action this weekend, MLB.com reports.

White has been dealing with right elbow soreness for a few weeks, but it seems like a return to Grapefruit League play is imminent. The righty made his MLB debut last season, logging a 5.09 ERA across 40.2 innings, and he should have a shot at a middle-relief role to start this year assuming he's healthy.

Smith struck out two batters over a perfect inning in his lone Cactus League appearance.

Smith is seen as the frontrunner for saves in the Royals' heavily remodeled bullpen group. He's topped 20 saves in three of the last five seasons and also has an extensive history in a setup role when he's not closing. The 34-year-old southpaw likely won't need much spring action to be ready for the campaign. Manager Matt Quatraro hasn't officially designated bullpen roles yet, but Smith's experience makes him the logical ninth-inning choice, though there are plenty of other options that could step up if this becomes a committee or performance-based closing situation.

Anderson has allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts over three Cactus League innings.

Anderson was traded from Atlanta to Kansas City in November. The 33-year-old right-hander has nine saves and 37 holds under his belt over four major-league campaigns, having missed 2022 after undergoing internal brace surgery on his elbow. Anderson figures to be in the high-leverage mix for the Royals this season, though bullpen roles are up for grabs after the team's aggressive remodeling of its bullpen in the offseason.