MLB Player News

Cimber tossed a scoreless seventh inning in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

The groundball specialist hasn't seen much game action this spring, working 3.1 innings over four appearances, but Cimber looked ready for Opening Day on Monday and needed only 10 pitches (eight strikes) to retire the side. After recording career highs with four saves, 10 wins and 20 holds in 2022, the 32-year-old right-hander will serve in a high-leverage role once again with Toronto, but his lack of strikeouts limits his fantasy ceiling in some formats.

Pop has minor-league options remaining and is expected to begin the season with Triple-A Buffalo, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old right-hander is a big-league quality arm and posted a 2.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 39 innings last season between the Marlins and Blue Jays, but he'll be a victim of the numbers game coming out of camp. Look for Pop to be one of the first pitchers promoted when injuries or heavy usage necessitate reinforcements for the Toronto bullpen.

The Astros optioned Gage to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The southpaw pitched well this spring, allowing just one run with a 6:1 K:BB over six innings, but he nonetheless finds himself on the outside looking in for a roster spot. With Gage headed to the minors, that means the Astros will open the regular season with no left-handers in their bullpen.

White (neck) threw one inning in a spring game for Double-A Frisco on Sunday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

This was White's first outing since late February, when he was shut down with neck tightness. It was similar to the injury he suffered last season, which was initially thought of as a forearm injury but turned out to be nerve inflammation in the neck that traveled down his arm. The Rangers expect White to be ready for the start of the minor-league season.

Rodriguez has been able to rotate and stretch in the days since suffering a Grade 2 right oblique strain, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The pitcher isn't sure about a timetable for his return but is encouraged by his progress so far. A Grade 2 oblique strain usually costs players at least 3-4 weeks of action, so Rodriguez could still miss a large chunk of April, if not more.

Moll owns a 5.68 ERA and 2.05 WHIP across 6.1 innings in five Cactus League appearances.

The southpaw has allowed four earned runs on nine hits, four walks and a hit batsman in that sample, underscoring the fact his location isn't yet near regular-season readiness. Moll has found a way around his control issues during his first two seasons with the Athletics, however, as he's garnered 16 holds while posting a 3.02 ERA in 53.2 innings over that span despite also issuing 27 walks.

Jackson sports a 1-0 record, 4.50 ERA and 2.17 WHIP across six innings in six Cactus League appearances.

The right-hander was a highly valuable bullpen asset as a rookie in 2022 before ending the season on the injured list with a shoulder strain, producing a 2-3 record, 27 holds, three saves and a 3.00 ERA across 54 appearances. Jackson has experienced some control issues as he works off rust this spring, however, issuing multiple walks in three appearances. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old impressively managed to avoid any damage until his most recent outing Saturday against the Reds, when he allowed his only three runs of Cactus League play thus far across just one-third of an inning.

Munoz (foot) made his official Cactus League debut in Monday's win over the Brewers, throwing a perfect inning during which he struck out the side on a minimum nine pitches.

Munoz's long-awaited Cactus League debut could literally not have gone any better and served as a forceful corrobration of his return to health following offseason ankle surgery. Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports Munoz's putaway pitches consisted of a 100 mph fastball and two particularly impressive sliders, and that he also deployed the two-seam fastball he's been working on getting comfortable with on a couple of occasions. With his first taste of "A" game spring action out of the way, Munoz is likely to log at least several more appearances as he ramps up for Opening Day.

Quijada returned to Angels camp Monday after playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Quijada had a few big moments in the WBC, but he finished the tournament having allowed three runs over 2.1 innings. The left-hander is one of several Angels who has closing experience and could get a save chance or two with the team's ninth-inning role still undecided, though Carlos Estevez and Jimmy Herget appear to have the best chance of landing the closer job.

Rodriguez (shoulder) will throw live batting practice Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

This is a major step in Rodriguez's rehab from shoulder surgery, as it will represent his first time throwing to live hitters since August of 2021. The right-hander has been tossing bullpen sessions this spring, but his overall recovery from the shoulder issue has been very slow. If Tuesday's session goes well, Rodriguez could throw a sim game or even make an appearance in an exhibition game soon thereafter, but it's likely he'll open the campaign on the injured list.