MLB Player News

Alexy (oblique) made his spring debut in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Dodgers in Cactus League play, retiring two batters while allowing two runs on three hits and two walks.

Though Alexy appears to have moved past the left oblique issue that first popped up earlier in this month, his poor showing in his debut won't help his chances of breaking camp as a member of Chicago's Opening Day roster. Alexy still has a minor-league option remaining, and if demoted to Triple-A Charlotte to begin the season, he could fill a spot in the affiliate's rotation.

Garcia gave up a hit in a scoreless eighth inning during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The right-hander didn't allow a run in two innings while pitching for the Dominican Republic during the WBC, and he's also delivered three clean innings for the Jays in Grapefruit League play. Garcia's combined 2:0 K:BB over that time isn't exactly dominant, but he's still set to be one of the primary setup men for closer Jordan Romano in 2023, and he recorded a career-high 22 holds in that role last year.

The Angels announced Monday that Marte was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right elbow and will be shut down for at least four weeks, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Marte had yet to make his Cactus League debut due to what manager Phil Nevin and Angels director of sports medicine Mike Frostad termed as "soreness," but the right-handed reliever is evidently dealing with a more significant issue than the team initially led on. Given that he won't be able to resume throwing until late April or early May, Marte will essentially have to complete his own version of spring training before being ready to contribute out of the Angels bullpen. Bollinger suggests that Marte is a likely candidate to move to the 60-day injured list if the Angels need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for another player.

White (shoulder) will throw around 50 pitches over three innings in a minor-league game Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

White has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring because of a right shoulder impingement. That could come after Wednesday's minor-league outing, although at this point White is no longer under serious consideration for the final spot in Toronto's rotation. If healthy, he figures to get a shot eventually.

Hall (back) is scheduled to appear in relief of starter Kyle Bradish in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The upcoming appearance will mark Hall's first of the spring after he had been building up slowly during camp while he's worked to move past discomfort in the lower right side of his back. He'll likely work only an inning or two Monday but is still expected to be stretched out as starter, even though he won't be a candidate to break camp as a member of the Opening Day rotation. The Orioles are likely to place Hall on the injured list in the coming days, but he'll still be able to continue his buildup program at the team's spring facility in Florida before eventually heading out on a rehab assignment once the minor-league season begins in early April.

The Tigers optioned Uceta to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

A waiver pickup from the Diamondbacks in January, Uceta was sent out to the minors after allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and four walks over seven innings in Grapefruit League play during his first camp with the Tigers. The 25-year-old right-hander will probably need to show sharpened command and control at Triple-A for at least his first few appearances of the season before the Tigers entertain the idea of calling him up.

Smith is scheduled to pitch Monday after being out of camp for several days to attend the birth of his son, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Smith has thrown just two innings this spring and hasn't been on the mound in a week. He was acquired by the Rangers as insurance after projected closer Jose Leclerc was shut down briefly due to neck spasms. Leclerc is pitching again, meaning Smith is expected to be part of the setup crew.

Duran sustained a leg contusion after being struck by a line drive during a backfield game Sunday, and manager Rocco Baldelli said the right-hander was "moving pretty well," Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

There doesn't seem to be much concern regarding the incident, so it appears Duran escaped with only a minor injury. The 25-year-old may be held out for a couple days but should return to the mound relatively quickly. Duran had eight saves and 18 holds with a 1.86 ERA over 67.2 innings as a rookie last season, and he may not see consistent saves this year since Baldelli prioritizes late-inning matchups over the usage of a traditional closer.

Perez has allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks over five innings in five Grapefruit League appearances.

Perez was initially viewed as an option for saves, but with Felix Bautista recovered from his shoulder and knee issues, it looks like that won't be necessary to start the year. What holds true is Perez's status as the Orioles' top lefty reliever, with strong results in spring games coming off of last year's 1.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 55:21 K:BB over 57.2 innings. He had 24 holds a year ago, so he should have every opportunity to remain in a setup role to begin 2023.

Saucedo was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday.

Saucedo was claimed off waivers by the Mariners in January but won't crack the club's Opening Day roster. The 29-year-old made four big-league appearances for Toronto last season and spent most of the campaign at the Triple-A level, where he had a 2.37 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 28:10 K:BB across 19 innings.