MLB Player News

Jimenez has struggled with his velocity this spring, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Jimenez was throwing just 88-89 mph in his first Cactus League appearance before bumping it up to 91-93 mph his second time out. That's still down a bit from what he threw in 2022, which is especially concerning since he ended last season with a shoulder injury. Jimenez entered camp as arguably the favorite to close for the Athletics, but he'll probably need to show better velocity in order for the team to trust him in the role. Trevor May, Zach Jackson and Domingo Acevedo are alternatives for the closer job.

Hoffman (elbow) worked an inning of relief and gave up two earned runs on two hits and one walk while striking out two in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Pirates in Grapefruit League play.

Hoffman, who inked a minor-league deal with the Twins in late February, made his spring debut Sunday after spending the prior week ramping up at camp. The right-hander appears to be healthy again after forearm and elbow trouble sidelined him for most of the entire second half of the past season while he was with the Reds. Since Hoffman isn't a member of the Twins' 40-man roster, he may face an uphill battle to win a spot in Minnesota's Opening Day bullpen.

Snead has been shut down due to a left shoulder strain, MLB.com reports.

Snead felt discomfort in his shoulder after his spring debut Feb. 25. It's not clear when he will resume throwing, so his status for Opening Day is in question.

Munoz (foot) was slated to throw a live batting practice Monday, the Mariners' official site report.

It's a significant step for Munoz in his ongoing recovery from October 2022 foot surgery, and if he experiences no residual setbacks, it would leave him poised to next test himself in a Cactus League game. The 24-year-old was a critical bullpen asset for manager Scott Servais last season while amassing four saves and 22 holds, even as he played through discomfort for a good portion of the campaign. Assuming a return to full health, Munoz should have ample opportunities in a setup role behind presumed top closer Paul Sewald, but the former's triple-digit fastball should earn him his fair share of save chances as well.

The Angels haven't yet decided whether to develop Soriano as a starter or reliever, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Soriano was once an intriguing pitching prospect, but he's undergone two Tommy John surgeries since 2020 and tossed only 13 minor-league innings last season. While he's on the Angels' 40-man roster, the right-hander isn't likely to ascend to the big leagues this season. The Angels are understandably unsure about Soriano's future role given his lack of game action over the past four seasons, though manager Phil Nevin left the door open for him to develop as a starter, saying, "You can see him coming in and blowing it out for one inning or if he can sustain it and he can go for five, six innings, then obviously that's a great spot for him too."

Gomez was reassigned to Double-A Somerset following Monday's spring training game against the Pirates.

Gomez appeared in two spring games with the Yankees before being sent to the minors to prepare for the upcoming 2023 campaign. He allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out four across five innings while up with the big club.

Estevez has pitched 1.2 innings over three appearances in Cactus League play thus far, allowing five runs on one hit and seven walks while striking out one batter.

Estevez has never been a pitcher with pinpoint control, but his wildness has been particularly off-putting this spring given general manager Perry Minasian's optimism early in camp that the right-hander could win the Angels' closer job. That scenario certainly isn't off the table, but Estevez may need to put his early struggles behind him in order to earn the team's confidence. One reason for his poor numbers thus far may be a conscious attempt, at the direction of the organization, to pitch more at the top of the zone, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Estevez has at least expressed confidence in adjusting to the changes, saying Sunday, "I think I'm going to get it. I just need to face more hitters and once I'm comfortable with it, I think I'm going to be fine." Los Angeles has other options, including Jimmy Herget and Ryan Tepera, to deploy in the ninth inning of meaningful games, so Estevez is among the shakiest options for fantasy managers to target when chasing saves in their drafts.

Kahnle is currently sidelined with tendinitis in his biceps, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Kahnle told Hoch that he had a similar condition in 2018, and that he attempted to pitch it and wound up getting sent to the minors. The right-hander believes it will take him about a month for it to clear up. Signed to a two-year deal this offseason, There's a very good chance that Kahnle will now open the season on the injured list and hope to help the Yankees in the middle of April without setback.

Howard will not pitch Monday as hoped due to arm fatigue, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers do not believe this to be a serious setback for the right-hander. Howard projects to open the 2023 season in the rotation at Triple-A Round Rock, although it's possible he could be look at as a bullpen arm. He'll need to get healthy first, though.

Baumann has allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out eight over five innings across two Grapefruit League appearances.

Baumann is once again competing for a rotation spot this spring, and he's off to a decent start. The 27-year-old righty has started four of his 17 big-league appearances. All of those starts came last season, though his overall results -- a 4.72 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 23:9 K:BB and 1-3 record over 34.1 innings -- weren't that impressive. With Grayson Rodriguez pushing to open the year in the majors and other pitchers like Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish in the mix as well, Baumann will really need to stand out to land a starting role rather than a bullpen spot or a trip to Triple-A Norfolk.