MLB Player News

Brieske (arm) continues to receive further medical evaluation, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Brieske is on the injured list to begin the year with right upper arm discomfort, and there's still no word as to when the right-hander will be ready to return. Because of the missed time and the lack of clarity, it seems likely that he won't be ready to come off the injured list when first eligible.

Johnson (elbow) will open the year on the 60-day injured list at Triple-A Norfolk.

Though he's listed on Norfolk's roster, Johnson has never pitched above the High-A level. Johnson would likely head to High-A or Double-A if he can ramp up before the end of the minor-league season. The hard-throwing righty underwent Tommy John surgery last August just after getting traded from the Rays to the Orioles as part of the three-team trade that sent Trey Mancini to Houston and Jose Siri to Tampa Bay. Johnson has late-inning stuff if he needs to move to the bullpen due to durability issues. With the move to the 60-day IL, Johnson doesn't count against Baltimore's 40-man roster.

White (elbow) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session Monday at the Blue Jays player development complex in Florida, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

White's next step according to Zwelling will be to throw another bullpen, and then he could face hitters live if that goes well. The right-hander is dealing with elbow inflammation and is unlikely to return to the big-league club before the end of April.

Mills (elbow) began playing catch this week, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Mills is a couple weeks removed from being diagnosed with right elbow inflammation. He'll ramp things back up slowly and wouldn't seem to be guaranteed a roster spot with the big club once healthy.

Rodriguez (oblique) has begun a throwing program, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Rodriguez is reportedly feeling much better after straining his oblique on March 18 and the fact he's resumed throwing is a step in the right direction, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora still has no timetable to offer for his return. A target date will likely come into focus whenever Rodriguez is once again able to face hitters.

May (1-1) was charged with the loss in an extra-inning defeat to the Guardians on Monday, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk across one inning. He also uncorked a wild pitch and recorded a strikeout.

May worked himself into immediate trouble to open the 10th inning by giving up back-to-back singles to Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez, the second plating inning-opening runner Steven Kwan. Rosario eventually crossed the plate as well courtesy of May's wild pitch, saddling Oakland with a two-run deficit that would prove insurmountable. May has quickly qualified for two decisions in the first four games of the season, and despite Monday's hiccup, his largely solid track record as a reliever should continue to afford him a fair share of appearances in reasonably high-leverage situations.

Voth is an option to start for the Orioles on Tuesday versus the Rangers after scheduled starter Tyler Wells was needed in relief Monday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Voth is currently stationed in the Orioles' bullpen and made a one-inning relief appearance Saturday. He was stretched out in spring training, though, and the hope is that he could give the O's a little length. Baltimore could also go with Kyle Gibson on Tuesday on normal rest and pitch Voth on Wednesday in Gibson's original slot.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy told his bullpen on Opening Day that Leclerc would be the closer to start the season, but the manager called on Will Smith to close out Sunday's win over the Phillies, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Smith said he was surprised to get the call Sunday, given what Bochy had told members of the bullpen days earlier. The manager talked about bullpen versatility, indicating he could use any of his closer candidates in any situation. "It's a very versatile bullpen where I can use them in the fifth, sixth or high-leverage situations in the eighth and ninth," Bochy said. "It's a fun bullpen. Balance with the lefties and righties... there may be times where really all of them could [close] at some point." It appears Leclerc remains in the mix for saves, but Bochy may not have one set closer.

Smith conceded he was surprised to be called for Sunday's save opportunity against Philadelphia, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Smith had been warming up in the eighth inning if needed to replace Jonathan Hernandez, who worked a perfect inning, then sat down in preparation for Jose Leclerc to close. Smith said manager Bruce Bochy indicated on Opening Day that Leclerc was going to close for the Rangers to start the season. "So it was honestly kind of a surprise to all of us down there," Smith said. "Then the phone rings, and [bullpen coach] Brett [Hayes] says it's me." Bochy opted for Smith in Texas' first save situation and also talked about the versatility of the bullpen, noting that he could use any of his closer candidates in any inning.

Fleming will be used as a traditional starter Tuesday against the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Rays manager Kevin Cash had said prior to Monday's game that he was considering an opener ahead of Fleming, but he revealed after the contest that he decided against it. Fleming isn't a great streaming option even in a favorable matchup.