MLB Player News

Pilkington has allowed five earned runs, 10 hits and four walks while striking out eight over 6.1 innings across three Cactus League appearances.

The left-hander saw more time than initially expected in the majors last year, as he frequently served as a spot starter when the Guardians had to make up rained-out games. Pilkington did alright with a 3.88 ERA over 58 innings, but his 5.0 BB/9 was far too high to sustain that level of success. He would likely benefit more from starting at Triple-A Columbus to begin 2023, though he logged a 5.88 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 56.2 innings in 2022 at that level. Barring injuries, the Guardians' five-man rotation is pretty much set, so Pilkington would likely be a reliever if he breaks camp with the team.

The Royals optioned Bowlan to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Friday.

Bowlan gave up one earned run through three innings during spring training, but a 6.92 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in Double-A last season indicate the 26-year-old righty still needs time to develop in the minors.

Winder (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, the Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. He's set to throw another this weekend.

Winder could face live hitters next week if all goes well, but the right-hander is behind schedule in Twins camp due to right shoulder soreness. With manager Rocco Baldelli saying he wants to keep a long reliever on the staff, Winder could still make the major-league roster in a bullpen role if he can get back to full strength before Opening Day.

Pivetta allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two over two innings in Thursday's spring start against the Yankees.

The Yankees made Pivetta work hard, spraying a lot of foul balls and elevating the right-hander's pitch count. His time on the mound included an 11-pitch at-bat against Aaron Judge and a couple of eight-pitch encounters. In between, there were a lot of balls outside the zone, and the right-hander threw just 28 of his 48 pitches for strikes. This being spring training, both Pivetta and manager Alex Cora accentuated the positives to Dawn Klemish of MLB.com. The pitcher said he felt good and could have gone further if not for the pitch count, and other than one at-bat, he felt it was "smooth sailing." Cora said it was a "step in the right direction" for Pivetta.

Kahnle (biceps) is expected to begin the campaign on the injured list, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Kahnle is dealing with tendinitis in his biceps, an injury he also dealt with in 2018. The right-hander has said that he expects to need about a month to recover, so he could be able to pitch in games around mid-April. Kahnle signed a two-year deal with the Yankees in December after posting a 2.84 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB across 12.2 innings with the Dodgers last season.

Jansen (illness) threw 17 pitches to live hitters Thursday in Red Sox camp, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

Jansen missed a scheduled Grapefruit League appearance earlier this week because he wasn't feeling well, but he's scheduled to return to exhibition action Saturday and could join Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic if they advance out of their group. The veteran reliever is slated to serve as Boston's primary closer in 2023.

Bummer (lat) threw a bullpen session Thursday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

It's the first time he's thrown off a mound since he went down with some left lat soreness in early February. The White Sox will wait to see how Bummer recovers Friday before deciding the next step. The team remains hopeful that Bummer will be ready for Opening Day, but he can't afford any missteps.

Effross (elbow) began a throwing program Monday, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Effross is at the beginning stages of a long road back from last October's Tommy John surgery. There might be an outside chance he makes it back late in the 2023 season, but the better bet is that he'll be held out until 2024.

Snider has allowed a hit and struck out three over three innings through three Cactus League appearances.

Snider is in contention for a low-leverage role in the the Royals' bullpen. The 27-year-old righty struggled in his first taste of major-league action a year ago, posting a 6.55 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 22:15 K:BB over 34.1 innings, though he also added seven holds and a 4-2 record. It's still too early to tell if he'll make the roster, and given his career 5.92 ERA at the Triple-A level, he could regularly be moved between Kansas City and Omaha this season.

Hentges (shoulder) showed progress in his medical evaluation Wednesday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Hentges has been out for a week already with left shoulder inflammation, but manager Terry Francona was encouraged by Wednesday's check-up. "It was really, really encouraging," Francona told mlb.com. "To the point that they're going to let him do dry work and stuff." A stint on the injured list hasn't been ruled out yet, but it doesn't appear Hentges will be out for long even if he misses the start of the season.