MLB Player News

The Angels remain committed to having Bachman stretch out as a starter, though manager Phil Nevin has indicated that the hurler could initially be used as a one-inning reliever in the majors, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Bachman was hampered by injuries to his back and biceps last season. limiting him to just 43.2 innings in Double-A ball and significantly impacting his velocity. However, the 23-year-old is reportedly throwing harder this spring, and he was drafted ninth overall in 2021 largely due to his penchant for hurling heat. That skill could help him fare well as a late-inning reliever, and Nevin hinted at a scenario in which a call-up could be in order if the team needs a hard-throwing pitcher out of the bullpen down the stretch in a playoff race. While such a circumstance could help Bachman reach the majors in 2023, all indications are that the organization has maintained a long-term goal of developing him as a future piece of the rotation.

Jax threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout and a walk in his spring debut Monday. Jax has introduced a new pitch this spring, a cutter, which he worked on at Driveline in the offseason, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Jax will likely use the cutter as a rare change of pace, as his primary off-speed pitch, a slider, held opponents to a .187 batting average against last season. Jax had a breakout season after moving to the bullpen and became a key setup man for the Twins. He improved both his strikeout (26.9 percent) and walk (6.9 percent) rates with a 78:20 K:BB ratio over 72.1 innings. He also induced grounders at a 47.3 percent rate and had 18 holds. He should be a good source of holds again, and possibly some saves, in Minnesota's bullpen.

Winder (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Monday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Winder looks to have taken the next step forward in his spring throwing progress after he had previously been limited to playing catch off flat ground, but he still finds himself behind the Twins' other healthy pitchers in camp while he works his way back from right shoulder soreness. The injury apparently surfaced while Winder was working out in December, and though the shoulder issue isn't yet being viewed as anything that jeopardizes his availability for Opening Day, it could hinder his chances of breaking camp as a member of the rotation.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said that the club will not have a set closer until Graveman's teammate Liam Hendriks (illness) returns. "Absolutely not. That's not how we are going to run it."

Hendriks is currently battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and he doesn't have a timeline for a return at this point. Graveman has closer experience, but it appears that the White Sox are going to go closer-by-committee until Hendriks is able to return. Other options for saves include Joe Kelly, Garrett Crochet, Aaron Bummer and Jake Diekman; among others.

Karinchak allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts over one inning in Sunday's Cactus League loss to the Rangers.

Karinchak enters 2023 after a sharp second half of the 2022 season. After recovering from a shoulder injury, the right-hander logged a 2.08 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, three saves, eight holds and 62 strikeouts over 39 innings. He is poised to again serve as a setup man to closer Emmanuel Clase, though Karinchak will need to clean up his early spring struggles to avoid losing his grip on a high-leverage role.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that Clarke 's throwing progression will be slowed down after the right-hander experienced lower-body soreness in a bullpen session Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Though Quatraro said Clarke's progression will be slowed a bit, the skipper added that the 29-year-old should be ready to pitch in Cactus League games within a week. Clarke was a solid, if unspectacular, performer for the Royals in 2022, accruing a 4.04 ERA and notching three saves while covering 49 innings out of the bullpen. He projects to fill a middle-innings role during the upcoming campaign.

Chapman required stitches on a split lip and suffered a cracked tooth after he slipped and fell at his house Saturday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Chapman doesn't appear to be in any danger of missing extended time after the home accident, as he's expected to throw a bullpen session Tuesday before getting into a Cactus League game soon thereafter. The reliever joined the Royals on a one-year deal last month after spending the last six and a half seasons with the Yankees. The left-hander will look to recapture some of his former glory in 2023 after struggling to a career-worst 4.46 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 36.1 innings in 43 appearances with New York in 2022. Chapman is guaranteed $3.75 million on his deal, but the contract could escalate to a total value of $8.75 million based on performance bonuses for appearances and games finished. The Royals haven't formally clarified their plans for Chapman, but he could challenge Scott Barlow for the closer's role.

Pearson topped out at 100.8 miles per hour with his fastball during his appearance in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Mike Wilner of The Toronto Star reports.

The line in the box score was less impressive, as the right-hander allowed one run on two hits, two walks and a wild pitch over one inning, but Pearson struck out the side while tossing 18 of 31 pitches for strikes. The one-time top prospect has had his development derailed by multiple injuries and the Blue Jays might have given up on the idea of him holding up under a starter's workload, but Pearson still has a chance to make an impact in the majors as a high-leverage reliever if he can stay healthy in 2023.

Jimenez (shoulder) struck out a batter and worked around a base hit in a scoreless inning of relief in Sunday's 11-4 win over the Brewers in Cactus League play.

With Jimenez making his debut in the Athletics' second game of the spring slate, he appears to be operating at full strength during camp after a right shoulder strain shelved him for the final five weeks of the 2022 season. Before succumbing to the injury, Jimenez turned in a 3.41 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while striking out 34 over 34.1 innings. He had a brief run of fantasy relevance as Oakland's closer, bagging 11 saves in 14 chances before injuries derailed him from August onward. The Athletics' closer situation remains unsettled heading into Opening Day, and Melissa Lockard of The Athletic reported earlier in February that Jimenez is "probably the favorite get save opportunities early in the season" in light of his success as a rookie. Lockard suggests that offseason pickup Trevor May as well as Zach Jackson are other possible candidates to claim the ninth-inning role.

Moll (shoulder) is listed as an available option out of the Oakland bullpen for Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Moll appears to be healthy enough to make his spring debut Monday after a left shoulder strain kept him sidelined for the final three weeks of the 2022 campaign. Before picking up the injury, the southpaw compiled a 2.91 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 46:22 K:BB across 43.1 innings for Oakland while collecting two wins and 16 holds. He'll likely settle into a middle-relief or setup role in the Athletics bullpen to begin the 2023 season.