MLB Player News

Jackson (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.

Jackson closed the 2022 campaign on the injured list with a shoulder strain suffered in early September, but he avoided surgery to address the injury and appears to be back to full strength for spring training. Oakland has yet to formally name a closer for Opening Day, and Jackson should factor into the late-inning mix in some capacity after a strong showing as a rookie a season ago. Over his 54 appearances with the big club spanning 48 innings, the right-hander accrued a 3.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 67:33 K:BB while collecting three saves and 27 holds.

Winckowski allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Rays.

Winckowski made 15 starts for Boston in 2022 but is on the outside of the seven candidates being considered for this season's rotation. The right-hander had a 5.89 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and 1.3 HR/9 over 70.1 innings. His FIP (4.94) was nearly a run better, which indicates the defense behind him was lacking, but there was nothing else to excite fantasy managers. The 22-year-old Winckowski should serve as a starting depth option in the organization, likely destined for the rotation at Triple-A Worcester, where his numbers were better than in MLB.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Bautista (shoulder/knee) bounced back well after Saturday's bullpen session, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The right-hander upped his intensity to about 80-to-85 percent for Saturday's session and should continue ramping things up this week. Assuming Bautista is able to pitch at full effort in the near future, it shouldn't take long for him to advance to facing live batters.

Stiever (lat) is listed as the White Sox's probable starter for Tuesday's spring game against the Diamondbacks.

Stiever made only three rehab appearances last season and spent most of the campaign rehabbing from the right lat surgery he underwent in August of 2021. The 25-year-old is now apparently fully healthy and has an outside shot at Chicago's Opening Day rotation, though he's more likely to begin the year in the minors while coming off a lost season.

Hoffman (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Sunday that includes an invite to big-league spring training, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Hoffman elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Reds in November, and he's finally secured a new deal with spring training just underway. The 30-year-old had a 3.83 ERA and 45:23 K:BB over 44.2 innings last season but missed the second half with forearm and elbow issues. The right-hander's contract includes opt outs March 28, May 15 and June 15, so he'll have options if the Twins don't add him to the big-league roster.

Santana was claimed off waivers by the Twins on Sunday.

Santana was acquired by Atlanta in November, but the club apparently put him on waivers this week. The right-hander appeared in 63 games for the Rangers last year and had a 5.22 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 54:28 K:BB across 58.2 innings.

Hill tossed two scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one.

Hill drew the start and looked sharp while logging 34 pitches. The righty made eight starts for the Tigers in 2022, though he'll likely start this season in a long-relief role with Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull back in the mix and Michael Lorenzen joining the team. Hill could force his way into the rotation at some point if he pitches well, however.

Zimmermann will start Monday's game versus the Rays, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Zimmermann struggled last season with a 5.99 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over 73.2 innings. He made 13 of his 15 appearances as a starter, but time is running out for the southpaw to establish himself as a viable part of the rotation. He'll need a strong spring to begin the year as a starter, especially with top prospect Grayson Rodriguez looking to make the jump to the majors. It's still possible Zimmermann opens the year in the bullpen or at Triple-A Norfolk if he doesn't show improvement from 2022's poor numbers.

Crochet (elbow) is raising the intensity of his weekly bullpen sessions, MLB.com reports.

Crochet had been throwing two bullpen sessions per week but with a lower level of intensity. His timeline to return from Tommy John surgery remains in mid-May, though the White Sox also clarified that the plan is for Crochet to pitch in extended spring training games before going on a rehab assignment with a minor-league affiliate.

Alcala gave up two earned runs on two hits with a walk and no strikeouts over one inning in his spring debut Saturday against Tampa Bay.

It was Alcala's first competitive game since June as he struggled with injuries last season. Alcala went on the injured list in mid-April with a sore right elbow. He experienced a setback when trying to return in June, and then underwent season-ending arthroscopic debridement surgery on his elbow in August. He had a rough spring debut, but he's likely rusty with the long layoff. More importantly, he's looked healthy early in spring. If he can work out the kinks, he's expected to be a key setup man and could figure in the mix for saves with the Twins possibly using a committee approach.