MLB Player News

Duran is a candidate to win a spot on the pitching staff to begin the season, MLB.com reports. "I wouldn't put him in a box, saying he's going down soon and that's the end of it," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We're going to keep letting him pitch and let him show us what he is right now. I think he's getting to that point in his career where he's right on the brink of helping a big league team win a lot of games."

Duran is one of Minnesota's top pitching prospects, but he threw just 16 innings last season due to elbow issues. He threw two scoreless innings in his spring debut and touched 100.4 mph with his fastball. It sounds like he's being considered for the bullpen, but the Twins do have an opening in the rotation as well.

Sulser didn't pitch Thursday versus the Red Sox due to a stomach illness, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Sulser was scheduled for his second appearance of spring training Thursday, but that'll have to wait a couple more days. The right-hander is expected to be part of the Orioles' closer committee this season. He has previous experience closing -- he's logged 13 saves in 79 appearances over the last two seasons. Sulser pitched to a 2.70 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 73:23 K:BB across 63.1 innings last season.

Winder could win a spot in the Minnesota rotation to begin the season, Megan Ryan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Winder gave up two hits and a walk but had three strikeouts in two scoreless innings in his first spring training outing Wednesday.

Winder didn't pitch after July 21 in the minors last year because of a right shoulder impingement, but he looks fully healthy in spring training. It's possible, even likely, that the Twins sign an established veteran to fill out their starting rotation, but until then the fifth starter role is open. Winder looks like the leading candidate with Lewis Thorpe and Griffin Jax moving to the bullpen. However, the competition for the fifth starter role may not be settled until late in spring training and could be in flux early in the season. Winder dominated at Double-A (1.98 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 31.3 K%, 4.8 BB%) last year, but was less impressive in four starts at Triple-A (4.67 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 22.4 K%, 4.8 BB%) before being shut down.

Morris (shoulder) was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

It was announced earlier in the week that Morris' injury would cost him at least 4-to-6 weeks, but Cleveland decided to place him on the 60-day IL to open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Bryan Shaw.

Pivetta allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out six over 3.2 innings in Thursday's spring training game against the Orioles.

Pivetta dazzled in his first Grapefruit League start but was considerably less effective his second time out. The Orioles tagged him for two solo home runs and plated runs in the second, third and fourth innings. Pivetta has time to make two more starts before taking the ball for the second game of the regular season, April 9 in Yankee Stadium.

Manaea allowed an earned run on a hit and a walk over 4.2 innings in a Cactus League loss to the Rangers on Thursday. He struck out one.

Manaea turned in the longest outing yet for an Athletics starter this spring, throwing a total of 57 pitches, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. The left-hander got first-pitch strikes on 11 of the 17 batters he faced and put 35 of his offerings into the strike zone overall, noting afterwards that he was particularly pleased with his fastball command despite the pitch regularly sitting between 88 and 90 mph during his outing, which is markedly slower than his 92.2 mph average velocity last season.

Garcia has looked good this spring, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated Wednesday that he could "put himself in that mix" for an Opening Day roster spot, Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media reports.

Garcia struggled mightily at the Triple-A level last season, posting a 6.85 ERA and 1.88 WHIP over 90.2 innings. He also threw 8.1 frames with the Yankees, giving up six earned runs. However, he looked much better in his first spring outing Wednesday, hurling two scoreless innings during which he allowed only one hit. Beyond those numbers, the right-hander averaged 94.9 mph on his fastball, per Max Goodman of SI.com, after posting a 92.2 mph average velocity on the pitch last season. Further, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports that Garcia altered his mechanics during the offseason and is pitching with more confidence, strengthening the hope that he could bounce back from his difficult 2021 campaign. It's unlikely that Garcia will be handed a starting spot in the rotation to begin the season, but he could at least make the Opening Day roster if he puts together a strong spring, especially since all MLB teams will be allowed to carry two extra players until May 1.

Zimmermann (illness) exited his outing early on Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Zimmermann started Thursday's contest against the Red Sox and struggled through two innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits and a walk -- though he also struck out four. This issue shouldn't affect his ability to take his first turn through the rotation once the regular season gets underway.

Alcala has a nail tear on his right middle finger, but his status for Opening Day is not in jeopardy, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Alcala is still throwing side sessions, though he has yet to appear in a spring training contest. He was a key part of Minnesota's bullpen in 2021, posting a 3.92 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 59.2 innings. If Taylor Rogers falters in the closer role, Alcala could be a candidate to pick up some saves given that he posted 11 holds last season and had a strong 61:13 K:BB.

The White Sox placed Stiever (lat) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Though Stiever has been in attendance at big-league camp, he remains limited to rehab work and wasn't expected to be ready to pitch at the start of the season after undergoing surgery on his right lat Aug. 23. The move to the 60-day IL officially rules Stiever out for the first two months of the campaign and opens up a 40-man roster spot for waiver pickup Yoan Aybar. Stiever will be eligible to begin a minor-league rehab assignment during his stint on the IL, and once the 60 days lapse and if he's deemed fully healthy, he'll likely slot into the rotation at Triple-A Charlotte.