MLB Player News

Manager Charlie Montoyo said De Leon suffered a right shoulder injury during Monday's spring game against the Tigers and is being evaluated by the medical staff, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

De Leon was down in some pain after spiking a pitch during Monday's appearances, and the specifics of the injury remain uncertain. The 29-year-old is in camp as a non-roster invitee after posting a 8.35 ERA over 18.1 innings for Cincinnati last year.

The Mariners assigned Weigel to their minor-league camp Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Though his resume includes four big-league relief appearances, Weigel never looked like a good bet to make the Mariners' Opening Day bullpen after signing with the team on a minor-league deal late in the offseason. His lack of a 40-man roster spot means that he'll have to impress at Triple-A Tacoma before warranting consideration for a possible promotion to the big club.

De Leon tossed just two pitches Monday in his Grapefruit League appearance against the Tigers before departing with an apparent right arm injury, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The Blue Jays will likely send De Leon in for X-rays and possibly an MRI before providing a diagnosis of his injury, but he looked to be in considerable pain while bouncing a pitch to home plate during Monday's appearance. De Leon is attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee and is hoping to win a spot in Toronto's Opening Day bullpen.

Kowar allowed a run of three hits and struck out four over two innings in Sunday's 11-10 win over the Diamondbacks.

The decrease in walks is the most encouraging takeaway here -- Kowar issued 20 free passes in 30.1 major-league innings last season. He struggled to an 11.27 ERA and 2.08 WHIP with the Royals last season, but he posted a strong 3.46 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 80.2 innings with Triple-A Omaha. Kowar is competing for a back-end spot in the rotation during spring training, though he may begin the year in Omaha if the Royals opt to carry five starters early on.

Criswell is dealing with shoulder inflammation and has been shut down, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Criswell made his major-league debut last season, giving up three runs in 1.1 innings in his lone appearance. His delayed spring will likely take him out of the running for an Opening Day roster spot, though it didn't appear as if he was likely to win one even if healthy.

King (shoulder) is expected to be a full participant during the Rangers' spring camp, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

King has yet to make his 2022 Cactus League debut, but that shouldn't be far away now that the Rangers are giving him full clearance after he underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in September. Though the track record of pitchers returning from the procedure isn't promising, King has apparently been free of setbacks in his recovery and should have a chance at making the Opening Day bullpen if he fares well in his spring outings. King still has three minor-league options remaining, so it wouldn't be too surprising if the Rangers took a cautious approach and sent him to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the season so he can attempt to regain form in a lower-pressure setting.

Scott (knee) is scheduled to appear in relief Tuesday in the Orioles' Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Scott will be making his second appearance of the spring after he worked around a pair of walks to turn in a scoreless frame in his Grapefruit League debut Friday versus the Blue Jays. His inclusion on the Orioles' pitching schedule Tuesday is an indication that he's at full health this spring after he missed the final three weeks of the 2021 campaign with a left knee sprain. Baltimore hasn't appointed a closer ahead of Opening Day, but Scott and Cole Sulser look like the top frontrunners for saves among the relievers currently on the roster.

Munoz will throw a live batting practice session Monday after resolving the visa issue that delayed his arrival at big-league camp, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

The fact that Munoz is facing hitters shortly after reporting to camp suggests that he was able to do some ramping up on his own while he was away from the team. After inking a four-year extension in November, Munoz is locked in as a critical late-inning piece for Seattle entering 2022. The availability of Munoz -- who was limited to one late-season appearance in 2021 while finishing up his recovery from Tommy John surgery -- takes on added importance after ace setup man Casey Sadler was ruled out for the season Sunday after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Crochet is following last year's Michael Kopech plan and is hopeful he will move into the rotation in 2023, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Kopech threw 72.1 innings last season (including the playoffs) and made four starts and is now competing for a rotation spot. Crochet, who is three years younger than Kopech, logged 56.2 innings (including the playoffs), and he only logged two or more innings on six occasions, never surpassing three frames in an outing. He was able to have a normal offseason, which was not the case heading into last year, as he spent last winter rehabilitating from a flexor strain. Crochet's fastball and slider will always be his top two offerings, but if his changeup improves and he stays healthy, he should be given the chance to follow in Kopech's footsteps.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Taylor is dealing with a minor back issue that could affect his availability for Opening Day, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Taylor contended with a back injury late in the 2021 regular season, but he was reinstated from the injured list prior to the Red Sox's wild-card round series. Though he seemingly came out of the postseason without any setbacks, the back issue has apparently reared its head again while he's been throwing during the spring. The 29-year-old was an important bullpen arm for Boston in 2022, but the Red Sox are better equipped to handle a potential Taylor absence after adding two lefties to the bullpen this offseason in Jake Diekman and Matt Strahm.