MLB Player News

Lakins (elbow) threw two innings in a simulated game Wednesday and is scheduled to cover two more frames Friday in the Orioles' exhibition opener versus the Blue Jays, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Lakins reported to spring training at full strength after he was sidelined from late June onward last season following surgery to address an olecranon stress fracture in his right elbow. The 27-year-old right-hander is attending camp as a non-roster invitee and appears to be getting the chance to compete for a rotation spot with the big club, but he should still be viewed as a long shot to make the Opening Day roster.

Jax will move to the bullpen and work in a relief role this season, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Jax will get ready for one-to-three-inning assignments, two or three times a week, according to manager Rocco Baldelli.

Jax finished his first big-league season with a 6.37 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 65:29 K:BB across 82 innings. He was a starter in 14 of 18 outings. He'll try to win a role in middle relief. Jax and Lewis Thorpe moving to the bullpen could be a sign the Twins are set to bring in more veteran starting pitchers or are ready to have younger talent contend for rotation roles.

Smeltzer (elbow) reported to the Twins' big-league camp Sunday as a non-roster invitee, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

After being outrighted off the Twins' 40-man roster in November, Smeltzer joined Minnesota's minor-league camp before the lockout ended, according to Park. The 26-year-old right-hander is healthy again after he didn't pitch after April of last year due to nerve irritation in his left elbow. Smeltzer has 19 MLB appearances (seven starts) to his name, but he's not a serious contender for a spot in Minnesota's Opening Day rotation.

The Tigers are still looking to add starting pitchers before the season starts, which could push Alexander out of a rotation spot, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Alexander is tentatively set as the team's fifth starter, but the lefty has proven himself capable as a long reliever in the past as well. Eduardo Rodriguez, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning should all be locked in as starters, and the Tigers also added veteran Chase Anderson on a minor-league deal Monday as a potential rotation option. Alexander could have a little fantasy value if he's starting, though he seems likely to shift to the bullpen at some point this season.

Pivetta will start Saturday's spring training game against the Twins, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Pivetta takes the ball after Nathan Eovaldi starts Friday. The 29-year-old right-hander tossed live batting practice Tuesday in preparation for the start. Assuming Chris Sale resumes his role as the team's No. 1 starter, Pivetta lines up as Boston's third starter.

Diekman finalized a two-year, $7 million contract with the Red Sox on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. The contract includes a $4 million club option for 2024.

Diekman and Matt Strahm both reported to Red Sox camp Tuesday, after the two lefty relievers came to terms with Boston on contracts over the weekend. Their additions will give manager Alex Cora some more options in the late innings, as Boston mostly got by with Josh Taylor as its main southpaw reliever in 2021 while Darwinzon Hernandez dealt with injury and ineffectiveness for much of the campaign. Diekman could also factor into Boston's closing picture, though any save chances he might receive would likely come against lefty-heavy lineups. The 35-year-old is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 83:34 K:BB in 60.2 innings while converting seven saves in 14 chances and adding 14 holds.

The Red Sox signed Diekman on Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Diekman was one of two left-handed relievers recently signed by the Red Sox, the team's first two post-lockout moves. Addressing bullpen needs was the first item both manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom mentioned when first talking with reporters. Pitching coach David Bush said Diekman figures to be in the mix for key spots late in games. "He's had a pretty good track record in leverage innings, leverage opportunities," Bush said. "I think he can get lefties and righties out. We tend not to view guys as specialists, just the way our bullpen works and he fits that." The Red Sox have yet to declare a closer, although Matt Barnes will be prominent late in games if he can shed whatever issues caused him to blow up in the second half of 2021.

Ridings has yet to start throwing due to shoulder and back issues, Max Goodman of SI.com reports.

Ridings has pitched only five big-league innings, though he fared well by posting a 7:2 K:BB and allowing only one earned run across the five frames last season. He could compete for a bullpen role out of spring training if he heals up relatively quickly, but he may otherwise be destined to start the season at the Triple-A level.

Hall could make his MLB debut this season and may not take long to get there, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Hall has yet to reach Triple-A and only made seven Double-A starts last season before suffering a stress reaction in his elbow, but the Orioles are clearly quite high on their 2017 first-round pick. Control is an issue for the lefty, as evidenced by his 12.5 percent walk rate, but that was paired with a 43.8 percent strikeout rate and a 60.4 percent groundball rate, helping him to a 3.13 ERA.

Rodriguez has resumed throwing as he works his way back from shoulder surgery, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Rodriguez underwent capsule repair surgery in November and is expected to miss most of the upcoming season. While his recovery appears to be going as planned thus far, he's still a long way from returning to game action.