MLB Player News

Vest could earn a spot in the Tigers' bullpen to begin the season, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Vest made his MLB debut last season and pitched in 32 games for Seattle, so he has experience at the top level. He may end up shuttling between Triple-A and the majors ultimately, so his fantasy value is limited unless he's able to secure a more reliable role in Detroit.

De Leon (shoulder) was reassigned to minor-league spring training Thursday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

De Leon sustained a shoulder injury during his appearance in a spring game March 21, but he isn't dealing with any structural damage. It's not yet clear whether he'll be ready for the start of the minor-league season, but he should now report to Triple-A Buffalo.

Rodriguez (neck) retired both of the batters he faced Thursday in the Yankees' 5-3 loss to the Phillies in Grapefruit League play.

Rodriguez was making just his second appearance of the spring after he was idle for nearly a week due to a sore neck. The Yankees kept Rodriguez out in part because he had shown diminished velocity in his March 24 outing, but his fastball was touching 93 miles per hour Thursday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. That's only one tick below his average velocity from the 2021 season, so Rodriguez is seemingly healthy and ready to go for Opening Day.

Suero signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Wednesday.

Suero will join a new organization for the first time in his career after his 12-year run in the Nationals system came to an end in November, when he was non-tendered by Washington. The 30-year-old righty has made 185 relief appearances over parts of four seasons in the majors, but after submitting an ugly 6.33 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 42.2 innings with Washington in 2021, Suero will likely head to Triple-A Salt Lake to open the 2022 campaign.

Hernandez allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits and struck out four in 2.2 innings during a loss to the Giants on Wednesday.

Hernandez has gotten rocked through two spring starts, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) over 4.2 innings. That's not great for the 25-year-old, who is far from assured a spot in the rotation given the Royals' mix of established veterans and prospects competing for starting roles. Hernandez would likely need to show some improvement in his next spring start to get an edge over Jackson Kowar, though both of them could be ticketed to the bullpen or Triple-A Omaha if the Royals employ a five-man rotation. Hernandez started 11 of his 24 outings last season, posting a 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 74:41 K:BB through 85.2 innings.

Zimmermann allowed one unearned run on one hit and struck out two over three innings in Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Rays. He posted zero walks.

Zimmermann has logged five innings across two spring starts, with Wednesday's being the far better of the two after his first one was delayed by a stomach bug. Manager Brandon Hyde designated John Means, Jordan Lyles and Tyler Wells as part of the Orioles' rotation to begin the 2022 campaign, leaving Zimmermann and a handful of other pitchers to compete for two spots. The 27-year-old southpaw posted a 5.04 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 56:22 K:BB across 64.1 innings in 14 appearances (13 starts) last season. At least initially, he may need to work with a piggyback reliever until he can get more fully stretched out after a condensed spring training.

The Athletics plan to have Puk open the season as a member of their bullpen, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Durability concerns have been the main reason why Puk has yet to make an MLB start, but after reporting to spring training healthy, he was expected to compete for a back-end spot in the Oakland rotation. At some point during the spring, the Athletics scrapped those plans, as all four of Puk's appearances to date have come as a reliever. He's tossed exactly two frames in each of his last three Cactus League appearances, a usage pattern that could signal that the Athletics envision him serving as a multi-inning fireman out of the bullpen. Though that role likely wouldn't put Puk in the mix for consistent save chances, he could have some fantasy value in deeper leagues as a ratio stabilizer if he can find a way to keep his walks in check. He hasn't shown the ability to do that so far in spring training, as he's issued six free passes over 6.2 innings.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Thursday that Chafin will be sidelined for "at least a couple of days" due to the groin injury that prevented him from pitching in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Chafin didn't participate in the team warmup ahead of Thursday's game against the Blue Jays, as he instead met with the training staff to receive treatment for the injury that has been described as "groin tightness." Hinch wasn't ready to speculate what the injury might mean for Chafin's status for Opening Day, but the lefty reliever will presumably need to throw a bullpen session without incident at some point within the next week to avoid a stint on the injured list to begin the season.

Fairbanks will receive a PRP injection to address his torn lat muscle, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Fairbanks has been shut down from throwing for six weeks and isn't expected to return to the active roster until July. The Rays will likely continue to plan their bullpen around high-leverage situations rather than traditional roles, but Fairbanks' absence leaves Andrew Kittredge looking more alone than expected as a top-tier option for the late innings.

Pearson won't appear in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers as scheduled after he experienced potential COVID-19 symptoms, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Pearson reportedly tested negative for the virus, so assuming he shakes off his illness within a few days, he should be ready to go by Opening Day. Even if that's the case, Pearson might not find himself on the major-league roster. According to Matheson, Pearson has already been ruled out from winning a rotation spot, and it's unclear whether Toronto wants him in the big-league bullpen rather than continuing to build up as a starter at Triple-A Buffalo.