MLB Player News

Pearson (groin) will throw another bullpen session Tuesday, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Pearson's groin strain is expected to prevent him from being ready to start by Opening Day, but the fact that he continues to throw is certainly a good sign. It's not yet clear if Pearson will be ready to open the year in the bullpen or if he'll continue to go through a throwing progression while off the active roster.

Staumont revealed Monday that he contracted COVID-19 right before the start of camp, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

He lost weight and dealt with a high fever, which is why he is a little behind the rest of Kansas City's relievers in terms of getting spring work in. Staumont made his spring debut Sunday, striking out one while allowing zero baserunners in one inning against the Dodgers. He should work in the late innings and will compete with Greg Holland and Scott Barlow for save opportunities.

Manager Bob Melvin suggested Sunday that Puk will be the top candidate to begin the season as the Athletics' fifth starter if Mike Fiers (hip) is placed on the injured list, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

With Fiers having yet to pitch in a game this spring and now expected to be shut down for a few days after receiving an injection to address inflammation in his hip, his chances of being ready for Opening Day are growing increasingly dimmer. Puk would at least present the Athletics with a high-upside replacement, so long as he can get enough innings under his belt this spring for Melvin to feel comfortable deploying him in a starting role. If Puk's workload is still a concern for coming out of spring training, the Athletics could choose to deploy him as more of an opener or primary pitcher when Fiers' turn in the rotation is due. Daulton Jefferies and Cole Irvin are other candidates to step in as a fifth starter if Oakland prefers to keep Puk in the bullpen.

Thielbar (back) will be available out of the bullpen for Monday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

He's received the green light to make his spring debut after being slowed earlier in camp by a strained back. The lefty reliever shouldn't need more than a handful of appearances this spring to erase any concerns about his availability for the start of the season, so he would still appear to be in good shape to break camp with the Twins.

Thornton (elbow) is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Thornton has been brought along slowly this spring as he works his way back from September surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He could still have time to get fully up to speed by Opening Day, though there's no guarantee he spends that day as a member of the major-league roster. The Blue Jays intend to have Thornton stretch out for starting duty this spring, but the team doesn't appear to have a spot open in the rotation for him.

The Athletics optioned Romero to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Romero was one of seven Athletics players optioned to the minors in the organization's first round of roster cuts. The reliever will be returning to Triple-A after previously spending the 2019 campaign in Las Vegas, with whom he produced a 3.96 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 72.2 innings.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde confirmed Monday that Harvey will be sidelined indefinitely with a left oblique strain, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Hyde didn't go as far as saying that Harvey wouldn't be ready for Opening Day, but it's probably safe to rule the right-hander out for the start of the season, given his history as a slow healer along with the fact that he's dealing with more than just a sore oblique. Prior to getting hurt on his first pitch of Friday's Grapefruit League appearance against the Phillies, Harvey was viewed as the frontrunner for the Orioles' closing job, but Hyde will now have to look elsewhere at the back end of the bullpen. Tanner Scott, Shawn Armstrong and Cesar Valdez are the most likely candidates for the job, but it's possible the Orioles opt for a committee approach at closer to begin the season, which would limit the value of all of the team's end-game options.

Paredes allowed two hits and a walk over one scoreless inning in Sunday's game against the Nationals.

This was the first appearance since March 4 for Paredes, who missed time due to health and safety protocols. As a projected reliever, Paredes should have enough time to be ready for the start of the regular season. He made his major league debut last season, pitching to a 3.05 ERA over 20.2 innings.

Misiewicz, who compiled eight holds as a rookie in 2020, has a 3.00 ERA and 4:0 K:BB across three innings over his first three Cactus League appearances.

The young right-hander has given up one earned run, but otherwise, he's been close to flawless while exhibiting some of the same impressive control that led to a 25:6 K:BB over his first 20 big-league innings a season ago. Misiewicz appears on his way to garnering a roster spot as a middle reliever again, with Daniel Kramer of MLB.com including him in his latest Opening Day roster projection.

Garcia completed three innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game over the Blue Jays, allowing one unearned run on one hit and two walks while striking out two.

Garcia has not allowed an earned run over his past two starts, striking out seven batters across six frames in that span. After an uneven spring debut, the 21-year-old has shined and may be cementing his place as New York's fifth starter to begin the campaign.