MLB Player News

Raley is projected to claim a roster spot in the Astros' bullpen, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Raley has allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 5.2 Grapefruit League innings. The left-hander is expected to be a middle reliever.

Graveman owns a 6.52 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and .324 BAA across 9.2 innings over eight Cactus League appearances.

The veteran right-hander snapped out of a two-appearance skid with a solid one-inning scoreless outing against the Padres on Friday, but Graveman was never able to truly hit his stride for very long this spring. The 30-year-old allowed multiple earned runs in two trips to the mound, and he was scored upon once in another appearance while also occasionally running into control issues (four walks). Graveman did post five holds last season after transitioning to the bullpen and flashed a high-90s fastball this spring, so there's certainly hope for him to eventually settle in as a possible eighth-inning option in front of closer Rafael Montero.

Montero, projected to serve as the Mariners' primary closer, has posted five consecutive clean one-inning Cactus League appearances after giving up five runs across his first two spring outings.

Montero was a late arrival to spring training due to a visa issue and was unsettled over his first pair of trips to the mound in a Mariners uniform, but he's literally been unhittable since then. He's also demonstrated pinpoint control in the form of a 5:0 K:BB across that span and certainly appears regular-season ready with the Cactus League schedule about to wrap up.

Swanson was optioned to the Mariners' alternate training site Saturday.

Swanson cruised to a 2.84 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in 6.1 spring innings, but that evidently wasn't enough to earn an Opening Day roster spot. With a career 6.58 ERA in 65.2 major-league innings, Swanson will presumably fill a low-leverage role if and when he returns to the majors.

Fleming recorded five strikeouts over 3.2 scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox on Friday, allowing a hit and a walk while hitting a batter.

The southpaw kept his spring ERA unblemished in another impressive outing, his fourth overall in exhibition play. Fleming now has an 8:1 K:BB and .107 BAA across 8.2 Grapefruit League frames, and although manager Kevin Cash isn't committing to any final decisions on his roster just yet, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports the 24-year-old has certainly put his best foot forward in the Rays' skipper's eyes. "He works so fast. He just attacks the zone. His stuff's good. He can really pitch," Cash said. "See how this shakes down here in the next couple days, certainly, but he's made every strong impression possible."

Abreu was informed Saturday that he'll make the Astros' Opening Day roster as a reliever, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Abreu was ramping up his innings during Grapefruit League games but will begin the 2021 season in the major-league bullpen rather than joining Triple-A Sugar Land's rotation. The right-hander has made three appearances (two starts) this spring and posted a 3.68 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 7.1 innings. Abreu should serve as a middle reliever for Houston early in the year.

Kay exited Saturday's spring game against the Yankees due to a lower right leg contusion.

Kay started Saturday's Grapefruit League matchup and allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out one in 2.2 innings. The severity of Kay's injury isn't yet known, and it's unclear whether the issue will impact his availability to begin the regular season.

Payamps was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

Payamps was waived and claimed four separate times this offseason but will finally find some stability with the Blue Jays organization. He's made just four career big-league appearances, so it's no surprise to see that he'll open the year in the minors.

Hill (wrist) was placed on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Hill spent spring training recovering from offseason wrist surgery, but he's been able to resume throwing recently. However, the right-hander will miss extended time to begin the regular season while he continues to recover.

Wilson (shoulder) played catch from 90 feet Saturday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Wilson threw for the first time since exiting Monday's game with a trainer, and he reportedly felt great after his throwing session. While it doesn't appear as though Wilson will be ready to pitch in time for Opening Day, the team still hasn't determined whether he'll require time on the injured list to begin the regular season.