MLB Player News

Crochet is viewed by manager Tony La Russa as "a valuable part of the final third of the game," James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Crochet was viewed as a starter by the White Sox when they selected him 11th in last year's draft, but he shot straight to the majors in September without any previous professional experience and impressed, making five scoreless appearances in the regular season and one more in the playoffs. The White Sox are now faced with the choice of keeping him in that relief role as a big-leaguer or sending him down to the minors to stretch out, and appears as though they're choosing the former. He's seemingly thought to be ready for high-leverage work, though he won't provide a ton of fantasy value in standard setups as a single-inning reliever unless he's getting saves, which won't be happening as long as Liam Hendriks is healthy.

Martin was scratched from his scheduled relief outing during Saturday's game against Arizona due to back spasms.

Martin was expected to make his Cactus League debut Saturday, but he'll be pushed back due to his injury. The severity of the issue remains to be seen, and it's not yet clear when the southpaw will be ready to return.

Fulmer (personal) is starting Saturday's spring game against the Orioles, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Fulmer was away from the team for several days following the birth of his child, but he'll take the mound to begin Saturday's contest. Barring any setbacks, the right-hander will have plenty of time to build up in time for Opening Day.

Mata has been diagnosed with a slight tear of the UCL in his throwing arm, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Mata's injury will sideline him for some amount of time, but the Red Sox are going to try and repair the tear through treatment and are not planning to send him for surgery as of now.

Stiever allowed one run on three hits while striking out two and did not walk a batter over two innings in Friday's spring game against the Mariners.

Stiever started Friday's game, his first Cactus League appearance of 2020, but he's not expected to break camp with the White Sox. The 23-year-old right-hander has been talked up by manager Tony La Russa as potential starting depth and someone that will contribute to the 2021 team, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

Yarbrough threw 16 pitches over his one inning during his Grapefruit League debut against the Twins on Thursday and impressed manager Kevin Cash with his performance, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "Nice to see one of our guys start the buildup," Cash said. "He was kidding that he walked a guy -- normally doesn't walk too many guys -- so I'm sure he's got plenty of reps to fine-tune that. But he looks really crisp."

Yarbrough has been a valued jack-of-all-trades for Cash over the last three seasons, serving as everything from conventional starter and reliever to an opener for bullpen games. The left-hander has deftly handled every role he's been asked to fill, posting a 28-16 record over that span with a 3.94 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. Yarbrough projects to open the season as high as the No. 2 slot in the rotation behind new ace Tyler Glasnow.

Patino, who was credited with the victory in Thursday's Grapefruit League win over the Twins, impressed with his velocity and location during his one inning, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The promising right-hander consistently kept his fastball in the mid-90s and threw seven of his 10 pitches for strikes during the second inning. Patino did work around a hit and gave up some loud contact, but battery mate Francisco Mejia, who caught Patino during their time together in the Padres organization, came away impressed with his teammate's confidence. Meanwhile, pitching coach Kyle Snyder added that the 21-year-old's changeup and slider are excellent complements to his formidable fastball.

Reyes (elbow) was outrighted to the minors by the Angels on Friday.

Reyes was diagnosed with a right UCL sprain Tuesday, and he'll now be removed from the 40-man roster. He was a long shot to make the Angels' roster in the first place, but it appears as though he'll begin the season in the minors if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Puk will face hitters at the Athletics' complex Friday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

There are no questions about Puk's talent, but injury issues remain a massive concern for the sixth overall pick in the 2016 draft. He's thrown a combined 116.2 innings over the last three years, including none last season as he battled shoulder issues. He's building up very cautiously this season and is expected to open the year in the bullpen.

Manager Dusty Baker said Friday that Paredes is out due to health and safety protocols, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Paredes fired a scoreless inning in his spring debut Thursday, but he will have to get the green light to rejoin his teammates before making his next appearance.