MLB Player News

King was mentioned by manager Aaron Boone on Wednesday as one of a handful of pitchers who could be competing for the fifth-starter job this spring, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

King struggled to the tune of a 7.76 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over 26.2 innings last season, so he is likely a longshot to open the season in the rotation. Still, Boone suggested that there will be a competition among a handful of pitchers for the final rotation spot heading into the campaign, so King could be given the opportunity if he turns heads during spring training.

Garcia is among a group of Yankees pitchers who could be competing this spring for the fifth spot in the rotation, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

Garcia could have the upper hand for a rotation spot given his relatively strong performance in six starts last season, though the offseason additions of Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon (elbow) have muddied the waters a bit for what was once thought to be a given. If Garcia doesn't have a strong spring, any one of Domingo German, Michael King, Clarke Schmidt or even Jhoulys Chacin could end up with the opportunity to begin the season in the rotation.

Leclerc isn't available for the start of spring training due to visa issues, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Leclerc is fully healthy heading into spring training after tearing a muscle behind his shoulder last season, but he'll be a late arrival to camp while awaiting clearance to enter North America. His visa issues are believed to be minor, and the right-hander should be the favorite to serve as the team's closer once he arrives at spring training.

Yang isn't available for the start of spring training due to visa issues, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Yang's visa issues are believed to be minor, but he'll be unavailable to begin spring training while awaiting clearance to travel to North America. The southpaw signed with the Rangers on Friday after starting his career in the KBO, and he'll serve as a non-roster invitee once he arrives at camp.

Rodriguez is limited to begin spring training due to a sprained ankle, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

It's not clear when Rodriguez suffered his sprained ankle, but he's slightly behind schedule to begin spring training as a result. The southpaw returned to the majors in 2020 and posted a 2.13 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 12.2 innings with the Rangers. Weaver separately reports Rodriguez will be a late arrival to camp due to minor visa issues.

General manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday that Crochet (forearm) is expected to open the upcoming season in the White Sox's bullpen rather than the rotation, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

The White Sox don't seem to be writing off the flame-throwing lefty becoming a starter in the long run, but working out of the bullpen will allow Crochet to make a more immediate impact for a team that has legitimate World Series aspirations in 2021. Upon being promoted to the big leagues last September, Crochet was dominant in a small sample of five relief appearances, tossing six scoreless frames and striking out eight. He suffered a strained left flexor tendon in the playoffs, but after being cleared to resume a throwing program earlier in the offseason, Crochet isn't expect to face any restrictions this spring.

Soto has yet to arrive at spring training due to travel issues, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Soto is the likely favorite to begin the 2021 season as the Tigers' closer, but he isn't present for the start of camp due to travel issues. It's not yet clear when he'll arrive, but he'll attempt to work on his control heading into the regular season after posting a 13.3 BB% last year. The southpaw worked on his slider during the offseason and hopes to throw it more in 2021 after it was quite effective last season.

Barria will be a late arrival in spring training due to visa issues, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Manager Joe Maddon revealed Wednesday that Barria is one of several pitchers who will be late to spring training due to visa issues. The right-hander made seven appearances (five starts) for the Angels in 2020, posting a 3.62 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 32.1 innings. He'll likely operate as a swingman once again when he's able to report to camp.

Quijada will be a late arrival to spring training due to visa issues, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Quijada is one of several players who are facing visa issues, so he'll be unavailable to begin camp. While it's not yet clear when he'll be able to report, the southpaw should serve as a low-leverage reliever in the big-league bullpen once he's available.

The Yankees announced Wednesday that Luetge signed a minor-league contract with the organization that includes an invitation to big-league spring training.

Luetge will get the chance to compete for a spot in the Yankees' Opening Day bullpen, but his lack of recent big-league experience likely makes him an extreme longshot to win a role. He's bounced around a slew of organizations since his last MLB appearance with Seattle in 2015, with his most recent action in affiliate ball coming at the Triple-A and Double-A levels in the Diamondbacks system back in 2019.