MLB Player News

Luetge has pitched three scoreless innings thus far in Grapefruit League action, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out eight.

No Yankees pitcher has been more dominant than Luetge, who has picked up eight of his nine outs via strikeout. The veteran southpaw is not on the 40-man roster and hasn't pitched in the majors since a one-outing stint with Seattle in 2015, so he remains a longshot to break camp with New York. However, Luetge is at least giving the club a reason to keep his name in mind while proving that he still has something left in the tank as he approaches his 34th birthday.

Duffey threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout in Tuesday's spring-training win over Baltimore. He's given up three runs in 2.2 innings with three strikeouts this spring.

Duffey will factor in the late innings again for the Twins, likely setting up both Taylor Rogers and Alex Colome. However, he could get the final outs of a game occasionally as well. Duffey had a 1.88 ERA with an excellent 34.1 percent strikeout rate and an exemplary 7.3 percent walk rate last season. He should offer value in leagues that count holds (12 last year).

Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Fairbanks (illness) is scheduled to make his return to Grapefruit League action Thursday versus the Braves, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Fairbanks was scratched ahead of his scheduled appearance Sunday due to a bout of food poisoning, but Cash indicated that the reliever has since recovered from the ailment and is feeling good again. Though he wasn't among the 12 Rays who recorded saves during the 2020 regular season, Fairbanks picked up three saves during the team's subsequent playoff run. The hard-throwing righty should continue to warrant consideration for end-game duties in 2021, though Cash isn't expected to commit to a primary closer.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged Tuesday that Brasier (conditioning) may not be ready to go for Opening Day, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Following his late arrival at spring training due to a personal matter, Brasier has yet to catch up with Boston's other bullpen arms. Brasier has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut, and with Cora indicating that the team won't rush the right-hander back into action, he could be in store for a brief stint on the IL to begin the season while he ramps up. The fact that Brasier isn't dealing with any sort of injury is encouraging, but his absence from Grapefruit League games could take him out of the running for Boston's up-for-grabs closer job. Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes currently look like the frontrunners for the gig.

Leclerc has a clearer path to reclaiming the closer role in Texas after Jonathan Hernandez was diagnosed with a sprained UCL on Tuesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Leclerc was delayed by visa issues to start camp but has since arrived, though he's yet to pitch in a spring-training game. Though he's saved 29 games in his career, he wasn't a lock to win the closer role, as the last two seasons have seen him struggle to a 4.33 ERA in 2019 and then make only two appearances in an injury-abbreviated 2020. The Rangers' bullpen isn't exactly loaded with proven options, however, and Hernandez was shaping up to be his top competition. It hasn't been officially confirmed that Leclerc will win the job, but his path is now a lot clearer with Hernandez shut down from throwing for four weeks.

The Rangers announced Tuesday that Rodriguez (ankle) is on track to resume throwing off a mound later this week, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Rodriguez will likely have to complete multiple bullpen sessions before he's cleared to face hitters again, but if he avoids any further setbacks this spring in his recovery from the ankle sprain, he should be able to avoid the injured list and win a spot in the Rangers' Opening Day bullpen. After a one-year stint in Japan, Rodriguez signed with Texas last winter and was effective over his 12 appearances during the abbreviated 2020 campaign, submitting a 2.13 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 12.2 innings. If healthy, the lefty should be in the mix for a key setup role with the Rangers this season.

The Rangers announced Tuesday that Palumbo has been dealing with back spasms in recent days, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram repots.

Palumbo is expected to be rested for the next few days before he resumes throwing. Assuming the injury proves to be nothing more than a day-to-day concern, Palumbo's bid for a spot in the Rangers' Opening Day rotation shouldn't be completely derailed.

Hernandez was diagnosed with a low-grade UCL sprain Tuesday and won't throw for at least four weeks, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Hernandez isn't currently expected to require surgery, but he'll likely miss a meaningful portion of the regular season. He won't throw until early April at the earliest and will need several weeks to build his arm back up once he's cleared to do so, making late May the most realistic target date for Hernandez to make his 2021 debut. That's bad news for the Rangers, as Hernandez was expected to be at minimum a high-leverage reliever, and at best, the team's top candidate to close games. Jose Leclerc now seems to have a clearer path to reclaiming that role after he missed most of last season due to shoulder issues.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Tuesday that Wells (oblique) continues to advance through a throwing program but remains without a clear timeline for his Grapefruit League debut, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The Orioles have been taking things slowly with Wells this spring while he manages a sore oblique. The fact that he hasn't been shut down and is continuing to throw suggests that he's making some progress in his recovery, but the time he's already missed during camp will make it difficult for the 24-year-old to secure a spot on the Orioles' Opening Day pitching staff.

Baker (elbow) will be examined by a doctor Tuesday and could be cleared to resume throwing soon, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Baker is dealing with a Grade 1 right elbow strain which reportedly involves some ligament damage, but the Blue Jays still seem hopeful that he can get back on a mound soon. He's yet to make his big-league debut and isn't on the 40-man roster, however, so he isn't expected to break camp with the team even if fully healthy.