MLB Player News

Thornton is still penciled into the No. 5 starter spot when the regular season begins.

The right-hander hadn't been overly impressive when spring training was put on pause, posting a 4.22 ERA and 6:5 K:BB through 10.2 innings, but Thornton's main competition for the job, Shun Yamaguchi, had served up five homers in nine innings to all but take himself out of the running. Depending on when MLB is able to resume, Thornton's biggest threat to his rotation spot could end up coming from top prospect Nate Pearson if the Jays decide they need their best options available in the majors.

Hand is expected to lean heavily on his slider in 2020 out of the closer's role, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Hand secured 34 saves (five blown saves) in 2019 over 57.1 innings, fanning 84 batters while registering a 3.30 ERA over that stretch. Per Hoynes, Hand threw 512 of 946 pitches for sliders a season ago, and that's not expected to change in 2020. He'll have the closer's role locked down whenever the season begins.

Fulmer should be able to continue his rehab work while the MLB season is delayed and is likely still on track for a return to the majors after midseason, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

While team activities are significantly hampered by the coronavirus, most of Fulmer's rehab work is solo, meaning he should be able to make progress during the delay. The 27-year-old has yet to resume throwing at maximum effort, but the Tigers have no reason to rush him at this point. He will likely continue to slowly ramp up his throwing program at the team's spring facility in the absence of any games.

Jimenez posted a 1.50 ERA and 1.17 WHIP to go along with five strikeouts across six innings this spring.

Jimenez looked sharp in the small Grapefruit League sample and will be Detroit's unquestioned closer whenever the 2020 regular season is able to begin. Any closer has value in fantasy, but Jimenez's struggles in 2019 (five blown saves in 14 opportunities) along with his team context make him a bit of a risky pick compared to other end-game options.

Richards could be part of a revolving group of "sixth starters" during the regular season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Topkin adds Jalen Beeks and Brendan McKay as two other members of the staff that could fill similar roles in 2020 as the Rays look to manage the workloads of top three starters Charlie Morton, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow carefully. The Rays reportedly may not use as many "bullpen days" as they have the last two seasons, either, but Richards will still likely be deployed in traditional long relief frequently due to the ability to effectively pitch multiple innings he's demonstrated over 48 career big-league starts, with three of those having come last season with the Rays after his arrival via trade from the Marlins. Richards did have a rough spring, however, posting a 7.04 ERA and 1.96 WHIP across 7.2 innings over five Grapefruit League appearances (one start).

Alvarado is expected to work primarily as a setup man to begin the 2020 season with Nick Anderson "in line to get the bulk of the save opportunities" for the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash hasn't formally named a closer nor outlined roles for the rest of the members of the bullpen, so the above quote is mostly informed speculation on Topkin's part. That said, Anderson was the Rays' most dominant reliever over the final two months last season and has enjoyed a solid spring, which likely keeps him ahead of Alvarado and Diego Castillo in the pecking order for saves. Alvarado could still see occasional use in save situations -- particularly against lefty-heavy lineups -- early on, but the Rays' main priority is likely just ensuring he stays healthy and re-emerges as a reliable late-inning arm coming off a rocky 2019 campaign. Alvarado went 4-for-4 in save chances and struck out 26 in his first 17.1 innings last season before melting down thereafter, finishing with a 4.80 ERA and 1.87 WHIP across 35 appearances while missing time due to oblique and elbow injuries in addition to a personal matter.

Anderson was "in line to get the bulk of the save opportunities" for the Rays this season before spring training was suspended, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's worth noting that the above quote is an observation from Topkin and not a comment from manager Kevin Cash, but the report is probably the clearest indication we'll get that Anderson is the top Rays reliever to own for fantasy purposes. Cash's tendency to play matchups in the ninth inning means that the likes of Diego Castillo and Jose Alvarado could still scoop the occasional save chance, though Anderson's presumed status as Option 1A for closing situations should help alleviate some of the reservations fantasy managers may have had in investing in him. Anderson didn't record a save after coming over from Miami in a July 31 trade last season, but he was arguably the majors' best reliever over the final two months, posting a ridiculous 45.5 K-BB% and 2.11 ERA in 21.1 innings with the Rays.

Bass remains among the top options to set up for Jays closer Ken Giles when the regular season finally begins.

The veteran right-hander has turned his career around the last two seasons thanks to a spike in velocity -- Bass averaged a career-high 95.4 mph with his fastball in 2019. His sinker-slider arsenal doesn't generate many whiffs, but he could be the reliever called upon in high-leverage spots when the Jays need a double play rather than a strikeout. Bass recorded career highs in saves (five) and holds (six) last season, and while he probably won't match the former, he could reach double digits for the first time in the latter category.

Diekman, a southpaw who re-signed with the Athletics on a two-year, $7.5 million contract this offseason, is expected to frequently work against both right- and left-handed hitters this season, Shayna Rubin of The Mercury News reports. "There are times, especially for a guy like him, he just sees a clear lane against righties," manager Bob Melvin said. "And just sees the plate as opposed to throwing off the hitter."

Diekman arrived via trade from the Royals on July 27 last season and generated a 4.43 ERA and 1.57 WHIP across 28 appearances. The southpaw was equally effective against batters of either handedness, holding both to a solid .303 wOBA and actually limiting right-handed bats to a lower batting average (.210) than he did same-handed hitters (.224). Melvin explains that Diekman's across-the-board effectiveness mainly stems from the fact he complements his mid-90s fastball with an extremely sharp breaking ball, a "biting slider" and a deceptive delivery. The 33-year-old could once again be an excellent source of holds, with Diekman having recorded a career-high 31 in 2019 and having produced double-digit tallies in that category in six of the last seven seasons.

Barnes signed a minor-league contract with the Orioles in late February, Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America reports.

The 30-year-old righty didn't appear in any games for the Orioles during the Grapefruit League slate before spring training concluded, so it appears his minor-league deal didn't include an invitation to big-league camp. Barnes, who last appeared in the majors in 2018 as a member of the Blue Jays, is expected to begin the upcoming campaign at Triple-A Norfolk.