MLB Player News

Duran was optioned to the minor leagues Monday.

Duran was added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft back in November, but he's only made seven starts at the Double-A level, so it's hardly surprising to see him sent to minor-league camp. The Twins haven't announced his destination to start the season, but he's likely to need a bit more time in Double-A.

Alcala was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.

Alcala made his big-league debut late last season but only recorded five outs. He could push to return at some point this season, but it's hardly surprising to see that he won't break camp in the big leagues given that he's thrown just 9.1 total innings above the Double-A level.

Ottavino recorded a strikeout over a perfect five-pitch fifth inning in Sunday's 1-0 exhibition win over the Braves.

Ottavino was about as economical as possible in his fourth outing of the spring, retiring two hitters on first pitches and ringing up Adeiny Hechavarria on three strikes. The 34-year-old turned in a 1.90 ERA while serving as the Yankees' top setup man in his debut season with the team, but he struggled to keep runners off the bases, in large part due to an elevated 14.1 percent walk rate. He's shown much improved control so far in Grapefruit League play, posting a 5:1 K:BB in a four-inning sample.

Puk is expected to resume throwing as early as Tuesday, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Puk said Monday that his brief shutdown stems from some discomfort in his shoulder during a bullpen session last week. Tests revealed no structural damage, but the delay is expected to take him out of contention for the Athletics' Opening Day rotation. It remains to be seen if he'll finish building up to a starter's workload in the minors or if he'll pitch out of the bullpen to open the season.

Manager Mike Matheny said that Junis (back) "threw the ball well" in his simulated game Sunday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Junis was forced to miss some time with a minor lower back strain, but he appears to be progressing well in his recovery. Barring any setbacks, the right-hander could return to game action soon, and his availability for Opening Day likely isn't in doubt. Junis has made just one appearance in a game this spring, logging two strikeouts over one scoreless inning.

Andriese is a strong candidate to open the season in the Angels' roatation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Andriese was already being looked at as a starter before it was revealed that Griffin Canning (elbow) would likely begin the season on the injured list. That opens the No. 4 spot in the rotation, which is likely to go to Andriese in light of his solid spring (one earned run and six strikeouts in nine innings). Though the right-hander has been a starter for much of his career, 90 of his last 95 appearances have come out of the bullpen.

The Astros optioned Paredes to their minor-league camp Monday, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports.

Paredes was added to the Astros' 40-man roster over the winter and could make his MLB debut at some point in 2020, but he was never a serious candidate to break camp as a member of the big-league bullpen. Instead, he'll begin the campaign at either Triple-A Round Rock or Double-A Corpus Christi. He split time between Corpus Christi and High-A Fayetteville in 2019, posting a 2.78 ERA and 0.98 WHIP while striking out 128 across 94 frames.

Peters is being stretched out as a starter and could compete for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Peters started 12 of the 17 games in which he pitched last season, so he is a logical option for a back-end rotation spot in the wake of the elbow injury that will sideline Griffin Canning at the start of the season. Still, the Angels have a number of options available to plug into the rotation, so Peters is far from a lock for the role. While the southpaw struggled with a 5.38 ERA last season, he has fared well this spring, allowing one run in 7.1 innings while striking out six batters.

The Yankees have yet to decide whether to deploy Loaisiga as a starter or reliever to begin the season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Loaisiga has enjoyed a strong spring, allowing two runs while striking out 11 batters in seven innings. Per Hoch, there have been debates within the organization about whether the right-hander's arsenal plays better in a relief role or as a starter. While the need for a No. 5 starter looms large due to injuries to James Paxton (back) and Luis Severino (elbow), the Yankees have a number of options they could use to fill that role should they opt to keep Loaisiga in the bullpen.

Nelson was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media reports.

The flamethrowing right-hander struggled with his control this spring, allowing four walks in five innings, though he did hold opponents scoreless in his three appearances. He'll begin the season in the minors, but Nelson has a chance to contribute to the big-league club this season if he can find a way to cut down his walk rate.