MLB Player News

Lopez allowed five hits and struck out five over 4.1 scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Padres.

Lopez looked sharp and worked around five singles during his second Cactus League start. He introduced a new wrinkle, throwing two sliders at varying speeds, a suggestion from new catcher Yasmani Grandal, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. The catcher cited Lopez's fastball command and use of several pitches in the outing.

Aumont was shut down from throwing due to skin irritation on his right elbow, Jamie Campbell of Sportsnet reports.

Aumont is in big-league camp as a non-roster invitee, and he's allowed three runs on three hits over three innings during spring training. The injury appears minor, but the 31-year-old won't be playing in the Olympic qualifier for Team Canada on March 22 as previously scheduled. Aumont spent 2019 in the independent Canadian-American Association and hasn't seen major-league action since 2015.

Shawaryn was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday.

Shawaryn joined the Red Sox in September but was unable to show enough in spring training to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old will begin the season in Pawtucket, where he posted a 4.52 ERA and 1.40 WHIP during 2019.

Palumbo (heel) has been cleared to resume throwing, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Palumbo was scratched from a planned outing last Thursday due to inflammation in his right heel. He should return to game action this week.

Smeltzer gave up five earned runs over three innings in Saturday's spring training outing against Detroit. He has a 8.68 ERA in four outings this spring.

Smeltzer appears to be fading in the competition for the fifth starter role as he's given up 18 hits and three home runs over 9.1 innings. Smeltzer is battling Jhoulys Chacin, Randy Dobnak and Lewis Thorpe for the fifth starer role.

Manaea recorded six strikeouts and allowed four earned runs on four hits over three innings in a Cactus League split-squad loss to the Reds on Friday.

The line underscores what a mixed bag Manaea's start was, but the left-hander, who continued to refine his slider during the outing, was pleased with the work he got in, noting he "made some competitive pitches and they [Indians hitters] took some good swings on them," according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Two of those hacks came from Scott Schebler and Matt Davidson, who tagged Manaea for a double and three-run home run, respectively. Through three spring starts, the 28-year-old now sports an unsightly 14.09 ERA, although he also has 10 strikeouts through 7.2 innings.

Puk's strained shoulder likely takes him out of contention for an Opening Day rotation spot, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The news follows naturally from the fact that Puk has no timetable to resume throwing, but manager Bob Melvin confirmed Saturday that "it's probably a stretch" for Puk to be ready to start right away. Whether that means he'd open the year in the bullpen or the minors remains to be seen. The Athletics' plan for him to start the year probably won't become clear until he starts throwing again.

Puk (shoulder) needs more strength work before he resumes throwing, Matt Kawahara of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Puk was cleared of structural damage in his sore shoulder, but manager Bob Melvin says there is no set date for him to resume throwing. Melvin said that if Puk is not stretched out by the start of the season he could open the year in the big-league bullpen and "ramp up that way" but added "that's just hypothetical right now."

Heller is dealing with a minor back injury but should get into a Grapefruit League game within the next couple of days, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

It's obviously a very minor issue, with manager Aaron Boone saying Heller could get into a game Sunday or Monday. He is competing for one of the final spots in the big-league bullpen but has minor-league options remaining.

Junis (back) will throw a simulated game Sunday and could make a Cactus League start after that, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

He will get stretched back out in the sim game, and if all goes well he could return to game action in about a week. His previously scheduled start was skipped due to a minor back strain.