MLB Player News

Pearson struck out the side in his only inning of work Tuesday in a split-squad game against the Yankees, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

He needed only 12 pitches to send Tyler Wade, Miguel Andujar and Mike Tauchman packing. "Man, his life on his fastball is everything," catcher Reese McGuire said after the game. "That's definitely his go-to pitch for everything. But slider, curveball, everything kind of mixed in, changeups. It was almost closer-like in that first inning. Just pumping fastballs, pumping everything right by everyone." Pearson, the Jays' top pitching prospect and the No. 34 overall fantasy prospect, almost certainly won't begin the season in the majors, but his big-league debut could come early in 2020 after the 23-year-old right-hander posted a combined 2.30 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 119:27 K:BB in 101.2 innings between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A last season.

Weber allowed two hits while striking out one over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Orioles.

Weber, who is a candidate for Boston's fifth-starter job, is a throwback in the current game in that high-end velocity is not a part of his repertoire. His fastball tops out in the high 80s, and he must get by on guile more than overpowering batters. "Weber, you know what you're going to get right away," manager Ron Roenicke told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "If he is commanding the ball, he throws a lot of strikes. They make quick outs, he's fun to watch. I know he gets in trouble when his command isn't on. But he knows how to pitch. He's got a great mix." Weber is among a list of largely uninspiring options that Roenicke is considering for the rotation.

Burdi (knee) retired all three batters faced in the eighth inning of Tuesday's spring game against the Giants.

Burdi consistently registered 96 mph during his one-inning stint. He's dealt with a pair of injuries since being drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft and is looking for his first full season as a professional. Burdi was viewed as a future closer prior to the setbacks and possesses the type of velocity that can play in that role.

Milner (neck) tossed an inning in relief in the Angels' Cactus League opener Sunday against the Rangers. He was charged with three runs on two hits and a walk in his spring debut.

Milner entered the contest in the fifth and surrendered a game-tying home run to Eric Stamets, but he was able to scoop up the win when Los Angeles reclaimed the lead on Michael Hermosillo's RBI single in the bottom of the inning. While he was a member of the Rays organization last season, Milner was shut down in early September with a cervical nerve injury, but his ability to pitch in the Angels' spring opener suggests he's back to full health. The non-roster invitee will be battling for a spot in Los Angeles' Opening Day bullpen throughout camp.

Hendriks, who fired a scoreless third inning during which he allowed no hits or walks and recorded two strikeouts in a Cactus League loss to the Brewers on Monday, deployed a slight pause in his delivery with success during the outing, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "Just something I can add in every now and then if I'm not feeling great or have an opportunity to take advantage of a hole," Hendriks said. "You can read guys' swings. Some have big leg kicks and you can throw that timing off a little bit."

The Athletics' closer needed just 12 pitches to get through his one frame, and his new delivery particularly paid dividends when facing David Freitas, who he froze on a 94 mph fastball for a called third strike. Hendriks only utilized the pause in his motion on certain pitches and emphasized he'll decide whether to implement it in the regular season based on what results he gets from it during spring. His next opportunity to experiment is expected to come Thursday versus the Rockies.

Manaea, who allowed six earned runs on six hits while recording two strikeouts over 1.2 innings in a Cactus League loss to the Brewers on Monday, was nevertheless encouraged by the ongoing refinement of his slider, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. ""It was good. I was pretty happy with it," Manaea said of the movement of his slider. "I was able to control it a little bit. Especially the first inning, it was good. I felt like I threw some really good ones right off my fingertips. I was really happy with it, movement-wise. Not so much location-wise."

The southpaw has been diligently working on sharpening up his slider this offseason and in camp thus far, even getting some one-on-one work in with the legendary Randy Johnson during the Big Unit's recent visit to spring training. Gallegos reports that most of Manaea's problems Monday stemmed from fastballs that were intended to serve as inside pitches and were instead essentially grooved down the middle of the plate. A pair of those resulted in two-run home runs from Orlando Arcia and Lucas Erceg, and the fact Manaea also threw 39 pitches overall may have led to some fatigue. The 28-year-old will look to bounce back in his next Cactus League start, which will likely come toward the end of the week or on the weekend.

Merryweather (elbow) is listed as an available relief option for Toronto in its Grapefruit League game Tuesday against the Yankees, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

While recovering from March 2018 Tommy John surgery, Merryweather was sidelined for most of the 2019 campaign, making only two rehab appearances for two of the Jays' lower-level affiliates in late June before being shut down. The right-hander returned to action in the Arizona Fall League and is apparently feeling healthy ahead of the 2020 season, as evidenced by the fact that he's available out of the bullpen Tuesday. Expect Merryweather to report to Triple-A Buffalo or Double-A New Hampshire once spring camp concludes.

Jurado (shoulder) is at full strength again, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Jurado dealt with a mild bout of shoulder inflammation over the weekend but has been removed from the Rangers' medical report. Jurado, who has posted unremarkable numbers over 26 starts for Texas the last two seasons, should be on the list of candidates when the Rangers need a spot of fill-in starter in 2020.

Abreu retired all six batters faced, striking out four, in Monday's spring game against the Tigers.

Abreu made an impressive splash in his Grapefruit League debut, pounding the strike zone with 21 of his 30 pitches landing for strikes. He's a starter, but the 22-year-old right-hander could open the season as part of the Astros' bullpen. Monday's outing signals relief could be his role for the organization in 2020. In a small MLB sample size in 2019, Abreu fanned 13 batters in 8.2 innings and was added to the ALCS roster.

Yarbrough, who's often served as a bulk reliever behind an opener over the last two seasons, is vying to secure a role as a traditional starter this spring, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old did log starts in half of his 28 appearances last season along the way to an 11-6 record, 4.13 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 141. 2 innings. Yarbrough made a favorable first impression by throwing 14 of 21 pitches for strikes in a scoreless first inning against the Yankees on Sunday, and he boasts a five-pitch repertoire that includes a trademark cutter that he complements with a sinker, changeup, curveball and four-seam fastball. Manager Kevin Cash has already stated he still plans to split Yarbrough's work between the rotation and bullpen again this season, but that won't stop the right-hander from chasing his goal of full-time starter. "It's one of those things where I just try and show them, I've come in and shown I can compete for that [starter] role and prove to them that I can do that," Yarbrough said. "Obviously, that's in my thought process a little bit."