MLB Player News

Montero is expected to be part of the Rangers' bullpen when the regular season begins, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers came to camp with competition at several bullpen spots, but Montero's job was secure. The right-hander, who was coming off 2018 Tommy John elbow surgery, was promoted to the major-league roster in July 2019 and thrived as a reliever. He posted a 2.48 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 29 innings (22 appearances). He will work in a setup role as a bridge to closer Jose Leclerc, whose shaky command and very low job security, per RotoWire, puts Montero in a position to potentially pick up save opportunities.

Rodriguez (back) has recovered from back surgery and threw a bullpen session in early March, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez has pitched only 9.1 innings since 2017 due to back injuries that resulted in surgery in May of 2019. He looks to be healthy to begin the campaign, however, and will likely start the season with High-A Inland Empire, per Bollinger. The right-hander possesses one of the best arms in the Angels' organization and could be a future ace if he is able to maintain his health moving forward.

Diaz was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday due to a lat strain, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Joe Panik was added to the Blue Jays' 40-man roster in a corresponding move. The severity of Diaz's injury and his expected return date remain to be seen.

The Blue Jays placed Diaz on the 60-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Diaz made a Grapefruit League appearance as recently as March 9, and no reports surfaced in the week that followed indicating that he was dealing with any sort of injury. In any event, he'll be sidelined for at least the next two months while recovering from the unspecified issue, with Diaz's move to the 60-day IL opening up a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Joe Panik.

Devenski is expected to be part of the Astros' bullpen when the regular season starts, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. The 29-year-old right-hander has not allowed a run on four hits and one walk while striking out five over 5.1 spring innings.

The Astros hope to see the Devenski of 2017, a season in which he struck out 11.1 batters per nine innings and was named an All-Star. Since then, his K/9 dropped in successive seasons along with an increase in HR/9 (1.7). He's slipped behind Ryan Pressly and Joe Smith in terms of high-leverage relief work.

Quijada was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

The Angels claimed Quijada off waivers in February after he posted a troublesome 5.76 ERA and 1.79 WHIP with Miami last season. The southpaw fared well in four Cactus League games, allowing only one earned run and striking out three batters over four innings. Nonetheless, he'll begin the campaign in the minors pending any changes to the club's bullpen needs between now and the start of the regular season.

Barria was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

Barria's chances of breaking camp in the big-league rotation got a boost when it was announced Griffin Canning's start to the season would be delayed by an elbow injury, but it turns out Barria will not come away with either a spot in the rotation or a spot on the Angels' Opening Day roster. The right-hander made 39 starts at the MLB level over the past two seasons, so he should garner consideration if a time comes when the Angels need to bring up a starter from the minors.

Palumbo was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Palumbo was able to work back into a normal routine after battling a heel injury this spring, but he struggled with a 12.79 ERA and 2.37 WHIP over three appearances (two starts). The 25-year-old should be good to go once baseball resumes, but he'll need to spend some more time developing in the minors prior to a potential return to the Rangers.

Colome has allowed seven runs on nine hits (three home runs) and one walk while striking out two over three spring appearances.

Colome has allowed runs in all three of his appearances, but it doesn't mean a thing. He will open the season as the White Sox's closer after a successful first season in Chicago. He was 30-for-33 in save opportunities in 2019 and is one of the more stable closers entering 2020.

Honeywell (elbow) will continue to throw two bullpen sessions per week as long as the Rays are allowed to keep their spring training facility open, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. "Honeywell is obviously a unique case because he's coming back from an injury," manager Kevin Cash said. "I think the best thing we can do is keep his arm in shape."

The rehabbing right-hander is one of the players that could stand to particularly benefit from the Rays keeping their facility accessible during the suspension of Grapefruit League play, as the consistent work is key to building the strength back up in his previously fractured elbow. Honeywell had been optioned to Triple-A Durham on Monday in a procedural move, but he was already due to physically remain in Florida until the start of the minor-league season.