MLB Player News

Puk, who fired a scoreless first inning during which he issued a walk and recorded a strikeout in Saturday's 12-2 Cactus League loss to the Cubs, impressed with his full repertoire of pitches, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. "The changeup that he didn't have last year, that's what is going to make him who he is," manager Bob Melvin said. "His fastball even plays up because of it. He looked really good."

The towering left-hander threw 13 pitches overall during the outing, nine of which found the strike zone. His most memorable moment came when he mowed down Kris Bryant on three pitches, flummoxing the Cubs slugger with an 87 mph slider after blowing a pair of fastballs clocked in the mid-90s past him. Outside of a two-out walk to Javier Baez, Puk was pleased with his performance, as well as the fact he's now free to deploy his curveball and changeup after limiting his use of breaking pitches last season to reduce strain on his surgically repaired elbow.

Loaisiga's role for the 2020 campaign has not yet been determined, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Per manager Aaron Boone, the organization views Loaisiga's talent favorably and does not want to limit his potential contributions, though a history of injuries could make the 25-year-old a better fit for the bullpen. Loaisiga has been a starter throughout most of his minor-league career but pitched in relief 11 times while making only four starts for the Yankees last season.

Beeks, who fired a scoreless second inning in Saturday's 4-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Red Sox, was impressive with his changeup during the outing, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Beeks needed only 10 pitches to get his three outs, with four of those offerings coming in the form of changeups. Beeks acknowledged after the game that he worked on various aspects of his repertoire over the offseason in an effort to even out some of the rough edges he displayed in an otherwise solid 2019. Beeks appeared in 33 games (three starts) for the Rays, posting a strong 6-3 record but also recording an elevated 1.49 WHIP and 3.5 BB/9. He again projects as a left-handed relief option this season capable of working multiple innings if necessary.

Richards opened Saturday's 4-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Red Sox, allowing one hit and recording two strikeouts over a scoreless first inning.

Richards enjoyed a brief but successful stint with the Rays last season after arriving from the Marlins at the deadline, posting a 3-0 record and 1.93 ERA across seven appearances (three starts). With the Rays already boasting a loaded starting rotation, the 26-year-old projects for a multi-inning bullpen role this season. However, his extensive starting experience (48 career starts in 55 appearances) renders him as excellent depth in that regard should injuries strike.

Romano struck out one in a scoreless fourth inning Saturday against the Yankees while hitting 98 mph with his fastball, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

The 26-year-old had a rough big-league debut last year, posting a 7.63 ERA and 1.70 WHIP through 15.1 innings, but his 28.0 percent strikeout rate -- on the heels of 53 Ks in 37.2 innings for Triple-A Buffalo -- and high-octane stuff have kept him in the picture for the Jays. If Romano can sharpen his control and command and put together a strong spring, he could head north with a high-leverage role in a bullpen that remains unsettled behind closer Ken Giles.

Swanson (back) is slated to pitch his first live batting practice of spring Sunday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Swanson has been slowed by a mid-back strain suffered in January while still at home, but he was able to get through a bullpen session Tuesday without any issue. That led to Sunday's scheduled live batting practice session, and another positive outcome will likely set up a Cactus League appearance for Swanson at some point in the next week.

Smeltzer struck out one over two scoreless innings in his spring debut Saturday. He threw a new slider three times during the outing, MLB.com reports.

Smeltzer has added a slider this spring to prevent right-handed hitters from cheating on his changeup by leaning over the plate, according to MLB.com. Smeltzer is battling Jhoulys Chacin, Randy Dobnak and Lewis Thorpe for the fifth starer role this spring.

Bummer signed a five year, $16 million contract extension with the White Sox on Saturday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Bummer was effective in 2019 while serving as the setup man for the White Sox as he recorded a 2.13 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over 67.2 innings. While the southpaw's fantasy impact could be limited behind closer Alex Colome and newly acquired Steve Cishek, Bummer will look to build on his impressive campaign in 2020.

Johnson will start Boston's Grapefruit League opener Friday against Tampa Bay, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Johnson had a 6.02 ERA and 1.88 WHIP over 40.1 innings for the Red Sox last season. The left-hander figures to begin the season in the minors or bullpen, though he still has an outside chance to grab the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation.

Jurado is battling minor shoulder inflammation, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear if Jurado's availability for Opening Day will be seriously threatened. The 24-year-old started 18 games last season and came out of the bullpen in 14 more, finishing with an uninspiring 5.81 ERA and a 15.0 percent strikeout rate.