MLB Player News

Flynn signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Monday.

Flynn will receive an invitation to big-league camp as part of the deal. In 29.1 innings for the Royals last season, he struggled to a 5.22 ERA and a 22:17 K:BB.

Dillard returned to the Rangers on a minor-league contract Monday.

Dillard will receive an invitation to big-league camp as part of the deal. It's unlikely that he'll win an Opening Day roster spot, as he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2012.

Clase and Delino DeShields are being traded Sunday from the Rangers to the Indians in exchange for Corey Kluber (oblique), Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Clase made his way to the majors in early August and pitched well during his first taste of the majors, posting a 2.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB over 23.1 innings with four holds and one save. The 21-year-old averages over 99 mph with both his four-seam fastball and cutter, with a 90.5 mph slider as a complement. The right-hander could immediately slide into a high-leverage bullpen role in front of closer Brad Hand for the Indians.

Thielbar signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Friday, Darren Wolfson of KSTP reports.

Thielbar has thrown all 98.2 of his major-league innings for the Twins, though none of those have come since 2015. He's since spent time in independent ball and in the minor-league systems of the Padres, Tigers and Braves.

Vice president of baseball operations Al Avila said Tuesday that Fulmer (elbow) resumed playing catch and feels good, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Fulmer missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late March, so any positive progress in his recovery is welcome news. The 26-year-old won't have a firm timetable for his return until much later in the recovery process, but at this point he's targeting a return in July.

Rodriguez cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.

The Angels have cleared a spot on the 40-man roster by moving Rodriguez to Triple-A. He appeared in nine games out of the bullpen a season ago for Los Angeles, posting a 2.75 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 13 strikeouts over 19.2 innings.

Rodriguez signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Rangers on Monday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Rodriguez has been impressive over the last two seasons with the Chunichi Dragons, posting a 1.85 ERA with a 103:28 K:BB over 87.2 innings of work. He figures to see mid-to-high-leverage innings in 2019. Rodriguez last appeared in the majors in 2017, struggling to a 6.33 ERA over 27 frames with the Phillies.

Milner (neck) signed a minor-league contract which includes an invitation to spring training with Los Angeles on Monday, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Milner was shut down near the end of last season due to a neck injury, but he's expected to compete for a spot in the bullpen during spring training. He appeared in just four games for the Rays in 2019, allowing three runs on four hits while fanning three over 3.2 innings of work.

Diplan was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Monday.

The Tigers attempted to get the right-hander through waivers, but they were unsuccessful as Diplan was claimed by the Orioles on Monday. The 23-year-old has yet to see playing time past the Double-A level, while he posted a 4.85 ERA with a 73:44 K:BB over 68.2 innings in Double-A last season.

Taylor and Kenedy Corona were traded to the Astros from the Mets on Thursday in exchange for outfielder Jake Marisnick, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Taylor posted a 2.16 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP over 66.2 innings in the minors last season, although only 0.1 of those innings came at the Triple-A level. The 24-year-old could be getting closer to making his major-league debut, but he will need to gain some experience against more high-level competition prior to pitching in the big leagues.