MLB Player News

Kiekhefer was sent to minor-league spring training Sunday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Kiekhefer appeared in four games for the Athletics in 2018, although he got lit up for four runs on seven hits and a walk in two innings of work. He figures to start the 2019 campaign with Triple-A Las Vegas.

Pressly struck out the side on 14 pitches (12 strikes) in Sunday's game against Washington.

Pressly impressed in his spring debut, picking up where he left off last year, when he ended the regular season with a 21-game scoreless streak. "There's still a lot of stuff I need to clean up for me personally," Pressly told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "I spun the ball really well and threw my offspeed pitches for strikes. The fastball was a little bit up in the zone, but we'll clean that up throughout spring. I was happy with today." He was a key stabilizer in the bullpen last year, posting a 0.77 ERA and 0.60 WHIP in 26 games after Houston acquired him from Minnesota. He'll serve as the eighth-inning bridge to closer Roberto Osuna and will be first in line for save opportunities when Osuna is not available.

Norris allowed three runs on four hits over 1.2 innings and took the loss in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He walked one and struck out two.

Norris was victimized by three solo home runs in his short outing, which is a bit concerning after his HR/9 jumped from 1.06 in 2017 to 1.62 a season ago. The spike in home run rate coincided with a career-worst 5.68 ERA in 2018, and the 25-year-old lefty will need to have a good spring if he wants to earn a rotation spot to begin the year.

Harvey was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Harvey started nine games (32.1 innings) for Double-A Bowie in 2018 with a 5.57 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, so there was no guarantee he would be promoted to start this season. The 24-year-old has been limited to 63.2 innings since 2014 due to injuries but could seemingly find his way to the majors in 2019 if he showcases well at Norfolk.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Sunday that Castro is viewed as more of a bullpen piece than a starting candidate, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

The news isn't all that surprising as Castro made only one start in each of the past two seasons, though he has typically served in a multi-inning role with 86.1 innings over 63 appearances in 2018. That should continue this season as the team looks to keep him somewhat stretched out, which could make him a candidate for spot starts when the time comes. Castro had a 3.96 ERA and 1.45 WHIP last season despite his abysmal 57:50 K:BB, thanks in part to a career-low 0.9 HR/9.

Johnson (illness) is playing catch Sunday and is scheduled for a bullpen session Monday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Johnson was scratched from Saturday's scheduled start against the Orioles, but his quick return to throwing confirms the issue is minor. The 28-year-old could return to game action later in the week assuming a successful bullpen session.

McHugh (back) will have his Monday start skipped due to back soreness, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Rome indicated the move was made with "an abundance of caution" as McHugh is set for a bullpen session after Tuesday's off-day. Manager A.J. Hinch also downplayed the injury after the 31-year-old was pulled early from Wednesday's start. Assuming all goes well in his throwing session, McHugh is next expected to see game action next Saturday.

Manager Alex Cora said Sunday he believes Brasier (toe) has "time to be ready for (Opening Day)," according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Brasier has been brought along slowly this spring, but no issues were reported after he threw from 90 feet Friday, and he is scheduled to do the same Sunday. Brasier still has several steps to go before he's ready for game action, but with over three weeks to go before Opening Day, there should be time for him to build up before regular-season action kicks off. As things stand, Brasier will toss his name into the mix for Boston's closer spot once he is cleared to pitch in games.

Johnson (illness) was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Johnson's preparation for the upcoming season shouldn't be significantly impacted. The lefty filled a swingman role last season and is likely to do the same again this year.

Puk (elbow) was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Puk opened spring in big-league camp, though he was never a candidate for a big-league roster spot as he isn't expected to return from Tommy John surgery until some point in the middle of the season. He was a highly anticipated prospect prior to undergoing the procedure last April and was already on the doorstep of the majors, so he'll have the chance to debut in the second half of the year should he progress through the remainder of his rehab without setbacks.