MLB Player News

Manager Ned Yost would not name Boxberger as the team's closer heading into camp, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. "The roles will define themselves over time," Yost said.

Yost also hinted at moving away from a traditional ninth-inning role, instead using his most trusted pitchers in high-leverage situations regardless of the inning. Boxberger, who tallied 32 saves to go with a 4.39 ERA and 71:32 K:BB in 53.1 innings last season, will likely battle Wily Peralta for save opportunities, while Tim Hill represents a left-handed option for late in games.

King has been shut down for three weeks after an MRI discovered a stress reaction in his right elbow, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

King will undergo another MRI after the three-week rest period, after which the Yankees will determine the next step in his recovery process. If everything checks out, King could push for a big-league roster spot thanks to the 1.79 ERA and 4.4 percent walk rate he posted in 161 innings across the three highest levels of the minors last season.

The Athletics placed Manaea (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The southpaw's move to the IL opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for fellow starting pitcher Brett Anderson, who officially re-signed with Oakland on a one-year, $1.5 million contract. After undergoing surgery Sept. 19, Manaea is in danger of missing the entire 2019 season, though executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane noted earlier in the offseason that the 27-year-old could be ready to rejoin the Athletics shortly after the All-Star break if he hits no significant snags in his recovery.

Manager Kevin Cash would not name Alvarado as the team's closer heading into spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cash said that he felt "no urgency" to name a closer. There's always a chance Cash will opt to have multiple players share the job based on scenarios. Alvarado seems the most likely candidate to grab hold of the primary role, as he converted eight saves while posting a 2.39 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 across 64.0 innings in 2018. The lefty would remain valuable even in a committee thanks to his impressive ratios.

Major League Baseball has rescinded Kittredge's three-game suspension for throwing at Austin Romine's head last season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Kittredge will be in camp as a non-roster invitee after being outrighted from the team's 40-man roster in November. The right-hander appeared in 33 games for the Rays in 2018, posting a 7.75 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in 38.1 innings.

Moore left the Tigers' spring camp Tuesday due to the impending birth of his child, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Moore is expected to be away from the team for the next few days to spend time with his wife and the newest addition to their family. The missed time shouldn't put him too far behind the rest of the Tigers' other pitchers, though it could result in him making one or two fewer starts in Grapefruit League play. Guaranteed $2.5 million this season after striking a deal with Detroit in November, Moore is likely in the driver's seat for a back-end rotation spot but will be far from a dependable fantasy option after delivering a 6.79 ERA and 1.66 WHIP across 102 frames with Texas in 2018.

Ortiz reported to camp Tuesday at 247 pounds, a drop of 22 pounds from what he tipped the scales at last spring, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Ortiz may have been motivated to get his conditioning in order after he battled hamstring injuries on multiple occasions in 2018, including one in mid-September that ended his season prematurely. The 23-year-old enters spring training at full health and should be one of the top candidates to claim a back-end rotation spot in a wide-open competition. The right-hander has an encouraging long-term outlook thanks to a three-pitch repertoire highlighted by a mid-90s fastball, but he struggled to regularly generate swings and misses with the offering between stops at Double-A, Triple-A and the majors last season.

Puk (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Puk and Jharel Cotton (elbow) have both been cleared for mound work to begin the spring as the two hurlers work back from Tommy John surgery. Of the two, Puk appears to be the quicker healer, given that he's at the same place as Cotton in his rehab despite undergoing the elbow procedure one month later in 2018. Prior to requiring surgery last April, Puk was viewed as Oakland's top pitching prospect and was on track to earn a look in the big-league rotation, so he'll offer plenty of intrigue if he incurs no significant setbacks over the next few months. The Athletics are tentatively tabbing him for a mid-summer return and may have no qualms about bringing him on to the 25-man roster if he excels during what will likely be an extended minor-league rehab assignment.

The White Sox are talking more about Colome as their closer than Kelvin Herrera, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The White Sox acquired Colome and Herrera during the offseason and fueled speculation about Chicago's closer role. Both hurlers have endgame experience, but Colome cost them a good-hitting catcher in Omar Narvaez. The price to acquire him, plus Herrera getting over surgery to repair a Lisfranc ligament injury, gives Colome a slight edge. However, we still expect it to be a legitimate competition in spring training. Ultimately, whether it's Colome or Herrera as the closer, the White Sox feel they've locked down the eighth and ninth innings.

Hendriks said Sunday that he lost around 20 pounds during the offseason and feels good heading into spring training, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Hendriks relayed that he followed a ketogenic diet over the winter, perhaps with the hope of improving his conditioning in anticipation of more usage this season. The lefty covered only 49.1 innings in 48 appearances between the Athletics and Triple-A Nashville in 2018 but looks primed for added responsibilities after emerging as one of manager Bob Melvin's preferred opening pitchers in games. When used in those scenarios in the second half of last season, Hendriks typically worked an inning or less before Melvin turned the game over to the bullpen once a lefty hitter stepped in for the opposition.