MLB Player News

Diaz struck out the side to pick up his second save Sunday against Cleveland.

Diaz has struck out the side in both appearances is season. The electric fastball that helped him rack up 89 strikeouts in 66 innings last season hasn't gone anywhere. Diaz might be wild at times, but expect him to keep piling up whiffs in 2018.

Farmer (0-1) was tagged with the loss in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with the Pirates. He allowed five earned runs on four hits and a walk over two innings of work.

Farmer entered the game in the fourth inning and got off to a great start by striking out the side. However, he struggled mightily in the fifth inning, with the big blow delivered on a two-run homer by David Freese. Farmer has an electric fastball, but at this point in his career, he hasn't found much success at the MLB level. He should get opportunities with the Tigers in a rebuilding mode, though he could also get sent to Triple-A Toledo at some point to stretch out as a starter.

Robertson (0-1) gave up four runs on three hits and a walk over one inning in Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Robertson's second appearance of the year was tough, as Justin Smoak hit a go-ahead grand slam off the righty in the bottom of the eighth inning. Robertson will likely continue high-leverage work over the course of the season, but the Yankees' depth of relievers could give him little room for error if his struggles continue.

Kelly pitched a scoreless ninth inning to collect his first save of the season during Sunday's 2-1 win over Tampa Bay. He allowed two hits and struck out two batters.

Craig Kimbrel closed out the previous two games, so it wasn't surprising to see him receive the day off Sunday. Kelly allowed four runs and only retired a single batter during his appearance on Opening Day, so this was a much better showing, albeit on the shaky side. Both hits allowed were well-struck. The hard-throwing righty shouldn't be viewed as a reliable source of saves as long as Kimbrel is healthy.

Pruitt will start Monday's game against the Yankees, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Pruitt pitched two innings in relief during Thursday's win over the Red Sox, so the right-hander is likely to handle a limited pitch count while taking the mound on only three days' rest. Much like the team did Saturday when Andrew Kittredge started, it's expected that Monday will be a "bullpen game" for the Rays, with a couple of the team's long relievers likely to cover multiple innings once Pruitt departs. The Rays have yet to formalize their rotation beyond Chris Archer, Blake Snell and Jake Faria, so Pruitt could stake a claim to the No. 4 role with a strong showing Monday.

Fulmer (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Pirates despite allowing just a single run over eight innings. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out three.

Fulmer carried over his spring training success (2.12 ERA in 17 innings), but Detroit was held hitless through 6.1 innings and ended up losing 1-0. This could be a sign of things to come for Fulmer, as he often posts strong starts with modest strikeout totals, and the Tigers could struggle to score runs with Ian Kinsler and J.D. Martinez no longer around. Still, this was a good start to the season for the right-hander after he underwent elbow surgery in September, and he'll look to keep things rolling Saturday against the White Sox on the road.

Lopez will start Monday against the Blue Jays after his previously scheduled start Sunday against the Royals was postponed due to inclement weather.

Though Lopez will have to wait an extra day to make his first start of 2018, fantasy owners stand to benefit since the 24-year-old now lines up for a two-start week, with his second outing to come April 8 versus Detroit. The White Sox won't shorten their rotation due to the postponement, so Lopez will be followed by Miguel Gonzalez and Carson Fulmer in Toronto in what will mark the season debuts of all three hurlers.

Lawrence fired 2.2 scoreless innings in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the Indians, recording two strikeouts.

He served as a mid-game stabilizer after starter James Paxton was touched up for six earned runs on six hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, racking up eight outs in efficient fashion. The performance was a carryover from Lawrence's impressive spring, in which he generated a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings. The 30-year-old projects to serve in a similar long-relief role while on the big-league roster this season, as his 168 career starts at the minor-league level corroborate his ability to pitch extended outings when necessary.

Norris will be available out of the bullpen for Sunday's doubleheader against the Pirates before rejoining the rotation for his first start of the season Wednesday against the Royals, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Buck Farmer and Warwick Saupold will likely be the Tigers' primary long-relief options for the twin bill, so don't expect manager Ron Gardenhire to use Norris if he can help it. If Norris is pressed into action, he may only be used for a pitch count equivalent to what he would cover in a pre-start bullpen session.

Lee (oblique) has resumed throwing off flat ground and is expected to pitch off a mound in the coming days, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

The left-hander has been idle for a little over a month with a right oblique strain, which ended his bid for making the Opening Day roster. The Orioles optioned Lee to Triple-A Norfolk in March, so he's expected to hit the club's 7-day disabled list when its season begins April 6.