MLB Player News

Fulmer (elbow) threw around 40 pitches in the bullpen Tuesday and did not experience any issues, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Fulmer was scratched from his start Sunday with soreness in his throwing elbow, with that outing getting bumped to Friday. After getting through the bullpen session without any setbacks, Fulmer seems on track to make his Friday start and potentially line up as the Opening Day starter.

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

The 25-year-old righty had success in 84.2 innings for Double-A San Antonio in the Padres' system last season, putting up a 2.98 ERA with a 26.5 percent strikeout rate. He hit a wall upon promotion to Triple-A El Paso, though, with an ERA that ballooned to 6.64 and a strikeout rate that sunk to 18.7 percent. If he can conquer the Triple-A level this season, he could be in line for a summer promotion to the majors.

Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Monday that while he intends to use a six-man rotation this season, Moore, Cole Hamels and Doug Fister will remain on normal pitching schedules in 2018, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Banister didn't say so explicitly, but Martin Perez (elbow) is also set to receive his usual four days of rest between starts once he's healthy, meaning that back-end rotation candidates Mike Minor, Matt Bush and Bartolo Colon would be more affected by the six-man setup. Assuming Banister sticks to his word, Moore can generally be expected to take the hill once every five or six days, which would put him on track for 30-plus starts if he's able to avoid the disabled list in 2018. Moore was able to do that last season and submitted a 5.52 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 174.1 innings, so it's hard to imagine him providing much fantasy utility now that he's trading the pitcher-friendly AT&T Park for a hitter haven in Globe Life Park.

Manaea (back) is officially starting Tuesday's spring game against the Rangers.

As anticipated, the southpaw will toe the rubber to start Oakland's Tuesday tilt after being scratched last week due to back tightness. It's unclear how many innings he'll log in this particular game, but it's possible that the Athletics could hold him back a bit to ensure his back doesn't flare up again. However, Manaea should be 100 percent for Opening Day barring any setbacks.

Merryweather has a sprained UCL in his right elbow and will get a second opinion Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

This doesn't sound good, as it checks a lot of the boxes of a report that often precedes the announcement of Tommy John surgery. Merryweather was an under-the-radar late-blooming pitching prospect who had a chance to make an impact in redraft leagues in 2018. The 26-year-old righty notched a 6.58 ERA in 78 innings at Triple-A last year, but he dealt with some bad luck, and his 3.89 xFIP is more indicative of how he handled the level. He doesn't have monster stuff, but he has a good enough repertoire to profile as a No. 4 or No. 5 starter. He should not be drafted in redraft leagues, given news of this injury.

Merritt is competing with Josh Tomlin for the final spot in the Indians' rotation, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Merritt was viewed as a long shot entering camp, and perhaps he still is, but Danny Salazar's shoulder injury has improved his odds. A 16th-round pick in 2011, Merritt has struck out all of 13 batters in 31.2 innings at the big-league level and has averaged just 6.2 K/9 on the farm, but his ability to limit walks has helped him post a sub-3.50 ERA at virtually every stop. Chances are, Merritt will at least make some spot starts over the course of the 2018 season while also seeing some work out of the bullpen.

Kinley gave up an unearned run in one inning of work in Monday's spring training loss to the Phillies. He's given up two earned runs in four innings with four strikeouts and three walks this spring. "When he gets ahead [in the count], it's hard to cover a 90-mph slider and a 98-mph fastball," manager Paul Molitor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "He's an interesting character. That arm's pretty big. We're just trying to keep bringing it along."

Kinley can reach 99 mph on his fastball but has had control issues during his minor-league career (5.5 BB/9 at Double-A last year). Kinley is a Rule 5 pick, so the Twins would need to carry him on the active roster all season to retain him. That seems unlikely given the free-agent additions to Minnesota's relief corps, but he still has an outside chance to win a final bullpen spot.

Pomeranz is pain-free following a re-evaluation of his forearm and is expected to resume his throwing program, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Pomeranz was removed from Friday's game against the Cardinals with forearm tightness, which is often the first sign of a more serious injury. He insisted he wasn't concerned, though, and it appears that he was right. He was diagnosed with a flexor strain and a re-evaluation confirmed that there was no serious injury. Depending on how quickly he resumes his throwing program, he could be ready by the start of the season or soon thereafter.

Pomeranz (forearm) will be re-evaluated Tuesday, Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com reports.

Pomeranz was removed from Saturday's start with what was later diagnosed as a mild flexor strain in his left (throwing) forearm. We will learn more about his prognosis after the team gets a look at him Tuesday, but there's the possibility he lands on the disabled list to start the season. In the event the left-hander is unable to start the season on the active roster, the Red Sox have Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez waiting in the wings. As it is, one of those two is expected to be in the rotation with Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) and Steven Wright (knee) on the mend.

Norris made a relief appearance in the eighth inning of Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, but manager Ron Gardenhire said he's still a starter, Bill Whitehead of MLB.com reports.

Norris made 18 starts for the Tigers last season, but the addition of Mike Fiers and Francisco Liriano has complicated things at the back of the rotation. Gardenhire said Norris is in the mix to start, but it appears he'd be open to using the 24-year-old lefty as a reliever, too. "If you've got a good arm and you've got a chance to make this club, it doesn't matter how you make it," Gardenhire said. The Tigers would love to see Norris take a step forward this year and establish himself as a solid MLB starter, but after posting a 5.31 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 2017, a rotation spot certainly isn't guaranteed.