MLB Player News

McHugh will be stretched out as a starter this spring, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Although the Astros acquired Gerrit Cole earlier this offseason, the club would still like to give McHugh an opportunity to carve out a spot in the rotation. He's likely battling Charlie Morton for that fifth spot, with the odd man out taking on a role in the bullpen to start off the 2018 campaign. Last season, McHugh started 12 games after dealing with a right elbow impingement early on in the year, and posted a 3.55 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with a 62:20 K:BB over 63.1 innings.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday that Mengden has the inside track for the No. 3 spot in the rotation entering spring training based on the way the right-hander finished the 2017 campaign, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Due to both health issues and uninspiring numbers at Triple-A Nashville, Mengden only made two starts for the Athletics in the first five months of the season before getting a trial in the rotation in September. The 24-year-old impressed down the stretch with a 3-1 record and 1.54 ERA over his last five starts, but his meager 7.8 K/9 rate and occasional issues with the long ball over his 115 career innings in the big leagues inhibit his fantasy upside. So long as Mengden exhibits the excellent control he showed with the Athletics in 2017 during spring training though, he should break camp as a member of the rotation.

Zych (elbow) is starting spring training off slowly but without pain, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Zych did not undergo a procedure this offseason as was previously reported. He did meet with a doctor about his forearm over the winter and was experiencing lingering inflammation. He seems to be on track to be ready by the start of the season.

Santiago agreed to a minor-league deal with the White Sox on Wednesday which includes an invitation to spring training, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Santiago is expected to report to the big-league camp Thursday. In 2017, he appeared in 15 games for the Twins, posting a 5.63 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with a 51:31 K:BB over 70.1 innings. He started 14 of those contests and will be utilized as depth in the team's rotation for the 2018 campaign, although he could wind up starting the year at the Triple-A level.

Zych (elbow) underwent a minor procedure in the offseason and will begin spring training a little behind schedule, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Zych was shut down at the tail end of the 2017 campaign after experiencing elbow soreness and it appears as though he had some sort of surgery to correct the problem in recent months. Prior to going down, the right-hander posted a 2.66 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 40.2 innings of relief, which was far and away the most time he's spent on a big-league mound in his career. He will likely be back on the mound in a few weeks, but his status should be monitored throughout the spring camp.

Manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Treinen (finger) will be the A's closer heading into the 2018 season, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

While not a surprise, this endorsement from the skipper at the outset of spring training should provide peace of mind for Treinen's fantasy owners. Treinen was excellent with Oakland after being traded from the Nationals, posting a 2.13 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 42:12 K:BB while going 13-for-14 in save chances after taking over the ninth-inning role. He underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his middle finger shortly after the 2017 season ended, but there has been nothing to suggest he will be limited in any way during camp.

Palumbo (elbow) was able to throw from 120 feet this week and is on the verge of tossing his first mound session since undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Palumbo remains on schedule to return to the mound around the beginning of June but is likely to be shifted to the 60-day DL due to the signing of Seung Hwan Oh earlier this month. The 23-year-old was only able to pitch in three games at the High-A level before suffering the elbow injury, although he had a sparkling 0.66 ERA and 0.61 WHIP at the time. Upon his return, Palumbo will likely start his 2018 campaign back in High-A.

The Twins are considering acquiring McHugh, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic as are the Orioles, who contacted the Astros about the right-hander, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports.

When the Astros added Gerrit Cole to their roster earlier during the offseason, it presaged a likely move to the bullpen for McHugh, if he stayed in Houston. The 30-year-old went 5-2 with a 3.55 ERA over 12 starts in 2017 after missing the first half of the season with shoulder tendinitis. The Twins are in the market for another starter after learning they will be without Ervin Santana (finger) for 10-to-12 weeks, while the Orioles are looking to add to a rotation that currently has just two confirmed starters (Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman).

Graveman lost his arbitration case Saturday, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Graveman will make $2.36 million next year; he had filed for $2.6 million. The 27-year-old starter put up a 4.19 ERA in 19 starts for the A's last season. He had two separate stints on the disabled list, including one in which he missed all of June and July with a strained right shoulder.

Merritt has an uphill climb to grab a rotation spot in spring training, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

As of now, it seems like the southpaw is behind Danny Salazar, Josh Tomlin and Mike Clevinger for one of the final two spots in the starting rotation. One positive for Merritt is that he's out of minor-league options, meaning the Indians would have to pass him through waivers if he isn't on the 25-man roster. Additionally, his numbers in the majors (1.74 ERA, 1.7 BB/9 last season) and minors (3.03 ERA, 1.9 BB/9 last season) both work in his favor. Despite this, he still seems to be behind the other candidates in the pecking order heading into the spring. Merritt likely will need to overachieve in Cactus League action if he wants a rotation spot.