MLB Player News

Kelly admitted his mechanics were off while making his second spring start Wednesday, the Boston Herald reports. He allowed one run on three hits (all singles) and two walks while striking out three in 2.1 innings.

The starters should be able to get through three innings in their second start, so from that standpoint, it wasn't a good outing. Kelly said he was going too slow in the windup and then too quickly from the stretch, something that pitching coach Carl Willis pointed out to him. He's still in line to be Boston's fifth starter.

Armstrong (back) is scheduled to throw off of a mound Wednesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Armstrong had been shut down for a few days due to tightness in his right lat, but if all goes well with Wednesday's mound session, he said he could return to game action as soon as Sunday or Monday.

Hultzen is dealing with soreness in his throwing shoulder and will be shut down for a few days, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.

Hultzen suffered what was termed "a little setback," but this is concerning given that his 2015 season came to a close due to a left shoulder injury. It's not clear when he will be ready to pitch next, but expect the Mariners to release an update on his status at some point in the next few days.

Armstrong is dealing with tightness in his right lat and will sit out a few days, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The issue doesn't appear to be too serious, so he should head back to action soon. Armstrong pitched well last season with the major league club last season, so he's got a good chance to make the Indians roster again in 2016. However, he'll have to stay healthy in order to prove himself to the Cleveland brass and ensure himself that spot.

Zych, who is competing for a bullpen job, blew a two-run lead in the seventh inning Saturday in a spring training loss to the Angels.

Zych entered in a tough spot, with one out and the bases loaded. Unfortunately, he gave up a pair of two-run doubles before ending the inning. Zych is an interesting potential late-game reliever. He has a 96 mph fastball and an effective slider he commands for strikes. He likely will land the last right-handed spot in the bullpen, but outings like Saturday's won't do him any favors.

Kimbrel made his debut with his new team Friday, allowing an unearned run in one inning against the Rays, the Boston Herald reports. "I felt like it went good. I was controlling my fastball and tried to throw some offspeed pitches over the plate," Kimbrel said. "With spring training that will come, but I was really pleased with how my fastball was today."

There's no secret to where Kimbrel fits in Boston's bullpen -- he's the closer who possesses a high-90s four-seam fastball. The Red Sox lacked power arms in the bullpen last year and acquiring Kimbrel from San Diego was one move to remedy that.

Kelly pitched two scoreless innings Friday, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out one against the Rays.

Like all pitchers at this time of the year, Kelly worked on his fastball command primarily and sprinkled in a small sampling of offspeed stuff. The right-hander is the leader for the final spot in Boston's rotation, but he won't be given a long leash if he's not performing well. When he's been bad, Kelly has fallen into the habit of throwing his fastball too much. It's key for him to mix in the offspeed stuff, as he did during an impressive eight-game run at the end of last season when he went to his slider and changeup more often.

Lee increased his fastball velocity to the mid-90s last season during his rise to Double-A, MASN Sports reports.

Lee threw at three different levels for the Orioles last season, rising from Low-A to Double-A. He seems likely to begin the season at Double-A, with a chance to get to Triple-A by the end of the season. Lee had a 2.03 ground out to air out ratio last season and allowed just two home runs. If he can get to Baltimore in the future, his knack for inducing grounders could play well in a hitter's park.

Manaea was effective in his initial spring start on Friday, striking out four over two inning while allowing zero runs.

Manaea is the top A's pitching prospect and is expected to start the season in Triple-A Nashville. Manaea showed a lot of movement in his repertoire on Friday and hit 97 with his fastball. If the A's were to have a couple of injuries in the spring to starting pitchers, it is possible Manaea could make the team out of the spring, but the more likely scenario will be Manaea spending a month or two in the Minors.

Hultzen is expected to make his spring training debut early next week, Bob Dutton of The News Tribune reports.

The Mariners have put Hultzen on a "go-slow" program and are being cautious with him due to his history of shoulder injuries. The former second overall pick has only pitched in 29 games since 2012 as a result of his injuries and will look to save his career in 2016 by staying healthy and transitioning into a reliever. He appears to be too much of a risk to be a viable fantasy option this season.