MLB Player News

Athletics starting pitcher prospect Sean Nolin (sports hernia surgery) threw 30 pitches on flat ground Sunday and will do the same Tuesday, per InsideBayArea.com.

Orioles reliever Ryan Webb is sidelined due to swelling and discomfort in his left knee, according to The Baltimore Sun. He hurt his knee during a workout Sunday.

Manager Buck Showalter said Monday that Webb could be sidelined for a while. Showalter said Webb underwent an MRI on Monday, which revealed no structural damage.

“He’s not real sure how or when he did it, but he’s got swelling,” Showalter said of Webb’s injury. “He’s going to be down for a while.

”He’ll probably get some pictures on it and see what we’ve got. They’re waiting for one of the doctors to look at it first.”

Webb said he hurt his knee playing catch. He added the knee swelled due to an allergic reaction to ice.

While the Rays are not overly concerned about Drew Smyly's left shoulder tendinitis, the team is formulating a contingency plan in the event he is not ready by the start of the season, per The Tampa Tribune.

Nathan Karns, Matt Andriese, Burch Smith and Alex Colome -- who are all competing for the final spot in the team's rotation -- could be stopgap options in case Smyly begins the year on the disabled list. 

Manager Kevin Cash added Everett Teaford  and Enny Romero, who appear to be two pitchers headed for Triple-A, could also be options, if they pitch well this spring.

Rays pitcher Alex Colome, who is in the running for the final spot in the rotation, still has yet to show up to camp due to visa issues. However, he is working out at the team's academy in the Dominican Republic, which is good enough for now, according to manager Kevin Cash.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that Colome will be here soon,” Cash said, per The Tampa Tribune. “The good thing with Colome is when he’s coming in, he’ll be ready to go. From all our reports it should be pretty seamless his getting here and getting on the mound.”

Athletics pitcher Drew Pomeranz is happy to get his first spring training start out of the way Sunday, reports MLB.com. The 26-year-old felt he overthrew a bit in his two scoreless innings. 

"You almost feel a little too good, and you have to learn to harness it a little bit," said Pomeranz. "For me, that's maybe what I needed to settle down and just make pitches."

Pomeranz is in a battle this spring with Jesse Chavez to be the club's long inning reliever.

"Both have been successful doing both, but they have been here and they have proven they can pitch in the rotation," said manager Bob Melvin. "We like both those guys, so I don't want to count it against them because they can pitch out of the bullpen."

Yankees closer candidates Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller could end up splitting the role when the season begins, but neither is feeling the heat of a competition this spring, reports MLB.com.

"I don't think either of us are treating it that way," Miller said. "I've got my own problems. I'm trying to figure out where the ball is going and make sure I'm sharp. That stuff always takes care of itself. It's the least of my concerns. I want to go out and pitch well, and if I pitch well, I'll be happy. Wherever that is, it's fine with me."

Manager Joe Giradi has confidence in both to get the job done. Both pitched scoreless innings on Sunday.

"I don't really think we're going to have any doubts that both of them can do it, so I don't really know if there's anything that we need to see," Girardi said. "I think we have to see how the bullpen in our mind shapes up and what, as an organization, we decide to do. I'm not really too worried about their stuff."

Athletics pitcher Sean Nolin was able to resume throwing Sunday after missing two weeks with a groin injury, reports MLB.com.

Nolin is still recovering from sports hernia surgery during the offseason and hasn't felt right since arriving to camp. He is not expected to make an appearance during spring training.

Alex Meyer missed a few days of camp with the Twins for personal reasons following the death of his grandfather. The righthander hopes to return to the mound on Monday for a game against the Pirates. 

Trevor May has missed time with flu-like symptoms. After a bullpen session on Friday, the righthander is aiming for a return on Wednesday. 

The Red Sox have maintained they consider prospect Matt Barnes a starting pitcher. However, his performance Thursday against the Twins has opened the door for Boston to potentially consider Barnes as a bullpen option.

Barnes struck out three batters in two scoreless relief innings Thursday. His fastball reached 97 mph and he featured a tight breaking ball, per WEEI.com.

The Red Sox likely have just two spots in the bullpen open, but Barnes could change their plans. Barnes did make five relief appearances for Boston last season.

“If everyone was healthy, we probably viewed two spots in competition among a group of four or five,” manager John Farrell said. “Does an outing like last night increase the pool? I don’t know that we need to anoint that yet, but that was a really good outing to watch.

“I don’??t have a whole lot of history with Matt Barnes, but that was a different guy than even what we saw in September. Sometimes you look for silver linings in an otherwise frustrating year and talking with Matt Barnes, he has a better understanding of who he is as a pitcher, what’??s required at the major-league level and the constant focus and concentration needed, all those were talked openly by him. And he went out last night and demonstrated some of the things he learned last year. Breaking balls much tighter. I’??ve never seen that kind of velocity from him. He was a different guy last night.”

The MRI on Royals reliever Tim Collins' elbow revealed ligament damage, according to The Kansas City Star. The team is now seeking a second opinion.

"It won't be anytime soon," manager Ned Yost said when asked when Collins might pitch again, per MLB.com.

Collins missed time in 2014 inflammation around the flexor tendon in his elbow. He made just 22 relief appearances for Kansas City, going 0-3 with a 3.86 ERA. The left-handed hurler is 12-17 with a 3.54 ERA over four MLB seasons.

"It's disappointing, but it is what it is," Collins said of the injury. "I'm OK. There's nothing much you can do."