MLB Player News
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Ryan Pepiot RP | TB
Rays' Ryan Pepiot: Shaky in Grapefruit League debut
Pepiot allowed one unearned run on one hit and two walks in two innings during Friday's Grapefruit League game against Toronto. He struck out two.
Pepiot showed some signs of rust in his first spring outing, throwing just 19 of his 32 pitches for strikes. The right-hander's fastball velocity topped out at just 94.6 mph as well after averaging 95.2 mph in 2025, so he'll be looking to round into form in the coming weeks. Though he did manage a strong 3.41 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 16 home starts at hitter-friendly Steinbrenner Field last regular season, Pepiot is still likely looking forward to the Rays moving back to pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field in 2026.
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Stephen Kolek RP | KC
Royals' Stephen Kolek: Has Grade 1 oblique strain
Kolek has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left oblique strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
As Rogers reported Thursday, Kolek will be shut down for at least the next week before the next steps in his recovery are mapped out. The right-hander is competing for a spot in Kansas City's rotation this spring.
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Beau Brieske RP | DET
Tigers' Beau Brieske: Viewed as day-to-day
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Brieske is day-to-day with thoracic spine inflammation, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Brieske was injured during fielding drill this week and was unable to pitch in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest against Baltimore. The right-hander appeared in 22 regular-season games for the Tigers in 2025, registering a 6.55 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 16:12 K:BB across 22 innings. He's competing for a role in the bullpen.
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Steven Wilson RP | TB
Rays' Steven Wilson: Out for Opening Day with back issue
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Friday that Wilson is dealing with back issues and will not be ready for Opening Day, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Wilson missed significant time during the 2024 season with the White Sox due to back problems, though it's not clear whether this is a recurrence of those issues. The veteran reliever was acquire via trade this offseason and has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League contest. Expect Wilson to begin the year on the IL, with no clear target date yet for his season debut.
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Garrett Crochet RP | BOS
Red Sox's Garrett Crochet: Makes spring debut
Crochet allowed one hit and one walk over two scoreless innings in Thursday's spring start against the Rays.
Crochet made his Grapefruit League debut, throwing 23 pitches (14 strikes) in his first step on the way to an Opening Day start. Other than a lack of strikeouts, it was an unremarkable outing for the left-hander, who led the majors in 2025 with 255 punchouts. He used most of his repertoire, including a splitter he'd like to use more of in 2026.
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Jacob Lopez RP | ATH
Athletics' Jacob Lopez: Facing hitters
Lopez (elbow) has begun throwing live batting practice within the past week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Lopez has yet to make his debut in the Cactus League this year after ending the 2025 campaign on the injured list with a strained left elbow. The 27-year-old lefty doesn't seem to have suffered any setbacks in his recovery, but the team is still playing it safe and building him up slowly this spring. If all goes according to plan, he'll get his first taste of spring action against the Dodgers on March 8 and figures to open the regular season in the Athletics' rotation.
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Beau Brieske RP | DET
Tigers' Beau Brieske: Unavailable due to side soreness
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Brieske didn't pitch in Thursday's game versus the Orioles as anticipated due to soreness in his side, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Hinch said that Brieske hurt himself during a pitchers' fielding practice drill. The skipper does not believe the injury is serious, but he did not offer a guess as to when Brieske might be available to pitch in games. The right-hander is projected for a middle-relief role in Detroit this season.
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Stephen Kolek RP | KC
Royals' Stephen Kolek: Diagnosed with left oblique strain
Kolek has been diagnosed with a left oblique strain and will be sidelined for at least the next 5-to-7 days, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
As Rogers notes, Kolek could be sidelined even longer if his Thursday scans reveal the injury is more severe. Kolek felt his side grab while warming up in the bullpen during Wednesday's Cactus League bout with the Mariners. Kolek is competing for a spot in Kansas City's rotation this spring after he was acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline last summer.
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Cody Ponce RP | TOR
Blue Jays' Cody Ponce: Perfect inning in spring debut
Ponce struck out two in a perfect inning during the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League game against the Tigers on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old right-hander fired 16 of 22 pitches for strikes in his spring debut, getting Parker Meadows to swing through a cutter before fooling top prospect Kevin McGonigle with the kick-change that helped him turn his career around overseas. Ponce won the KBO's MVP Award in 2025 with the Hanwha Eagles on the strength of a 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 252:41 K:BB over 180.2 innings, a performance that netted him a three-year, $30 million deal from Toronto this offseason. He's being counted on to fill a mid-rotation spot in his return to MLB, and the kick-change may give him more strikeout upside than projected against big-league hitters.
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Julian Merryweather RP | MIN
Twins' Julian Merryweather: Shut down with Grade 1 strain
Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta said Thursday that Merryweather has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will likely need about 3-to-4 weeks to recover before being available in games, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
While Merryweather could resume full baseball activities in about two weeks, he doesn't look like he'll be on track to pitch again before the Twins' Grapefruit League slate comes to an end. With that in mind, the injury effectively ends Merryweather's bid for a berth in the Opening Day bullpen, as he had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee and likely needed a strong spring to clinch a spot. Expect Minnesota to reassign Merryweather to minor-league camp in the coming weeks.