MLB Player News

Winckowski allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and one walk while striking out two over 3.2 innings in Thursday's spring game against the Phillies.

Winckowski, making his fourth Grapefruit League start, breezed through the first inning then hit a road bump in the second, which included a Triston Casas throwing error. The right-hander was sharp over his first three appearances before Thursday's effort. Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe notes that Tanner Houck and Cooper Criswell have positioned themselves for the final two rotation spots ahead of Winckowski and Garrett Whitlock; however, manager Alex Cora has not indicated which two pitchers will follow Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford in the rotation. Winckowski was a revelation out of the bullpen in 2023 and could be headed there again this year, per Abraham.

Francis kept rolling Thursday in his Grapefruit League outing versus the Twins, yielding just one unearned run over six innings. He struck out two.

The Twins plated a single run in the third inning following an Eduardo Escobar error, but that's the only tally they managed on the day. Francis needed only 67 pitches to get through his six frames, permitting just four singles and no walks. The right-hander lowered his spring ERA to 1.93, and he holds a 12:2 K:BB over 14 innings. With Alek Manoah (shoulder) all but certain to open the season on the injured list, Francis appears close to locking up the fifth spot in Toronto's rotation, if he hasn't done so already.

Llovera cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma.

After acquiring Llovera from the Red Sox in January via waiver claim, he'll remain in the Mariners organization after passing through waivers unclaimed. Llovera turned in a 4.89 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across 35 innings between the Giants and Red Sox last season, and he could potentially return to the majors in 2024 if Seattle runs into depth issues over the course of the season.

The Astros optioned Coleman to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Coleman struggled heavily in the majors last season, posting an 8.84 ERA and 2.02 WHIP across 18.1 innings with the Royals. After being traded to Houston in December, Coleman's troubles have continued to plague him in spring training, and he will likely remain in Triple-A until a noticeable improvement is made on the mound.

Brebbia (calf) will face hitters again Friday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Brebbia progressed to facing hitters Wednesday, and the White Sox will have him throw another round of batting practice as he continues working his way back from a right calf strain. The White Sox are still hopeful Brebbia will be available for Opening Day, though pitching coach Ethan Katz said Thursday that the 33-year-old right-hander isn't guaranteed to begin the season with the team.

The A's announced Thursday that Felipe will undergo Tommy John surgery, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Felipe suffered a sprained UCL in his right elbow last August and the injury ultimately didn't heal with rest and rehab. The 26-year-old now figures to be sidelined until around midseason of next year.

The Yankees reassigned Underwood to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Underwood, who signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees in December, had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee. The 29-year-old reliever made 20 appearances out of Pittsburgh's bullpen in 2023, ringing up a 5.18 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 24.1 innings. He's likely to begin the upcoming season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Angels optioned Caceres to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Caceras turned in a 4.12 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over 54.2 innings across three minor-league levels last season, in addition to appearing in two games with the Halos. The 24-year-old righty put together a solid spring, surrendering one run over five innings while striking out five batters and walking two. If Caceres is able to continue pitching well at Triple-A, he likely won't have to wait long for another promotion to the big-league bullpen.

Hentges is dealing with some swelling in his finger and will visit with a doctor Thursday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

It's not clear how long the finger has been an issue, but Hentges hasn't been great this spring, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks over four innings. A more specific diagnosis and timetable should be available after Thursday's examination.

Stephan will undergo surgery on his right elbow in the next week or two, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The specific procedure and a timetable aren't yet known, but Bell relays that Stephan's UCL was "not providing adequate stability," necessitating the need for the operation. More information on a recovery timeline for Stephan should be known once he goes under the knife, but unless he gets an arthroscopic procedure, the veteran reliever could miss the entire 2024 season. He had been slated to serve in a setup role ahead of closer Emmanuel Clase but should now be considered out indefinitely.