MLB Player News

Richards allowed one run on two hits and a walk over 1.2 innings of relief during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates. He struck out two.

The veteran righty has 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings this spring, but he's also issued five free passes as he tries to iron out the kinks before Opening Day. Richards' ability to rack up bulk Ks via his elite changeup, and his flexible role in the Blue Jays bullpen, keep him on the fantasy radar in deeper formats -- over 72.2 innings in 2023 he collected 105 strikeouts, two wins and a career-high 11 holds, but they came with a 4.95 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.

Martin (groin) will throw a live batting practice session Saturday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Martin had to have a live BP session scratched last weekend because of right groin tightness, but he's been playing catch and is expected to be fine. The tall right-hander will be a setup man ahead of closer Kenley Jansen again this season.

Weissert struck out one over a hitless and scoreless relief inning in Wednesday's spring game against the Yankees.

Weissert, who was acquired from the Yankees in the Alex Verdugo trade, has allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out seven over 5.2 Grapefruit League innings. There are few moving parts as the Red Sox evaluate bullpen arms, and Weissert appears to be on the bubble at this stage. He was added to the bullpen in a roster projection compiled by Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald, who noted Zack Kelly, Chris Murphy, Joe Jacques, Joely Rodriguez and Lucas Luetge as possibilities.

Mata (hamstring) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Wednesday, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The plan going forward is to have Mata throw another bullpen session and potentially face live hitters next week. The right-hander may eventually get into a game before the end of camp. It's likely Mata will be placed on the injured list to start the season.

The Tigers reassigned Hanifee to minor-league camp Thursday.

Hanifee made three relief appearances for the Tigers during the 2023 campaign and rejoined Detroit on a minor-league deal in the offseason after being non-tendered in November, but he never looked to be a realistic candidate to win a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The 25-year-old right-hander is expected to report to Triple-A Toledo to begin the 2024 season.

Schreiber is viewed as a lock to make the Royals' bullpen, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Schreiber's role is yet to be officially defined by manager Matt Quatraro, but it's likely he is in the high-leverage mix after logging nine saves and 33 holds over 110 appearances between 2022 and 2023 for the Red Sox. The right-handed reliever has done everything right in spring so far, allowing five hits and striking out five without walking a batting over five innings through five Cactus League appearances. In addition to Schreiber, Will Smith and James McArthur are seen as the Royals' top relievers, with Smith most likely to close given his past work as a closer.

The Padres traded Wilson, Drew Thorpe, Samuel Zavala and Jairo Iriarte to the White Sox on Wednesday in exchange for Dylan Cease, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Wilson logged a 3.91 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 53 innings last season with the Padres, though he spent the final month of the year on the IL due to left hip inflammation. His hip doesn't appear to be an issue heading into this season, however, as he's pitched six scoreless innings so far during spring training while striking out 10 batters and walking seven. Wilson will immediately become one of the more reliable arms in Chicago's bullpen and could potentially be in the mix for save opportunities if he starts strong in 2024.

Loaisiga (elbow) will make his Grapefruit League debut Thursday against the Red Sox, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Loaisiga hasn't been injured, but the Yankees have simply elected to bring him along slowly this spring after he ended last season on the injured list with a right elbow injury. There are just two weeks from the date of Loaisiga's first spring appearance and Opening Day, but the Yankees haven't offered any indication that the right-handed reliever is in danger of missing out on a roster spot.

The Mariners reassigned Snead to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Snead logged 11.2 innings over 15 appearances at the big-league level with Oakland in 2023, but he was never seen as a likely candidate to break camp with a spot in the Seattle bullpen. The 29-year-old southpaw will likely need to string together several quality appearances at Triple-A Tacoma to begin the season before he receives consideration for a promotion to Seattle.

Poteet is a candidate to join the Yankees' Opening Day rotation due to Gerrit Cole (elbow) being expected to be sidelined for 1-to-2 months to begin the season, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Luke Weaver (neck) looks to be the top candidate to fill the fifth opening in the rotation in the wake of Cole's injury, provided Weaver can overcome the neck issue that caused him to be scratched from his most recent Grapefruit League start Tuesday. If Weaver isn't able to get fully stretched out for Opening Day, however, Poteet may be next in line to fill the rotation vacancy. Signed to a one-year, $750,000 deal in January, Poteet has impressed through his first three spring outings, striking out seven and walking one over 5.2 scoreless frames while holding opposing hitters to a .158 average. Beyond Weaver and Poteet, Will Warren, Cody Morris and Luis Gil are other candidates for the fifth rotation spot.