MLB Player News

Jansen (lat) said Wednesday that he's targeting the Red Sox's March 15 game against the Twins for his Grapefruit League debut, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Jansen came into camp battling right lat soreness but recently progressed to facing hitters and is a little over a week away from a game appearance. He'll have less than two weeks to prep for Opening Day, but that's not expected to be a problem. Jansen will open the season as Boston's closer.

Dubin (shoulder) resumed playing catch Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Dubin has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut while he recovers from right shoulder inflammation, but resuming a throwing program this week is the first step toward getting back on the mound in a game setting. The right-hander will likely increase his throwing distance off flat ground over the next several days before advancing to bullpen sessions and then facing hitters in live batting practice. Even if he remains free of setbacks as he builds back up, Dubin is still probably a week or more away from his spring debut.

Kelly is currently sidelined by a left oblique injury, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Kelly's last Grapefruit League appearance came on March 2, although it's not clear whether he was injured then or sometime after. It's possible he will require a stint on the injured list to begin the season, but more should be known in the coming days.

Blanco could begin the season in the rotation, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Blanco was a versatile option for the Astros in 2023, as he made 17 appearances in the majors -- seven of which were starts. He posted a 4.74 ERA paired with an uninspiring 35:21 K:BB across 38 frames as a starter, though Houston may have little choice to turn to him with Justin Verlander (shoulder) set to begin the season on the injured list and J.P. France (shoulder) still limited. Blanco has made three spring training appearances, with his longest outing being three frames. He's also gotten good results, throwing 7.2 scoreless innings while compiling an 8:2 K:BB.

Duffey has been sidelined since Feb. 26 after having surgery to remove a cancerous mole from his back, MLB.com reports. He started light baseball activity Wednesday.

A suspicious mole on Duffey's back was diagnosed as melanoma during an exam early in spring training. Duffey hopes to pitch in games by the end of spring training, but it appears likely he'll begin the season on the injured list. He signed a minor-league deal with the Royals and is attempting to win a spot in the major-league bullpen this spring.

Criswell allowed three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two over 2.2 innings in Wednesday's spring start against Minnesota.

The Red Sox cited Criswell as a potential starter in the wake of Lucas Giolito's elbow injury, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. The right-hander made his first spring start Wednesday and threw a pair of 1-2-3 innings before sputtering in the third. Criswell's not overpowering -- his fastball topped out at 89.3 mph Wednesday -- but the Red Sox will need length and possibly a sixth starter early when the team plays 23 games in the first 25 days of the season.

Anderson has been impressive in camp so far and could make a push for an MLB bullpen spot, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Anderson, who spent the last two seasons pitching in Japan, has logged three scoreless innings with four strikeouts so far in Grapefruit League play, touching 97 mph with his fastball. While it's no guarantee that he breaks camp with the big-league club, Anderson could be first in line for a call up when a need arises. The righty most recently appeared in the majors back in 2021, logging 22 innings for the Rangers and posting a solid 3.27 ERA.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said Wednesday that Bolton recently experienced some discomfort in his ankle and had his throwing schedule adjusted as a result, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The injury likely explains why Bolton has been limited to just two appearances in Cactus League play thus far, and none since Feb. 29. Bolton possesses a spot on the Mariners' 40-man roster, but since he has a limited track record in the majors and has two minor-league options remaining, he'll most likely begin the season at Triple-A Tacoma.

The Mariners scratched Krehbiel from his scheduled relief appearance in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Royals due to a neck strain, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Krehbiel has been attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee and is looking to win a spot in the Mariners' Opening Day bullpen. Even though the injury is believed to be only a minor concern, it further hurts Krehbiel's bid for a roster spot.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Wednesday that Tarnok is currently shut down after having a setback with his surgically repaired right hip, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Tarnok had surgery last August and entered camp behind schedule. He has yet to appear in a Cactus League game, and now that he's experienced a setback, Tarnok looks like a virtual lock to begin the season on the injured list. Once healthy, Tarnok could be a candidate to join the Oakland rotation.