MLB Player News

Swanson (forearm) played catch Thursday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Swanson "felt great" during the session, per Blue Jays manager John Schneider. More should be known within the next few days as to whether Swanson will be able to avoid a stint on the injured list to start the season, but he took a nice step Thursday.

Francis was informed Thursday that he has made the Blue Jays' rotation, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

There didn't seem to be much doubt that Francis would open the year in the rotation after he held a 3.38 ERA and 15:4 K:BB over 18.2 innings during Grapefruit League play. He's likely to pitch at some point during the season-opening, four-game series against Tampa Bay. With Alek Manoah's (shoulder) situation still very much up in the air, Francis will have a chance to prove he should remain in the rotation for a while.

Martin (groin) will make his Grapefruit League debut Thursday against the Orioles, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Martin has been working his way back from an early-March groin injury. While this will be his first official spring appearance, he began facing hitters a week ago and recently appeared in a minor-league game. Martin is expected to be ready for Opening Day, barring setbacks.

Jansen (back) is scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Orioles, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Jansen has had to be scratched from each of his last two scheduled appearances due to lower-back stiffness, so Thursday's outing should be considered tentative. The veteran closer has been limited to just one outing this spring, having previous dealt with a lat issue. Jansen hopes to ramp up in time for Opening Day, but it will be close.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Thursday that Taylor is currently sidelined by left biceps soreness, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

He's receiving treatment and the Royals are still determining what the next steps will be for the left-hander. Taylor has missed much of the last two seasons due to back and shoulder woes. He had been in the mix for an Opening Day bullpen spot, but his status is now cloudy.

Stephenson (shoulder) is scheduled to play catch Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Stephenson has been battling shoulder soreness since the beginning of camp, and he's missed all of the Angels' Cactus League games as a result. Considering Stephenson has yet to progress to facing hitters with just a week remaining before Opening Day, it is appearing increasingly likely that the right-hander begins the season on the injured list.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Thursday that Marsh has won the final spot in the rotation, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Jordan Lyles had the incumbency and the contract, but he was hurt and out-pitched by Marsh this spring, so he'll head to the bullpen. Marsh posted a 1.93 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB over 14 innings during Cactus League play to earn the rotation slot. The 25-year-old has displayed swing-and-miss stuff throughout his pro career, including during his time with Kansas City last season when he fanned 85 over 74.1 frames while splitting time between the rotation and bullpen. Marsh's control is a problem, though, so he'll need to tighten that up before fantasy managers can put a ton of trust in him.

Berroa (shoulder) is scheduled to make a relief appearance Thursday against the Guardians in a "B" game on the backfields of spring training, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Berroa already has five Cactus League appearances to his name, but he hasn't pitched since March 11 due to a minor shoulder injury. Assuming he gets through Thursday's outing unscathed, Berroa should still have a good chance at winning a spot in the White Sox's Opening Day bullpen. The hard-throwing right-hander could find himself in a prominent role, as the White Sox lack an obvious solution at closer.

The Tigers reassigned Vasquez to minor-league camp Thursday.

The big southpaw didn't allow a run in seven appearances this spring but will nonetheless find himself back at Toledo to begin the season. Vasquez will provide left-handed relief depth in the minors.

The Tigers reassigned Wingenter to minor-league camp Thursday.

Wingenter allowed one run with a 6:4 K:BB over 5.1 innings this spring, but that wasn't enough to break camp with the Tigers' bullpen. He'll head to Toledo for now and wait for a call from the big club.