MLB Player News
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Victor Mederos RP | ATL
Angels' Victor Mederos: Sent to minor-league camp
The Angels optioned Mederos to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.
Mederos got his feet wet in the majors last season and pitched well this spring, allowing three runs with a 12:3 K:BB over 8.2 frames. The 22-year-old was used in relief in his three big-league appearances but should be part of Salt Lake's rotation.
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Alec Marsh RP | KC
Royals' Alec Marsh: Heavy usage in spring
Marsh has allowed one run on five hits and four walks while striking out 12 over 10 innings across four Cactus League appearances.
Marsh doesn't have a clear path to the Royals' rotation, and that's been reflected in his usage -- only one of his four spring outings has been a start. The 25-year-old started eight of his 17 appearances last season, posting a 5.69 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 85:39 K:BB over 74.1 innings overall. Marsh may still be stretched out in the minors at Triple-A Omaha if he doesn't earn a spot in the Royals' bullpen, but he's pitched well enough this spring to earn a spot in the majors. The one knock against Marsh is that he still walks too many batters.
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Carlos Hernandez RP | CLE
Royals' Carlos Hernandez: Begins throwing progression
Hernandez (shoulder) played catch over the weekend and will do so again Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Hernandez was shut down from throwing after a cortisone injection in late February. He's now beginning to ramp up again, though it still seems likely he'll have to miss part of the regular season. Hernandez is likely to join the Royals' bullpen once he's up to speed.
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Xzavion Curry RP | NYM
Guardians' Xzavion Curry: Mixed results in spring
Curry has allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking none over eight innings across three Cactus League appearances.
Curry has started two of his three outings. The 25-year-old appears set for a swingman role in 2024, though a lot could hinge on the status of Gavin Williams (elbow) and his availability to begin the campaign. Curry started nine of his 41 appearances last season and stayed in the majors for the whole season since the Guardians' rotation was plagued by injuries. He was solid with a 4.07 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 67:30 K:BB over 95 innings. Curry won't be much of a fantasy option out of the bullpen given his low strikeout numbers, but there's no clear path to the rotation for now.
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Dillon Tate RP | TOR
Orioles' Dillon Tate: Cruising in spring
Tate has allowed one hit and hit one batsman while striking out three over four scoreless innings across four Grapefruit League appearances.
Tate didn't pitch in the majors in 2023 while rehabbing a forearm injury. While he's not the favorite for saves in the Orioles' bullpen, he's put in good work in the spring to push his way into the setup mix. Tate was strong in that role in 2022, logging 16 holds, five saves, a 3.05 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 60:16 K:BB over 73.2 innings in 2022. Tate figures to compete with Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe for late-inning work.
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Alex Speas RP | MIN
White Sox's Alex Speas: Sent packing
Speas was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte by the White Sox on Monday, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Speas allowed three runs with a 3:6 K:BB over six innings this spring. Walks have always been an issue for the 26-year-old and they could prevent the 26-year-old from receiving high-leverage looks for the White Sox even as he has better stuff than most of their other relievers.
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James Karinchak RP | ATL
Guardians' James Karinchak: Initiates throwing program
Karinchak (shoulder) has been cleared to begin a throwing progression Monday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Karinchak had been shut down from throwing all spring after he had been experiencing right shoulder fatigue prior to reporting to camp. Since he's projected to serve as a one-inning reliever for Cleveland once healthy, Karinchak won't require as extensive of a ramp-up program as a starting pitcher, but with Opening Day approximately two and a half weeks away, the right-hander may not be ready to go by the time the Guardians open the regular season. Provided that he navigates his throwing program free of setbacks, Karinchak should be in store for only a brief stint on the IL to begin the season if the Guardians opt not to include him on the Opening Day roster.
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Jonathan Hernandez RP | LAD
Rangers' Jonathan Hernandez: Uncertain for Opening Day
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Monday that Hernandez (shoulder) will make his Cactus League debut Monday, but Bochy is unsure whether the reliever will have enough time to prep for Opening Day, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
Hernandez has been slow-played this spring after suffering a right shoulder injury during last year's postseason. He's come along without any apparent setbacks, but the hard-throwing righty might not have enough runway to show he should be in the Opening Day bullpen.
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Jordan Romano RP | COL
Blue Jays' Jordan Romano: Cruising through spring
Romano walked two and struck out one over two-thirds of an inning during a split-squad game against the Orioles on Sunday.
The free passes were the first Romano had issued this spring, and through 4.1 innings over five appearances he's rung up a 6:2 K:BB. The 30-year-old is locked in as the Blue Jays' closer after posting a sub-3.00 ERA in each of the last three seasons while racking up 95 saves in 106 chances.
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Chris Martin RP | TEX
Red Sox's Chris Martin: Expected to be ready for opener
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Martin (groin) has time to be ready for Opening Day, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Right groin tightness prevented Martin from throwing a scheduled live bullpen session Saturday, but he was able to play catch Sunday and looks to be in line to do so again Monday. It's not clear when he might be ready for a Grapefruit League appearance, but this seems to be something Martin should be able to recover from soon.