MLB Player News
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John Brebbia RP | COL
White Sox's John Brebbia: Will throw bullpen session Thursday
Brebbia (calf) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Brebbia is about two weeks removed from suffering a right calf strain and is now ready to re-incorporate some mound work. The reliever noted previously that his calf doesn't bother him when he's throwing, so pitcher's fielding practice might be the bigger test and it's unclear when he'll be ready for that. Brebbia is a question mark for Opening Day.
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Ben Joyce RP | LAA
Angels' Ben Joyce: Battling control this spring
Through two Cactus League appearances this spring, Joyce has given up five earned runs on three hits and five walks while striking out two batters over 1.1 innings.
It's been a struggle for the fireballing reliever early in spring action, as he's had trouble finding the strike zone. In his first game, which came against the Giants on Feb. 26, Joyce served up three walks and a homer to yield four runs while getting just one out. He was able to complete a full inning his next time out but still gave up two walks, two hits and a run. Joyce issued nine walks in 10 innings in his first taste of the majors last year, and he was only slightly better at corralling his command in the minors. The right-hander's ability to throw triple-digit heat has him tabbed as a future closer and gives him a good chance of landing an Opening Day bullpen spot this season, but he'll need to get much better at limiting walks eventually if he's to find substantial big-league success.
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Andres Munoz RP | SEA
Mariners' Andres Munoz: Impresses in only spring appearance
Munoz flashed a triple-digit fastball during his one Cactus League appearance thus far, Brent Stecker of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.
Munoz allowed a hit and recorded two strikeouts over one inning against the White Sox on Thursday, offsetting the impressive heater with a sharp slider, per Stecker. The flame-throwing right-hander, who was 13-for-16 in save opportunities last season and is likely to have ninth-inning work all to himself early in the season with Matt Brash (elbow) potentially sidelined, needed only eight pitches to get through his one frame against Chicago.
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Ty Adcock RP | SD
Mariners' Ty Adcock: Getting closer to game action
Adcock (undisclosed) has been throwing live batting practices on the backfields and could make his Cactus League debut this week, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.
The young right-hander was impressive across his first 12 big-league appearances in 2023, with Adcock posting a 3.45 ERA and 0.70 WHIP across 15.2 innings. While he did have trouble keeping the ball in the park (2.3 HR/9), Adcock also showed impressive location for a player who'd never pitched about the Double-A level before his mid-June promotion. "Ty Adcock throws strikes," Servais said when asked Sunday morning what stood out about him. "For a guy who pitched about 28 professional innings before he got to the big leagues, that's kind of unheard of."
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Matt Brash RP | SEA
Mariners' Matt Brash: Set for throwing session
Brash (elbow) is expected to play catch Tuesday with a trainer, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.
The right-hander is still expected to be weeks away from a return, but Tuesday represents an important step in his recovery. If Brash is able to come out of the session without any setbacks, he'll likely begin a deliberate process of building up his workload while managing the medial right elbow inflammation he's been experiencing.
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Josh Winckowski RP | TOR
Red Sox's Josh Winckowski: Makes second spring start
Winckowski allowed one run on two hits and struck out two over 2.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Tigers.
Winckowski made his second Grapefruit League start in a bid for the final spot in the rotation. He was pulled after 41 pitches (28 strikes) and has allowed one run over 4.2 innings. The competition includes Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock.
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Cody Bradford RP | TEX
Rangers' Cody Bradford: Looks good again
Bradford allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out four over three innings in Monday's spring start against the Angels.
Bradford, making his second Cactus League start, allowed a two-out run on a double and a walk in the first inning then retired the final seven batters faced. That includes fanning the side in the second inning. Bradford has done nothing in two spring starts to mar his bid to become the No. 5 starter.
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Tommy Kahnle RP | BOS
Yankees' Tommy Kahnle: Being brought along slowly
The Yankees are bringing Kahnle along slowly this spring after his 2023 season was ended due to right shoulder inflammation, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.
Kahnle appears to be healthy and has been throwing bullpen sessions, but manager Aaron Boone said Monday that the club might not put him into a Grapefruit League game until toward the end of spring. Boone would not commit to the reliever being ready for Opening Day, saying it depends on how many spring appearances he's able to make. Kahnle has had trouble staying healthy but has been terrific when on the mound, most recently putting up a 2.66 ERA and 48:19 K:BB over 40.2 frames in 2023.
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Danny Coulombe RP | BOS
Orioles' Danny Coulombe: Lining up for setup role
Coulombe has allowed one run on four hits over three innings in Grapefruit League play this spring.
Coulombe is one of the safer bets to earn a bullpen spot for the Orioles this spring. He is arguably the top left-hander in the bullpen and figures to fill a setup role after posting a 2.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 58:12 K:BB over 51.1 innings in similar usage last season. He also had two saves and 21 holds in his first year with the Orioles.
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Cionel Perez RP | NYM
Orioles' Cionel Perez: Ugly numbers early in spring
Perez has allowed five runs over three innings across his first three Grapefruit League appearances.
Perez saw a reduced role in 2023, posting a 3.54 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 44:27 K:BB over 53.1 innings while adding 11 holds and three saves. He had 24 holds as a setup man in 2022. Perez can't afford a poor spring -- competition is fierce in the Orioles' bullpen with up to a dozen pitchers in contention for seven or eight major-league roster spots. Perez's track record alone isn't enough for him to rely on being a lock if he continues to struggle.