MLB Player News

Burr has been dealing with right shoulder fatigue and is not expected to pitch in games soon, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Burr's shoulder has been giving him problems for most of spring training, as he dealt with a bout of tendinitis in February. Now battling fatigue, the right-hander has been limited to light throwing, and Toronto will likely be extra cautious building him back up to ensure his shoulder isn't an issue in the future. It's unclear if he'll be available for Opening Day.

Johnson is expected to open the season as one of Atlanta's primary setup men in front of closer Raisel Iglesias, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Johnson had a solid first full season with Atlanta in 2024 that included a career-high six wins and 12 holds, and he will be counted on to handle more high-leverage duties with Joe Jimenez (knee) out until at least the All-Star break. If Johnson struggles, he could be pushed for late-inning work by Hector Neris, who didn't sign with the team until March 3 but racked up 31 holds as recently as 2023 with the Astros.

The Yankees optioned Arias to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

The Yankees acquired Arias from the Cubs in January, and he'll officially be headed to Triple-A to begin his tenure with his new organization. The 23-year-old reached Triple-A for the first time last season, finishing with a 5.45 ERA and 2.11 WHIP across 36.1 innings at Iowa.

Kittredge underwent successful left knee debridement surgery Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Lingering soreness in Kittredge's knee prompted an MRI on Wednesday, and he went under the knife days later. He's now on the mend, but Kittredge is expected to miss multiple months, which leaves Seranthony Dominguez as the clear backup to primary closer Felix Bautista in Baltimore. Bautista is not expected to pitch back-to-back days early on this season as he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Lopez surrendered five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game versus the Twins. He failed to record a strikeout.

Lopez worked up to 57 pitches (36 strikes) Thursday compared to 44 in his previous outing, though his velocity was noticeably down and inconsistent, as noted by David O'Brien of The Athletic. He averaged just 93 mph on his fastball after averaging 95.5 mph with his heater in 2024, and his slider and curveball experienced similar drops in speed as well. Arm fatigue is fairly common at this stage in spring training, though it may be worth keeping an eye on Lopez, who had issues with a tired arm last season after making the move from the bullpen to the rotation.

Cranton was removed from Friday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers after being hit in the chin by a line drive, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Cranton seemed to be in a relatively good mood following the incident, which may indicate minimal damage was done. The 24-year-old made nine appearances at Single-A Modesto last season, and he'll likely aim to reach High-A Everett or Double-A Arkansas by the end of 2025.

The Cardinals optioned Svanson to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Svanson spent all of 2024 with Double-A Springfield, where he logged a 3.25 ERA and 1.49 WHIP across 63.2 innings. The Cardinals gave him a spot on their 40-man roster this offseason to prevent him from being scooped up in the Rule 5 Draft, and he'll now get to test his abilities at the Triple-A level for the first time.

Beeks signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Beeks split time between the Rockies and Pirates last season, turning in a 4.50 ERA and 1.49 WHIP across 70 total innings. The 31-year-old lefty may need a bit of time to build up before he makes his spring debut, but he should still be in the mix for Houston's Opening Day bullpen.

The Rockies optioned Justice to Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.

Justice struggled mightily in the minor leagues last season, finishing with an 8.76 ERA and 2.52 WHIP across 24.2 frames at Albuquerque. He showed signs of improvement during spring training, allowing two runs and striking out six batters over three innings, though the 26-year-old southpaw likely has quite a bit of work to do before the Rockies feel comfortable inserting him into their bullpen.

The Rockies optioned Mejia to Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.

Mejia spent all of last season with Double-A Hartford, where he accumulated a 5.00 ERA and 1.61 WHIP alongside a 65:30 K:BB across 54 innings. After throwing three scoreless innings in Cactus League play, he'll receive a bump to Triple-A for his age-24 season, though his past minor-league performance doesn't inspire much confidence in a promotion to the majors.