MLB Player News

Bednar is presumed to begin the season the Pirates' closer, but manager Derek Shelton elected not to officially name the team's closer Sunday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It's the second time during spring training that Shelton has made clear a decision at closer has yet to be made, though the skipper also indicated Sunday that he's happy with how Bednar has look during spring training, despite a 14.40 ERA and 6:3 K:BB over five innings. After two consecutive All-Star seasons in 2022 and 2023, the right-hander struggled to a 5.77 ERA in 62 appearances last year and was removed from the closer role down the stretch.

The Reds assigned Young to minor-league camp Sunday.

Young signed a minor-league contract with the Reds in January after being non-tendered by the Mets in late November. He gave up six runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five across three innings in spring training, and the 31-year-old southpaw will look to regain his form in the minors, likely with Triple-A Louisville.

Atlanta reassigned Farmer to minor-league camp Sunday.

The right-hander joined the club as a non-roster invitee in February and appeared to have a good chance of making the Opening Day roster, but his four runs allowed and 8:4 K:BB over 5.2 spring innings apparently weren't good enough. Assuming Farmer doesn't receive big-league interest from another organization, he'll likely begin the campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Atlanta assigned Diekman to minor-league camp Sunday.

Diekman signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta in February after appearing in 43 regular-season games for the Mets in 2024 with a 5.63 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. He opened spring training with five scoreless outings but gave up four earned runs over his last two appearances. The 38-year-old southpaw will likely be dispatched to Triple-A Gwinnett but could see major-league action at some point in 2025.

Cruz was optioned by the Royals to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

Cruz had a good showing during spring training, posting a 2.57 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across seven frames. The 25-year-old right-hander didn't allow a run in 5.2 big-league innings last season and could be among the first players called up when the Royals bullpen needs reinforcements.

The Royals optioned Bowlan to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

Bowlan gave up one earned run over his first six spring outings but struggled against the Reds on Saturday, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk over 1.2 innings. He appeared in 35 games (16 starts) with Omaha last season and posted a 12-4 record with a 4.67 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 98:34 K:BB across 104 innings.

Leiter (back) did not throw his scheduled bullpen session Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Leiter was scheduled to pitch against the Tigers on Thursday, but he was scratched due to a back injury. It's unclear whether his absence Sunday morning was due to aggravating the injury. Leiter was traded by the White Sox to the Yankees in late July, and across 21.2 regular-season innings with the Bronx Bombers he posted a 4.98 ERA and 1.71 WHIP.

After tossing two scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Hanifee now has a 0.00 ERA and 0.82 WHIP across 7.1 innings this spring along with seven strikeouts.

Hanifee was a pleasant surprise for the Tigers in 2024, posting a 1.84 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 29.1 regular-season innings after getting called up to the majors in early August. The righty often served as an opener and gave Detroit some length out of the bullpen. Based on his strong showing last year and impressive spring so far, Hanifee should have a roster spot locked up, and he may see more high-leverage work as the season progresses.

The Rockies optioned Gilbreath to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2023, Gilbreath didn't make his 2024 season debut until last August. He then underwent neurogenic thoracic surgery near his left neck/shoulder in the offseason, which limited him to one outing in spring training. The southpaw will begin the 2025 regular season in Triple-A, but he should be in the mix for a promotion when the Rockies need bullpen depth.

Castellano is a candidate to win a spot in the bullpen, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. The Rule 5 pick threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Castellano has a 6.75 ERA with a 12:8 K:BB in eight innings this spring. Walks have been a major issue for the right-hander, so it was a good sign that he didn't issue any free passes Saturday. The Twins may use him in low-leverage spots until injured veterans Michael Tonkin (shoulder), Brock Stewart (knee) and Justin Topa (shoulder) are able to return. Castellano has touched 98 mph with his fastball this spring, and his upside gives Minnesota incentive to find a way to keep him rather than returning him to the Phillies.