MLB Player News

Staumont is having his knee evaluated Tuesday after he slipped in the bullpen, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribunereports.

The right-hander is set to make Minnesota's Opening Day roster, but the knee issue could end up sending him to the injured list. Staumont posted a 5.40 ERA in 21 outing for the Royals last season and is likely to fill a low-leverage role for the Twins when healthy.

The Padres optioned Estrada to Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The right-hander was claimed off waivers from the Cubs in November and didn't allow an earned run in one frame against the Dodgers during the Korea Series last week, though he did give up a hit and two walks. Estrada spent much of last season at the Triple-A level and had a 5.97 ERA and 42:26 K:BB over 28.2 innings, and he'll likely need to improve upon those numbers to receive another look with the Padres.

The Padres optioned Vasquez to Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Vasquez was in the mix this spring for the final spot in the Padres' rotation, but he struggled in Cactus League action with a 6.23 ERA and 9:5 K:BB over 8.2 frames. He still seems like a good bet to make a good number of starts for San Diego this season, but for now, he'll join El Paso's rotation.

Diaz has been told he will not make the Tigers' Opening Day roster and is likely to be designated for assignment, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Diaz is out of options, so the Tigers would have to pass him through waivers first if they want to send him to Triple-A Toledo. The reliever would also have the ability to reject an outright assignment. The 29-year-old pitched well during his brief time with Detroit over the last two seasons, posting a 1.02 ERA and 19:7 K:BB over 17.2 innings.

The Tigers optioned Brieske to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday.

He was in the mix for one of the final spots in the Tigers' bullpen, but the team ultimately went with Joey Wentz and Alex Faedo. Brieske has experience both as a starter and a reliever, and it's not clear which role the club has planned for him at Toledo.

Whitlock allowed one unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings in Monday's exhibition game against the Rangers.

Whitlock was impressive against the first-string lineup Texas trotted out Monday. The right-hander threw 67 pitches (51 strikes) and retired nine of the final 10 batters faced. The dominant performance Monday followed a strong Grapefruit League for Whitlock, who finished spring training with a 2.49 ERA and a 22:3 K:BB over 21.2 innings. He's scheduled to start the fourth game of the season Sunday in Seattle against the Mariners.

Thompson moves up a spot in the bullpen following the news that closer Paul Sewald (oblique) will open the season on the injured list.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo didn't immediately name any one reliever as a replacement closer, although he did tell Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that there is "a very logical choice." By that, Lovullo was referring to Kevin Ginkel, who is expected to serve as the primary closer while Sewald heals. Lovullo also said he is not going to "anoint anybody to close right now," leaving the door open for others, like Thompson. He was an important late-inning, setup reliever after being traded to the Diamondbacks during the stretch drive in 2023. Thompson recorded a 0.69 ERA over 13 innings in the regular season and was a featured high-leverage option during the postseason. The right-hander continued his fine work this spring, allowing one unearned run over seven innings.

Jarvis will begin the season as a reliever, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Jarvis was nominally in the mix for the rotation this spring, but Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry earned slots ahead of him. As such, Jarvis moves to the bullpen, where he'll serve as the Diamondbacks' long arm in a multi-inning role. He could be relied upon early as Arizona navigates an injury to Eduardo Rodriguez (lat).

Church was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday, Michael Bier of Foul Territory reports.

Church appeared to be on track to make the big-league roster given his 2.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 10.2 innings during spring training, but the club announced Monday that he's headed for the minor leagues. The right-hander's impressive spring is unlikely to go unnoticed, and he should factor into the bullpen mix at some point this year.

Weissert will make the 2024 Opening Day roster, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Weissert was in danger of being left off the roster as long as Brennan Bernardino was projected to begin the year in the bullpen, but skipper Alex Cora stated Tuesday that Weissert had made the team over Bernardino, who was optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Weissert appeared in 17 games a season ago for the Yankees, posting a 4.05 ERA and 1.45 WHIP with 22 punchouts across 20 innings.