MLB Player News

Reds manager David Bell said Monday that Martinez (ribs) is locked into a rotation spot, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

That's assuming Martinez's rib issue is indeed minor as the team suspects. He joins Frankie Montas, Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft in the rotation, with Andrew Abbott and Brandon Williamson (shoulder) in the mix for the fifth spot, at least until Nick Lodolo (lower leg) is ready. Signed to a two-year, $26 million contract in November, Martinez officially has just five Cactus League innings under his belt this spring but has yielded only one unearned run with a 7:1 K:BB over that time. Just nine of Martinez's 63 appearances last season came as a starter, but he posted a 2.32 ERA and 37:18 K:BB over 42.2 frames in those outings.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Monday that Kerkering is still rebuilding his strength after a bout with the flu and might not be ready for Opening Day, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Kerkering hasn't made a Grapefruit League appearance since March 1 and is still working on regaining his stamina. While the illness is not a long-term concern, it has limited him to just two outings this spring and the Phillies don't want to rush the young reliever back. If Kerkering does have to wind up missing some time, he shouldn't be out long.

The Twins reassigned Balazovic to minor-league camp Monday.

Once of the Twins' more promising starting pitching prospects, Balazovic made the full-time move to the bullpen in 2023. Though he reached the big leagues for the first time last season, Balazovic struggled to distinguish himself, posting a 4.44 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 17:12 K:BB in 24.1 innings. Balazovic will remain in the Twins organization for 2024 despite being outrighted shortly before spring training, but his lack of a 40-man roster spot will work against him in his efforts to rejoin the Minnesota bullpen.

The Reds reassigned Kriske to minor-league camp Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Kriske struck out seven and pitched to a 3.60 ERA and 0.80 WHIP over five innings during Cactus League play, but those solid numbers weren't enough for him to win a spot in the Reds' Opening Day bullpen. The 30-year-old journeyman reliever has made 20 career appearances in the big leagues over parts of three seasons with the Yankees, Orioles and Royals, logging a 11.22 ERA over 21.2 innings.

The Reds reassigned Gilbert to minor-league camp Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Gilbert joined the Reds for spring training as a non-roster invitee after inking a minor-league deal with the organization over the winter. He could serve as a swingman for Triple-A Louisville after making seven starts among his 30 appearances for Triple-A Reno in the Arizona organization in 2023.

The Reds reassigned Bruihl to minor-league camp Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Bruihl is expected to report to Triple-A Louisville to begin the season and will serve as organizational relief depth. He made 27 appearances at the big-league level in 2023 between the Dodgers and Rockies, pitching to a 5.46 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 28 innings.

The Rays reassigned Uceta to minor-league camp Monday.

Uceta made 25 appearances at the big-league level over the past three seasons, but he never had much of a shot at winning a spot in the Rays' Opening Day bullpen after joining the club on a minor-league deal over the winter. He's expected to begin the campaign at Triple-A Durham.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Jansen (back) will make an appearance Tuesday against the Rays, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Jansen was scratched from a scheduled outing Monday with lower-back tightness, but he'll wind up being pushed back just one day. Cora noted that the closer is "running out of time" in order to be ready for Opening Day and can't afford any more hiccups. Jansen has been limited to just one appearance this spring, having previously dealt with a lat issue. After Tuesday's outing, Jansen is scheduled to pitch Thursday, Sunday and once more after that as he aims to be ready for the March 28 opener in Seattle, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

The White Sox announced Monday that Crochet will start the team's season opener March 28 versus the Tigers in Chicago.

A converted reliever who has yet to make a big-league start and is just under two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Crochet is a bold choice for the Opening Day starting nod. The White Sox's decision to go with Crochet for the season opener speaks to the organization's lack of attractive alternatives, though the 24-year-old lefty at least brings some upside to the table. After struggling with his control late last season when he rejoined the White Sox bullpen following his recovery from elbow surgery, Crochet has looked far sharper this spring, striking out 12 and walking none while working around seven hits across nine scoreless frames. Fantasy managers shouldn't jump to any grand conclusions based on the spring numbers, but the improved results along with the White Sox's commitment to him in a starting role are enough to put Crochet on the radar as a late-round target in fantasy drafts.

Stewart and Griffin Jax are viewed as the most likely candidates to handle save situations for the Twins in the first few weeks of the season after president of baseball operations Derek Falvey announced Monday that Jhoan Duran (oblique) will begin the campaign on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Falvey didn't comment specifically on the Twins' plans at closer sans Duran, but Stewart and Jax represent the team's top-performing bullpen arms from 2023 that were retained heading into 2024. Though he spent considerable time on the shelf while tending to a sore elbow, Stewart was dominant when he was available last season, pitching to an 0.65 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 39:11 K:BB in 27.2 innings. Jax's numbers (3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 68:19 K:BB in 65.1 innings) weren't quite as impressive in comparison, but he has multiple seasons under his belt as a reliable relief arm for Minnesota in addition to possessing a much stronger track record on the health front. That might be enough to give Jax the early edge on save chances over Stewart, who still profiles as a decent late-round dart in mixed leagues and AL-only leagues in any case.