MLB Player News

Brash (elbow) will play catch out to 90 feet Sunday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Brash will take an incremental step forward in his recovery from right elbow inflammation, as he had been playing catch out to 60 feet a few days earlier. The right-hander still looks like he might be a week or more away from throwing off a mound, and since he'll need additional time beyond that to face hitters in live batting practice and eventually Cactus League or minor-league rehab games, Brash appears set to begin the season on the 15-day injured list.

Pagan (sports hernia) struck out two over a perfect inning of relief Saturday in the Reds' 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks in Cactus League play.

The Reds had slow played Pagan's integration into the spring pitching schedule while he needed extra time to complete his recovery from offseason sports hernia surgery, but the veteran reliever looked sharp in his Cactus League debut Saturday. Assuming he comes out of spring training unscathed following his subsequent appearances, Pagan should serve as one of the top setup arms in front of closer Alexis Diaz during the upcoming season.

Manager Skip Schumaker said Sunday that Simpson is dealing with left elbow discomfort that's similar to nerve irritation, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Simpson hasn't pitched since Feb. 27, and Schumaker said the club is being cautious since the left-hander "still feels it a little bit." Given the length of the layoff, the 26-year-old will likely need to ramp things up soon to have a chance of being ready by Opening Day.

The Mariners placed Kowar on the 60-day injured list Sunday after he was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow. He'll undergo Tommy John surgery next Friday in Dallas, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

After experiencing arm soreness early last week, Kowar was sent in for tests Friday, at which point the UCL damage was detected. The 27-year-old will miss the entirety of the upcoming campaign and likely the first couple months of 2025 as well. Kowar, whom Seattle acquired from Atlanta in December, was expected to handle a low-leverage role out of the Mariners bullpen.

Graterol is dealing with shoulder discomfort and hip tightness and won't travel to South Korea with the Dodgers for the season-opening series against the Padres on March 20 and 21, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Graterol has made just one game appearance thus far during spring training and is expected to resume throwing Tuesday, so he won't be ready with the season-opening international series a little more than a week away. The right-hander still hopes to be ready for the first stateside game of the season March 28, but it's a tight timeline for him to be built up in time.

Holton pitched a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, lowering his spring ERA to 4.50.

Holton had allowed runs in each of his last two spring appearances, but he was sharper Saturday. The lefty now has four strikeouts across four Grapefruit League innings to go along with a 0.75 WHIP. Holton emerged as a key weapon for the Tigers in 2023, posting a 2.11 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 74 strikeouts across 85.1 innings, working primarily as a long reliever. The southpaw will likely serve in a similar capacity this year, and while he may vulture a few wins, his fantasy value figures to be inconsistent coming out of the bullpen.

Vest logged a scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, lowering his spring ERA to 4.91.

Vest allowed two runs while retiring just two batters in his second spring appearance back on Feb. 29, but he's otherwise logged three scoreless outings with four strikeouts. The righty was a strong asset for the Tigers in 2023, recording a 2.98 ERA and 56 strikeouts across 48.1 innings of relief. Vest should once again work in a high-leverage role in front of closer Alex Lange, and he's a candidate for save chances if Lange struggles, though Jason Foley and Shelby Miller would also likely be in the mix.

Bolton (ankle) struck out one over a perfect inning of relief Friday in the Mariners' 9-5 loss to the Cubs in Cactus League play.

Bolton's appearance was his third of the spring but his first since Feb. 29 after a bout with ankle discomfort prompted the Mariners to hold him out for a few days. The 25-year-old looks like he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season, but it's unclear if he has the inside track for a spot in Seattle's bullpen. He still has two minor-league options remaining and was hit hard in his first taste of the big leagues with Pittsburgh in 2023, logging a 6.33 ERA and 2.11 WHIP over 21.1 innings.

Neris, who tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, has a 2.25 ERA across four spring appearances.

Neris is expected to settle into a high-leverage role after joining the Cubs over the winter. The veteran righty was a key member of the Houston bullpen the last few seasons, and he posted a stellar 1.71 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 68.1 innings for the Astros last year. Neris will likely set up closer Adbert Alzolay to begin the regular season, though the former is an option for saves if Alzolay struggles.

Krehbiel (neck) gave up three earned runs on two hits and one walk while striking out one over an inning of relief in Friday's 9-5 loss to the Cubs in Cactus League play.

Krehbiel had been scheduled to make his third appearance of the spring Wednesday versus the Royals, but he was scratched from that outing two days later due to a neck strain. The veteran reliever was quickly able to move past the issue, but he was hit hard in his return to the mound Friday, with both of the hits he allowed leaving the yard. Krehbiel is attending camp as a non-roster invitee and looks like a long shot to win a spot in the Mariners' Opening Day bullpen.