MLB Player News

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that "there is no pecking order" between Leclerc and the other members of the team's bullpen, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Bochy did indicate, however, that he hopes a closer will emerge during spring training and "we will have a guy who will get closing opportunities" come Opening Day. Leclerc rebounded from a sluggish start last season to finish with a 2.68 ERA and 67:28 K:BB over 57 innings. He notched four saves during the Rangers' postseason run and was unscored upon in three World Series appearances. The other prime candidate beyond Leclerc is David Robertson, whose 2023 season was basically the opposite of Leclerc's in that he started strong with the Mets (2.05 ERA, 14 saves) before struggling with the Marlins (5.06 ERA, four saves). Robertson has by far the most closing experience in the bullpen with 175 career saves, but he'll also turn 39 in April. Josh Sborz and Kirby Yates could also potentially be in the mix.

Ort was designated for assignment by the Phillies on Monday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Philadelphia needed to clear a spot on its 40-man roster as its contract with Whit Merrifield became official. Ort was claimed off waivers just last week and now could be on the move again. He held an ugly 6.26 ERA over 23 innings in 2023.

Hendriks (elbow) signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Red Sox on Monday, Jen McCaffery and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report. The deal includes a mutual option for 2026.

Hendriks is recovering from Tommy John surgery which he had last August. He is hoping to return around midseason, although that timeline seems a tad optimistic. This is mostly a play for 2025, with the Red Sox hoping Hendriks can rediscover the form that made him a three-time All-Star. Hendriks turned 35 earlier this month.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Ginkel (elbow) played catch Sunday with no issues, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

An elbow injury apparently cropped up in early February, but the right-hander's relatively quick return to throwing is an encouraging development. It'll probably be a little while before Ginkel is cleared for game action, but at this point Lovullo expects his setup man to be ready by Opening Day.

Warren (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The move to the long-term IL was an eventuality, as Warren underwent Tommy John surgery last May and isn't expected to be available until midseason. The right-hander joined the Giants on a one-year deal last week and has a 3.55 ERA in 32 big-league appearances over his career.

Hjelle is expected to function as a long reliever in 2024, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Hjelle came up through the minors as a starter, but all 23 of his major-league appearances so far have come out of the bullpen. The right-hander is not stretching out as a starter this spring, which signals he'll be a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. That role comes with little fantasy interest, especially since it doesn't seem like manager Bob Melvin will deploy an opener as often as his predecessor, Gabe Kapler.

Krook was acquired by the Orioles from the Yankees on Sunday in exchange for cash considerations.

The left-hander was designated for assignment by New York on Tuesday, and Baltimore opted to trade for him rather than risk another team claiming him through waivers. Krook allowed 11 earned runs in four big-league appearances last season but had a 1.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 55:26 K:BB across 34 innings at Triple-A.

Quijada (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last May and is poised to be sidelined for the first half of 2024, so his move to the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise. Quijada had a 3.98 ERA with three saves and 12 holds for the Angels in 2022 and could see some high-leverage chances once healthy.

Brentz (lat) threw a live BP session Saturday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Brentz missed most of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery, and a lat injury during his rehab cost him the rest of 2023 after just three minor-league appearances. It's a long layoff, and the southpaw will likely have to settle for a low-leverage role if he makes the Royals' bullpen out of spring training. The team has focused on making improvements to the bullpen, both by promoting prospects and acquiring players to shore up a weakness the team has dealt with for multiple seasons. Brentz's lone full MLB season in 2021 saw him post a 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 76:37 K:BB with two saves and 15 holds, but high-leverage assignments will be difficult to land in 2024.

Matzek (elbow) feels healthy to begin the spring and is aiming to be ready for Opening Day, but an IL stint to begin the season hasn't been ruled out, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta has the bullpen depth to take things slowly with Matzek as he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery, so he might end up needing a brief IL stint to allow him to finish ramping up. The 33-year-old southpaw didn't pitch at all in 2023, and his numbers declined in 2022 prior to undergoing surgery that October, but the team is hoping Matzek can return to the form that saw him post a 2.64 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 120:47 K:BB over 92 innings in 2020-21.