MLB Player News

Thompson could see high-leverage work for the Nationals this season, potentially even in the ninth inning with manager Dave Martinez suggesting he'll use Kyle Finnegan as a fireman and not a traditional closer, Bobby Blanco of MASN reports.

Finnegan still seems likely to see the majority of save chances for the Nationals this season, but there could be saves up for grabs if the right-hander gets the call earlier in games in tight situations. Thompson would be just one of many candidates who could benefit, with Hunter Harvey, Alex Colome, Sean Doolittle (elbow) and Carl Edwards also in the mix depending on matchups and performance. Thompson hasn't hurt his chances this spring, posting a 3:0 K:BB through 3.1 innings, but he'll need to up his strikeout rate to become a key member of the Nats bullpen after managing just a 15:9 K:BB through 24.2 big-league innings in 2022.

Finnegan was told early in the spring by manager Dave Martinez that he could be used in more of a fireman role rather than being limited to the ninth inning, Bobby Blanco of MASN reports.

"I talked to [Finnegan] already and I told him, 'Hey, look, there's gonna be days where you close. There's gonna be days where I feel like the eighth inning is where we need you the most,'" Martinez said in early March. "His response was, 'Hey, whenever you need me, I'll be ready.' I love that about him." Finnegan has collected 11 saves in each of the last two seasons and remains the most likely Washington reliever to crack double digits in 2023, but other options like Alex Colome, Hunter Harvey, Carl Edwards, Sean Doolittle (elbow) and Mason Thompson could also find themselves in the closer mix depending on matchups and performance.

Waites (lat) will throw live batting practice Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Waites has already been ruled out for Opening Day because of a strained right lat, but he's progressing and might not miss too much time. The right-hander is expected to appear in some Cactus League games before spring training concludes.

Yarbrough (groin) is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Though Yarbrough hasn't appeared in a Cactus League game since Feb. 27 while managing what the team has labeled as a minor groin strain, he'll be able to build up his pitch count Wednesday on the back fields at Royals camp. Assuming his groin checks out fine Wednesday, Yarbrough should have one or two more chances to pitch this spring as he looks to stake his claim to a spot in the Royals' Opening Day rotation. It's unclear if Kansas City has plans to deploy Yarbrough as as a traditional starter or as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen, with the latter role being one he became accustomed to over his past five seasons with Tampa Bay.

Chafin (groin) struck out a batter and allowed a hit over a scoreless inning of relief Tuesday in the Diamondbacks' 7-6 loss to the Giants in Cactus League play.

Chafin experienced some groin tightness late last week, but he required only a few days off to overcome the issue before he re-entered the Diamondbacks' spring pitching schedule. Assuming the groin injury doesn't crop up again, Chafin will head into Opening Day in position for a high-leverage role out of the Arizona bullpen, with the southpaw potentially factoring into the mix for save chances when the Diamondbacks face lefty-heavy lineups in the late innings. Before signing with the Diamondbacks in free agency this winter, Chafin was a major bright spot for a 96-loss Tigers squad in 2022, logging a 2.83 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 67:19 K:BB across 57.1 innings.

The Rangers optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday.

Rodriguez, who made one appearance out of the Texas bullpen in 2022 in what was his MLB debut, fell short in his bid for a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster after he was tagged for five runs (four earned) on five hits and one walk across three innings in Cactus League play.

Clarke (lower body) made his Cactus League debut in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Guardians, giving up one run on two hits over an inning of relief.

The appearance was Clarke's first of the spring, after he had previously suffered a lower-body injury early in camp that caused the Royals to slow down his throwing progression. Since Clarke was deployed mostly as a one-inning reliever in 2022, he'll likely require just a few more spring appearances to get fully ramped up for Opening Day. Expect the 29-year-old to handle a middle-innings role for Kansas City.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Melancon has not pitched since last Friday because he's "battling some fatigue," Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic reports.

The manager stressed that Melancon is fine, but that he's "backing off" certain players when the need arises. Melancon's had a rough spring and should not be considered the Diamondbacks' sole closer.

Faucher (oblique) struck out the side during his inning of relief in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Twins in Grapefruit League play.

Faucher's spring debut was delayed over three weeks after he reported to camp with the oblique injury, but he proved to be worth the wait Tuesday. He displayed a mid-90s fastball and sharp mid-80s slider during the appearance, pumping in 10 of his 13 pitches for strikes and retiring two of the three hitters he faced with swings and misses. Though he wasn't overly impressive in his first season in the majors in 2022, Faucher nonetheless has a chance to break camp with Tampa Bay in a low-leverage relief role.

Munoz (foot) is expected to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Padres, per the the team's official site.

The flame-throwing right-hander has thrown three successful live batting practice sessions, the most recent unfolding Monday. Munoz underwent foot surgery Oct. 27, but he feels he is starting to approach full health. "I feel pretty good. It's the first time that I faced hitters in a lot of time, so I don't feel as comfortable as I'm supposed to at this point," Munoz said March 10. "But I am getting there. I am getting the feeling of the ball again and working on my pitches."