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Abner Uribe RP | MIL
Brewers' Abner Uribe: Optioned to Double-A
Uribe was optioned Monday to Double-A Biloxi, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Uribe reached Double-A for two appearances in 2022, and it looks like the right-hander will return to Biloxi to open this season. The right-hander was limited to just those two games because of a torn meniscus in his right knee, but he shows a fastball that can touch triple digits and a swing-and-miss slider, and he could make his MLB debut sometime this summer.
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Penn Murfee RP | CHW
Mariners' Penn Murfee: Dominant start to spring
Murfee has fired five hitless innings over his first five Cactus League appearances, allowing a walk and hitting a batter while recording five strikeouts.
Murfee is believed to have the inside track for a top setup role in 2023, although the likes of Andres Munoz and Diego Castillo could certainly also see their fair share of eighth-inning work when not serving as closers alongside Paul Sewald. The 28-year-old Murfee was highly impressive as a rookie in 2022, recording a 4-0 record, 2.99 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 9.9 K/9 and seven holds across 69.1 innings.
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Matt Brash RP | SEA
Mariners' Matt Brash: Rocky spring thus far
Brash has allowed five earned runs on four hits and four walks while recording two strikeouts across 1.1 innings in two Cactus League appearances this spring.
The right-hander is looking to carve out a relief role during spring training but has seen his usual control issues rear their head over a small sample. Brash worked out of the bullpen from July 9 onward last season upon being called up from Triple-A Tacoma and acquitted himself well, posting a 3-1 record, 2.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, nine holds and a 12.6 K/9 across 30.2 innings, albeit while also generating a bloated 4.7 BB/9.
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Bryce Montes de Oca RP | WAS
Mets' Bryce Montes de Oca: Has stress reaction in elbow
Montes de Oca was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right elbow Monday, Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports reports.
There is no ligament damage in the elbow, which is good news. Montes de Oca will be shut down for about a week before being re-evaluated. It looks to be a positive diagnosis, all things considered, but one which could still lead to a stint on the injured list. Montes de Oca has lit up radar guns this spring and could push for a late-inning bullpen role with the Mets at some point, but he has to get healthy first.
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Hagen Danner RP | CIN
Blue Jays' Hagen Danner: Optioned to minor-league camp
Danner (forearm) was optioned to minor-league camp by the Blue Jays on Monday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Danner was a longshot to make the roster anyway, but the inflammation in his right forearm made it all but a guarantee that he'd open the year in the minors. The 2017 second-round pick could be a bullpen option for the Jays at some point over the summer once healthy.
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Colby White RP | NYY
Rays' Colby White: Sent to minor-league camp
White (elbow) was optioned to minor-league camp by the Rays on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
White is recovering from Tommy John surgery last April, and the right-hander is hoping to contribute sometime over the summer. Because he won't be ready until at least June, there's a chance that White could be moved to the 60-day injured list if Tampa Bay needs room on the 40-man roster.
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Brennan Bernardino RP | COL
Mariners' Brennan Bernardino: Heads to minors
The Mariners optioned Bernardino to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday.
Bernardino made his big-league debut as a 30-year-old reliever in 2022, making two appearances out of Seattle's bullpen. The lefty impressed enough in his limited time with the Mariners and over a larger body of work at Tacoma to remain on the 40-man roster through the offseason, but the fact he has two minor-league options remaining likely worked against him in his bid for a spot in Seattle's Opening Day bullpen.
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Brandon Walter RP | HOU
Red Sox's Brandon Walter: Sent to minor-league camp
The Red sox optioned Walter to Triple-A Worcester on Monday.
Walter pitched well in a pair of appearances in the Grapefruit League with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts against no walks, but he wasn't ever likely to start the season in Boston. The left-hander is one of the better pitching prospects in the Red Sox system, and in 2022 he posted a 3.59 ERA over 11 starts with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester across 57.2 innings. There's a good chance Walter makes appearances of some sort for Boston before the 2023 season comes to a end.
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Drew Rom RP | ATH
Orioles' Drew Rom: Sent to minors
The Orioles optioned Rom to minor-league camp Monday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Rom, whom Baltimore added to the 40-man roster over the offseason, appears set to open the 2023 campaign in the Triple-A Norfolk rotation. He made the jump from Double-A Bowie to Norfolk in mid-August of last year, but he turned in shaky results in his first taste of Triple-A, delivering a 5.58 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 36:16 K:BB in 30.2 innings over his first six starts with the affiliate.
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Sam Long RP | KC
Giants' Sam Long: Falls short in roster bid
The Giants optioned Long to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Long's demotion comes as little surprise after he was blitzed for seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits and three walks while striking out seven over 5.2 innings across his four appearances in the Cactus League. The southpaw was previously one of the Giants' more interesting pitching prospects when he joined the organization in 2020, but he's struggled to stake a claim to a regular role in the big leagues the past two seasons. It's unclear if the Giants intend to have him continue his development as a starter at Sacramento or make a full-time move to the bullpen.