MLB Player News
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Justin Topa RP | MIN
Twins' Justin Topa: Dealing with shoulder discomfort
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said that Topa was removed from Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles due to right shoulder tightness, Bobby Nightengale of The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Topa served up a home run and tossed just seven pitches before meeting with a trainer on the mound and then getting pulled from the contest. Baldelli said Topa's shoulder will be further evaluated Thursday, and while the skipper is hopeful that the right-hander isn't dealing with anything overly serious, it could affect his availability for Opening Day. The 33-year-old has had rotten luck on the injury front during his career, having missed most of the 2024 season due to torn patella tendon in his right knee and having previously required a flexor tendon surgery and two Tommy John surgeries for his elbow.
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Michael King SP | SD
Padres' Michael King: Throws two frames in spring debut
King tossed two scoreless and hitless innings in Wednesday's Cactus League contest against Colorado, allowing two walks while striking out three batters.
King didn't have great control in the outing -- only 17 of his 35 pitches were strikes -- but he didn't allow any hits and got six whiffs on the 11 swings against him. The right-hander is coming off a breakout 2024 campaign (his first with the Padres and as a full-time starter) during which he posted a 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 201:63 K:BB over 173.2 regular-season innings. King and Dylan Cease are expected to work as San Diego's top hurlers in 2025.
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Alec Marsh RP | KC
Royals' Alec Marsh: Throws bullpen session
Marsh (shoulder) recently threw a bullpen session and said he felt great, the Kansas City Star reports.
Marsh first experienced tightness in his right shoulder during his offseason throwing program and has been eased into spring training action. He's thrown several bullpen sessions in the past week, but it's not clear when he'll appear in a spring training game. Marsh made 25 regular-season starts for the Royals last season, producing a 9-9 record with a 4.53 ERA and 123:39 K:BB ratio over 129 innings.
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Andres Munoz RP | SEA
Mariners' Andres Munoz: Bounces back in second spring game
Munoz hurled a scoreless inning in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Royals, giving up one hit while striking out two.
Munoz appeared to be sharper Wednesday, considering he surrendered one run on two hits during his first appearance earlier this spring. The hard-throwing right-hander was a first-time All-Star in 2024 while operating as Seattle's primary closer, and the Mariners solidified his status this past offseason by letting Yimi Garcia go and not making any noteworthy additions to the bullpen. Munoz has dominant stuff, as evidenced by his 33.2 percent strikeout rate a year ago, but he may need to improve a bit on his 11.2 percent walk rate to avoid having his job security threatened atop the bullpen pecking order.
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Matt Strahm RP | KC
Phillies' Matt Strahm: Roughed up in spring outing
Strahm recorded two outs in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, giving up four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one.
While Jordan Romano is the early favorite for saves after signing in December, the situation isn't fully settled given Philadelphia's propensity to mix-and-match the ninth inning. Strahm has now allowed six runs in 1.2 frames this spring, which isn't going to help his cause as a candidate for ninth-inning work as he looks to cement his status as Philadelphia's top left-handed bullpen option over Jose Alvarado. Strahm is still likely to begin the campaign as a high-leverage arm after boasting a 1.87 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 79:11 K:BB over 62.2 frames a year ago, and he could be worth a late-round flier given his strikeout upside, especially in leagues that count holds.
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Keegan Akin RP | BAL
Orioles' Keegan Akin: Solid start in Grapefruit League
Akin threw one scoreless inning in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against Minnesota, allowing one walk while striking out one and picking up a hold.
Akin has now made three appearances this spring, carrying a solid 3.00 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with four strikeouts over three frames. After sporting a 3.32 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with a 97:19 K:BB across 78.2 innings in 2024, the 29-year-old left-hander is set to begin the year out of Baltimore's bullpen and should work primarily as a middle reliever. Although he could receive the occasional save opportunity while the Orioles manage closer Felix Bautista's (elbow) workload to begin the season, Akin doesn't open 2025 with much fantasy appeal.
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Andrew Kittredge RP | BAL
Orioles' Andrew Kittredge: Undergoes MRI on knee
Kittredge underwent an MRI on his left knee Wednesday and will receive multiple opinions, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Kittredge developed soreness in the knee over the weekend and it has continued to linger. The veteran reliever has made one appearance this spring and should have time to prep for Opening Day if he receives good news on the knee, but until then his status is in question.
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DL Hall RP | MIL
Brewers' DL Hall: Goes on 60-day injured list
The Brewers placed Hall (lat) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Jose Quintana, whose signing was officially announced Wednesday. Hall entered Brewers camp with a left lat strain, and while he's expected to resume playing catch by the end of this week, it's going to be a slow build-up process for the left-hander. He won't be eligible to return until late May.
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Justin Topa RP | MIN
Twins' Justin Topa: Leaves with apparent injury
Topa was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League appearance against the Orioles with an apparent injury, Bobby Nightengale of The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Topa threw only seven pitches in the outing, and he surrendered a solo home run while showing diminished velocity. The reliever made just three appearances for the Twins in 2024 while dealing with knee and elbow problems. His status should be updated by the club in the near future.
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Kendall Graveman RP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Kendall Graveman: Hopes to throw bullpen this weekend
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that the hope is Gravemen (back) will be ready to throw a bullpen session this weekend, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Graveman had to undergo testing after developing some mid-back tightness, but imaging came back clean and he's on the mend. He would seem to be at least a week or so from his Cactus League debut, so Graveman could be cutting it close in regards to Opening Day.