MLB Player News

The Tigers optioned Owens to Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The 24-year-old made a strong impression during spring training with four strikeouts and no walks over 3.1 scoreless innings, but he'll still end up beginning the season in the minors. Owens could quickly be called up for his MLB debut if he's able to replicate the 2.96 ERA he posted at the Triple-A level in 2024.

The Twins optioned Adams to minor-league camp Sunday, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Adams was added to the 40-man roster in November but wasn't a serious candidate to join the Twins for Opening Day. The 25-year-old righty will most likely open the 2025 season as a member of the Triple-A St. Paul rotation. Adams logged a 3.90 ERA and 118:35 K:BB in 127 innings between stops with St. Paul and Double-A Wichita in 2024.

The Twins optioned Raya to minor-league camp Sunday, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Raya had been slowed early in spring training after suffering a quadricep strain, but he was cleared to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday against the Red Sox. The 22-year-old right-hander was exceptionally wild in that outing, however, as he failed to record an out and was charged with five earned runs after hitting three batters and walking two others. He's expected to open the season in the rotation at Triple-A St. Paul.

Scherzer gave up one hit over 3.1 scoreless innings and struck out six during Saturday's split-squad game against the Tigers.

Mad Max has been absolutely dominant in camp so far, posting a 14:0 K:BB over nine innings. The 40-year-old right-hander is coming off an injury-plagued 2024 campaign with the Rangers and can't be counted on as a 200-inning workhorse any more, but Scherzer seems determined to prove he can still carve through a lineup when he is on the mound. He may have some personal milestones in his sights as well in 2025 -- Scherzer needs 93 more strikeouts for 3,500 in his career, and 103 would put him past the legendary Walter Johnson on MLB's all-time list.

Sears gave up one run over three innings with four strikeouts in Saturday's Cactus League win over Arizona. He has a 3.38 ERA with a 8:4 K:BB in eight innings this spring.

Sears looks to be in regular-season form as Opening Day approaches. He's locked in as the No. 3 starter for the A's after leading the team in innings and wins last season. While Sears isn't dominant (18.1 percent strikeout rate last season), he does features good control (6.5 percent walk rate).

The Rangers reassigned Plassmeyer to minor-league camp Sunday.

Plassmeyer made three appearances at the big-league level with the Phillies between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but he pitched exclusively at the Triple-A level in the Pirates organization in 2024, logging a 7.75 ERA and 1.54 WHIP while striking out 83 batters over 67.1 innings. He caught on with Texas in December on a minor-league deal and received an invitation to big-league spring training, but he didn't perform well enough in camp to earn a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. He'll likely head to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the upcoming season.

Perez allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in his Cactus League start Wednesday against the Brewers.

Perez is viewed as a veteran leader in an otherwise relatively inexperienced White Sox rotation. Davis Martin is expected to draw the Opening Day start, but Perez is also in consideration. Even after his shaky outing Wednesday, the southpaw stated he was happy with his stuff and was specifically working on getting the feel for his curveball, per Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Rangers optioned Santos to Double-A Frisco on Sunday.

Texas protected Santos from the Rule 5 Draft over the winter by adding him to the 40-man roster, but the 22-year-old righty is still in need of some further seasoning in the upper levels of the minors before making his MLB debut. He'll return to Frisco to open the 2025 campaign after he turned in a 4.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 57:14 K:BB over 46 innings last year.

The Rangers optioned Winn to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Winn was one of three candidates for the Opening Day bullpen sent back to the minors Sunday, with lefties Jacob Latz and Walter Pennington also getting optioned to Round Rock. The 25-year-old Winn reached the majors for the first time in 2024, making 13 appearances while posting a 7.79 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 17.1 innings.

Astros manager Joe Espada said that McCullers (forearm) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The upcoming live BP session represents the final hurdle McCullers will need to clear before taking the mound for what would be his first game action since the 2022 World Series. Now 31 years old and no longer an intriguing prospect, the right-hander missed the last two seasons while recovering from June 2023 surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right forearm. He had been expected to return to action at some point in 2024, but those plans were tabled after he suffered a setback in his throwing program last summer. McCullers resumed throwing off a mound over the winter and seems to have steered clear of any setbacks since then, leaving the Astros optimistic he'll be able to contribute this season. While he remains on track to open the season on the injured list, the fact that he's on the cusp of pitching in spring games suggests that his lengthy stint on the shelf could finally end early in 2025.