MLB Player News

Otanez was diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement Sunday and has been shut down from throwing, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander hasn't officially been ruled out for Opening Day, but he's unlikely to be available since he suffered the injury so late in camp. Otanez is expected to fill a high-leverage role in front of closer Mason Miller once healthy. Jose Leclerc and Tyler Ferguson are likely to handle setup duties in the meantime.

Moncada's thumb injury is worse than initially expected and he could require time on the injured list to begin the season, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Moncada was scratched from the lineup Friday and may now be unavailable for Opening Day after being poised to start the campaign as the Halos' primary third baseman. The 29-year-old's return timeline should come into focus this week as he continues to be evaluated. Non-roster invitee Tim Anderson could fill the open spot in the lineup while playing second base, which would shift Luis Rengifo to the hot corner.

Lewis was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain after exiting Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The severity of the issue isn't yet known, but it's an ominous development for a player that has been significantly limited by injuries throughout his career. According to Helfand, Lewis will undergo medical imaging Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

Lewis left Sunday's spring training game against Boston in the second inning after suffering an apparent left leg injury running to first base.

Lewis was running out a grounder when he pulled up in apparent pain with what looked like a hamstring strain. Given Lewis' lengthy injury history, his availability for Opening Day is in serious jeopardy.

Bruihl agreed to a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Sunday, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.

Bruihl made seven appearances with the Pirates last season and surrendered six earned runs over 5.2 frames. He'll likely report to the Triple-A level to begin the campaign, where he had a 3.02 ERA and 47:20 K:BB across 41.2 innings last year.

Adams was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow Sunday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old is without an official return timeline but is likely to be sidelined for multiple weeks, if not months. Adams received a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte late last season and had a 4.95 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 10:9 K:BB across 20 innings.

The Rangers named Eovaldi as their starter against the Red Sox for Opening Day on March 27.

It'll be the fifth Opening Day start of Eovaldi's career and his second straight for Texas. The veteran right-hander is still getting on track in spring training with seven runs allowed over nine frames, but he's coming off a 2024 campaign that saw him finish with a 3.80 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 166:42 K:BB across 170.2 innings.

Cruz was optioned by the Royals to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

Cruz had a good showing during spring training, posting a 2.57 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across seven frames. The 25-year-old right-hander didn't allow a run in 5.2 big-league innings last season and could be among the first players called up when the Royals bullpen needs reinforcements.

The Royals optioned Bowlan to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

Bowlan gave up one earned run over his first six spring outings but struggled against the Reds on Saturday, allowing four runs on four hits and one walk over 1.2 innings. He appeared in 35 games (16 starts) with Omaha last season and posted a 12-4 record with a 4.67 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 98:34 K:BB across 104 innings.

Leiter (back) did not throw his scheduled bullpen session Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Leiter was scheduled to pitch against the Tigers on Thursday, but he was scratched due to a back injury. It's unclear whether his absence Sunday morning was due to aggravating the injury. Leiter was traded by the White Sox to the Yankees in late July, and across 21.2 regular-season innings with the Bronx Bombers he posted a 4.98 ERA and 1.71 WHIP.