MLB Player News

Garcia struck out two over one scoreless and hitless inning in Monday's spring game against the White Sox.

Garcia pitched for the first time since returning from the World Baseball Classic. The left-hander made quick work of the White Sox in the sixth inning, retiring the side on 13 pitches (nine strikes). Garcia remains in the mix to close games for the Rangers along with Chris Martin.

Walters (lat) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Walters, who is working his way back from lat surgery last year, has been throwing bullpen sessions and from 120-150 feet off flat ground. He'll miss the start of the regular season, with a potential return during the month of May.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Monday that Valera (calf) is feeling better but will not play for a few more days, MLB.com reports.

Valera has what the manager termed is a "mild" calf strain. He's resumed hitting and throwing but is not yet running.

Williams allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven over 4.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Cubs.

Williams' fourth Cactus League start was a departure from his first three, but the seven strikeouts and 85 pitches thrown are positive takeaways. He settled down after a rocky two innings, retiring seven of eight batters before tiring in his final frame. While nothing has been made official, Williams' five-day schedule lines him up to start Opening Day on the road in Seattle.

Gaddis (forearm) will throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Gaddis has thrown two bullpen sessions and is now ready for the next step. The right-hander experienced tightness in his forearm earlier in camp and is working his way back to eventually serve as a high-leverage reliever and setup man for closer Cade Smith.

Farris is one of several pitchers who may be contending for a spot in the Angels' Opening Day rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The top three spots in the Angels' rotation are set, but there is less certainty at the back end given that both Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah have struggled this spring. Rodriguez seems to be trending toward opening the campaign as part of the starting staff, but there would still be least one open spot if Manoah doesn't get the bid. Jack Kochanowicz has looked good this spring and may have the inside edge in such a scenario, but Farris is in contention as well. The lefty probably hurt his chances when he was blown up in his last spring outing, giving up seven runs on eight hits over 3.2 innings against the Padres last Tuesday, but Bollinger suggests that Farris isn't out of the running.

Johnson is in the conversation for a starting spot in the Angels' rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

With Alek Manoah and (to a lesser extent) Grayson Rodriguez struggling this spring, there is some uncertainty at the back end of the Angels' rotation. Should Manoah and/or Rodriguez not be part of the Opening Day starting staff, Johnson is one of several pitchers (including Jack Kochanowicz, George Klassen and Mitch Farris) who could be considered for a rotation role. Johnson got a look in the majors last season and struggled with a 7.36 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB over 14.2 innings across 14 relief appearances, and he ended the campaign in High-A ball. However, he's one of the organization's top prospects and has pitched pretty well this spring, posting a 4.63 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB over 11.2 frames. Johnson is still probably a longshot to break camp with the big club, but it's worth noting that he's still in big-league camp with Opening Day just 10 days away.

Peraza is in contention for starts at second base early in the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Christian Moore and Kyren Paris were optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, and the Angels have yet to decide who will be their primary option at second base. Left-handed-batting Adam Frazier may have the upper hand, but manager Kurt Suzuki emphasized Monday that the team hasn't yet settled on a starter, saying the competition "might come down to the wire." Suzuki also stated that the Angels may opt to go with a modified platoon based on matchups, and Peraza could very well be part of that mix along with Frazier and Vaughn Grissom (hand). Peraza is out of minor-league options and has had a great spring, slashing .341/.386/.634 with two homers, six doubles, eight RBI and five stolen bases.

Neto (wrist) is now expected to return to game action with the Angels on Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Neto seems to be doing fine after spraining his left wrist while sliding into home plate Saturday against Seattle. The star shortstop took batting practice on the field Monday, and manager Kurt Suzuki said he was impressed with Neto's session. The team initially considered having Neto play in a minor-league game Tuesday but changed course because that contest is an A-ball matchup, which could increase the risk of Neto getting hit by a pitcher with poor command. Instead, Neto is slated to take part in a Cactus League game Wednesday. At this point, it looks like he'll be fine for Opening Day.

Romano is one of several Angels relievers who could factor into the closer mix during the early part of the regular season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Robert Stephenson (shoulder) had at one point been considered a favorite for save opportunities, but he recently had a setback and is likely to open the campaign on the injured list. Ben Joyce (shoulder) probably has the most closer-like stuff of anyone in the team's bullpen, but he's also expected to begin on the IL. That leaves a trio of veteran relievers -- Romano, Kirby Yates and Drew Pomeranz -- in the running for early save opportunities. Yates may be the slight favorite for the closer role, but manager Kurt Suzuki said Monday that the team hasn't yet made a decision in that regard and also indicated that the Angels may "just use the three high-leverage guys and mix and match." Romano has 133 career regular-season saves and has looked good this spring with four scoreless innings and a 3:0 K:BB over four outings, but he is coming off a disastrous 2025 campaign during which he posted an 8.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 42.2 innings spanning 49 regular-season appearances with Philadelphia. The right-hander's velocity has also been down about 1.5 mph this spring, and he's stated that he'd like to work his way back up to his usual velocity before the start of the campaign.