Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Brieske didn't pitch in Thursday's game versus the Orioles as anticipated due to soreness in his side, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Hinch said that Brieske hurt himself during a pitchers' fielding practice drill. The skipper does not believe the injury is serious, but he did not offer a guess as to when Brieske might be available to pitch in games. The right-hander is projected for a middle-relief role in Detroit this season.

Kolek has been diagnosed with a left oblique strain and will be sidelined for at least the next 5-to-7 days, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

As Rogers notes, Kolek could be sidelined even longer if his Thursday scans reveal the injury is more severe. Kolek felt his side grab while warming up in the bullpen during Wednesday's Cactus League bout with the Mariners. Kolek is competing for a spot in Kansas City's rotation this spring after he was acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline last summer.

Ponce struck out two in a perfect inning during the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League game against the Tigers on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old right-hander fired 16 of 22 pitches for strikes in his spring debut, getting Parker Meadows to swing through a cutter before fooling top prospect Kevin McGonigle with the kick-change that helped him turn his career around overseas. Ponce won the KBO's MVP Award in 2025 with the Hanwha Eagles on the strength of a 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 252:41 K:BB over 180.2 innings, a performance that netted him a three-year, $30 million deal from Toronto this offseason. He's being counted on to fill a mid-rotation spot in his return to MLB, and the kick-change may give him more strikeout upside than projected against big-league hitters.

Twins head trainer Nick Paparesta said Thursday that Merryweather has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will likely need about 3-to-4 weeks to recover before being available in games, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

While Merryweather could resume full baseball activities in about two weeks, he doesn't look like he'll be on track to pitch again before the Twins' Grapefruit League slate comes to an end. With that in mind, the injury effectively ends Merryweather's bid for a berth in the Opening Day bullpen, as he had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee and likely needed a strong spring to clinch a spot. Expect Minnesota to reassign Merryweather to minor-league camp in the coming weeks.

Hader (biceps) played catch off the mound Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Hader was just tossing the ball and not throwing a bullpen session, so while it's a step in his rehab progression, it's a minor one. Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that Hader is not yet scheduled for a bullpen session. It appears unlikely at this point that Hader will have time to ramp up for Opening Day, and if that's the case, Bryan Abreu would be in line to fill in as Houston's closer.

Poche agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Wednesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Poche, 32, gave up 13 earned runs in just 9.1 major-league innings last season between the Nationals and Mets. He had signed a deal in January to spend the 2026 campaign in the Mexican League but will now pursue an opportunity to remain stateside. The southpaw owns a career 4.01 ERA in the majors and is just three seasons removed from putting up a 2.23 ERA with the Rays, so he could earn a spot in Detroit's bullpen at some point in 2026 if he returns to his previous form.

Kolek felt tightness in his left side while warming up in the bullpen during Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Kolek went into the clubhouse to have his left side evaluated by medical staff, and an update on his status should be made within the next couple days. The 28-year-old right-hander was acquired by the Royals from the Padres at the trade deadline in late July and is competing for a spot in Kansas City's rotation. Across five starts with the Royals in 2025, Kolek posted a 1-2 record with a 1.91 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB across 33 innings.

Barlow allowed two runs on three hits and no walks across one inning in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the Brewers. He did not record a strikeout.

Barlow entered in the fifth inning to make his Athletics debut after signing a one-year deal with the club Feb. 6, and he allowed some hard contact, including a pair of two-out doubles by Tyler Black and David Hamilton that each drove in a run. The veteran right-hander is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he posted a 4.21 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with a 9.9 K/9 and a career-worst 5.9 BB/9 across 68.1 innings with the Reds. His 59 career saves will keep him in the mix for closing duties, though middling results in recent seasons offer little security as Barlow competes with fellow veteran Mark Leiter and younger options Justin Sterner, Elvis Alvarado and several other arms.

Latz allowed two hits over two scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring start against Arizona.

Latz made his Cactus League debut and was all over the strike zone, landing 20 of his 26 pitches for strikes. The left-hander delivered first-pitch strikes to six of the eight batters he faced. He's competing with Kumar Rocker for the fifth spot in the rotation, but he could ultimately land in a hybrid role.

Helsley allowed one hit in a scoreless third inning during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

After signing a two-year, $28 million contract with the Orioles in November, Helsley pounded the zone for 10 strikes among his 12 pitches in his spring debut. The 31-year-old right-hander's fastball velocity topped out at 97.7 mph, and he'll likely be looking to increase that as spring training progresses. With Felix Bautista (shoulder) likely to miss 2026, Helsley is gearing up to function as Baltimore's closer to begin the season.