MLB Player News

Yarbrough will serve as a bulk reliever in Friday's series opener against the Angels in Anaheim, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Taylor Clarke is slated to open for the Royals and work an inning or two before giving way to Yarbrough, who has plenty of experience working as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen dating back to his time with the Rays. Yarbrough has been used as a traditional reliever up to this point during his first season in Kansas City, allowing nine runs with a 4:3 K:BB over nine innings. With Kris Bubic (elbow) recently landing on the injured list, Yarbrough could be in store for several appearances as a bulk reliever.

Clarke will serve as the Royals' opening pitcher for Friday's road game against the Angels, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Clarke will likely work an inning or two before giving way to Ryan Yarbrough, who is expected to work the bulk of the innings in relief while the Royals look to replace the injured Kris Bubic (elbow) in the rotation. It's the first opener assignment for Clarke, who holds a 6.75 ERA but a 12:3 K:BB over eight innings out of the bullpen this season.

Headrick picked up the save Wednesday against Boston. He allowed one run on one hit and two walks while striking out three over three innings.

Headrick had a smooth debut after being called up from Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday. The former ninth-round draft pick will look to establish himself as a long reliever to start his major-league career, though he's not guaranteed to stick in the majors for long.

Clase gave up two hits in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his sixth save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Tigers. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

The right-hander pounded the zone, throwing 19 of 22 pitches for strikes. Detroit hitters were able to eke out a couple singles and it took a sliding catch by Will Brennan on a Tyler Nevin bloop to right field to avoid disaster for the Guardians. Clase sports a 2.70 ERA through 10 innings and has gone 6-for-7 on save opportunities, but his 8:4 K:BB isn't yet up to the level he displayed the last two years while racking up 66 saves in 75 chances.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Tate (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment next week, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Tate was diagnosed with a flexor strain prior to spring training but has been throwing off a mound for a while now. Assuming everything goes well during his upcoming rehab assignment, he should be ready to return around the beginning of May.

Quijada earned a save against the Yankees on Tuesday, striking out two batters in a scoreless inning.

Quijada got the call with the Angels up 5-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. The southpaw faced two right-handers in Kyle Higashioka and Anthony Volpe along with switch hitter Aaron Hicks, retiring the trio in order on just 10 pitches. Quijada leads Los Angeles with three saves on the campaign, while Carlos Estevez has two. It bears mentioning that Estevez had pitched twice in the previous three days prior to Tuesday, which may have been a factor in holding him out. Still, Quijada has had a great start to the campaign with seven scoreless innings during which he's posted a 6:1 BB:K, and he appears to be more of a co-closer than a second option.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Kelly is scheduled to undergo surgery to reattach the ulnar nerve in his right elbow, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Kelly, who previously underwent an internal bracing procedure on the elbow in 2020, will avoid Tommy John surgery, but the right-hander still appears to be headed for an extended absence. A timetable for Kelly's return isn't clear yet, as Cora merely said Wednesday that the 28-year-old is out "for a while." The 28-year-old was transferred to the 60-day injured list over the weekend.

Munoz (shoulder) threw off the mound Tuesday at around 80 percent effort in advance of a rehab assignment, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Even while operating at less than full strength, Munoz was still able to hit 98 mph with his heater. The hope is that the right-hander can get in one or two rehab games before being activated off the injured list. Once back with the Mariners, Munoz should operate in high-leverage situations while seeing plenty of save chances for the rest of 2023.

Baltimore optioned Gillaspie to Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Gillaspie was moved off the 26-man active roster to clear a spot for Kyle Bradish (toe), who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday in Washington. In his eight appearances with the Orioles, Gillaspie posted a 7.20 ERA and 5:3 K:BB over five innings.

The Athletics placed May on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with anxiety-related issues, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

General manager David Forst confirmed in a statement that May's IL stay is related to his mental health. It's entirely unclear when May, who has a 12.00 ERA and 3.17 WHIP through eight appearances this season, will be back on the active roster. With May and Dany Jimenez (shoulder) both on the shelf, Zach Jackson looks like the best bet for saves out of the Oakland bullpen, though those opportunities are likely to be few and far between for the club, which takes a 3-15 record into Wednesday's game against the Cubs.