MLB Player News

White (shoulder) will throw around 50 pitches over three innings in a minor-league game Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

White has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring because of a right shoulder impingement. That could come after Wednesday's minor-league outing, although at this point White is no longer under serious consideration for the final spot in Toronto's rotation. If healthy, he figures to get a shot eventually.

Hall (back) is scheduled to appear in relief of starter Kyle Bradish in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The upcoming appearance will mark Hall's first of the spring after he had been building up slowly during camp while he's worked to move past discomfort in the lower right side of his back. He'll likely work only an inning or two Monday but is still expected to be stretched out as starter, even though he won't be a candidate to break camp as a member of the Opening Day rotation. The Orioles are likely to place Hall on the injured list in the coming days, but he'll still be able to continue his buildup program at the team's spring facility in Florida before eventually heading out on a rehab assignment once the minor-league season begins in early April.

The Tigers optioned Uceta to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

A waiver pickup from the Diamondbacks in January, Uceta was sent out to the minors after allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits and four walks over seven innings in Grapefruit League play during his first camp with the Tigers. The 25-year-old right-hander will probably need to show sharpened command and control at Triple-A for at least his first few appearances of the season before the Tigers entertain the idea of calling him up.

Smith is scheduled to pitch Monday after being out of camp for several days to attend the birth of his son, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Smith has thrown just two innings this spring and hasn't been on the mound in a week. He was acquired by the Rangers as insurance after projected closer Jose Leclerc was shut down briefly due to neck spasms. Leclerc is pitching again, meaning Smith is expected to be part of the setup crew.

Duran sustained a leg contusion after being struck by a line drive during a backfield game Sunday, and manager Rocco Baldelli said the right-hander was "moving pretty well," Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

There doesn't seem to be much concern regarding the incident, so it appears Duran escaped with only a minor injury. The 25-year-old may be held out for a couple days but should return to the mound relatively quickly. Duran had eight saves and 18 holds with a 1.86 ERA over 67.2 innings as a rookie last season, and he may not see consistent saves this year since Baldelli prioritizes late-inning matchups over the usage of a traditional closer.

Perez has allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks over five innings in five Grapefruit League appearances.

Perez was initially viewed as an option for saves, but with Felix Bautista recovered from his shoulder and knee issues, it looks like that won't be necessary to start the year. What holds true is Perez's status as the Orioles' top lefty reliever, with strong results in spring games coming off of last year's 1.40 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 55:21 K:BB over 57.2 innings. He had 24 holds a year ago, so he should have every opportunity to remain in a setup role to begin 2023.

Saucedo was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday.

Saucedo was claimed off waivers by the Mariners in January but won't crack the club's Opening Day roster. The 29-year-old made four big-league appearances for Toronto last season and spent most of the campaign at the Triple-A level, where he had a 2.37 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 28:10 K:BB across 19 innings.

Otto will undergo an MRI on his right lat muscle, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Otto told reporters Sunday morning that the muscle was still sore, and the Rangers won't take any risks. The 26-year-old right-hander was scratched from Saturday's start because of tightness in his lat. There should be an update on Otto's status after the results of the imaging are announced.

Alexander, who allowed three runs across one inning in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, has a 7.04 ERA this spring.

Alexander has been scored upon in only two of his five outings this spring, though he allowed three runs in each of those games, which has bloated his ERA. The lefty should still settle into a familiar swing role for the Tigers in 2023 after logging 101 innings last year. Alexander doesn't have a ton of fantasy value in relief, though he could be an occasional streamer if he makes some starts.

Brieske, who allowed two runs across two innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, has a 9.35 ERA this spring.

Brieske has allowed nine earned runs across 8.2 innings this spring, and home runs have been an issue, as he's allowed four of them so far. The righty had a decent 4.19 ERA across 15 starts for the Tigers as a rookie last year, though he's ticketed for a long-relief role this season. He'll be off the fantasy radar unless he picks up some starts down the road, and he'll need to pitch better than he has this spring to be effective.