MLB Player News

Fujinami will start once a week on Saturday's to open the season, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Previous reports indicated that Fujinami would start every six days, meaning they could use a five-man rotation in weeks when they have an off day. The decision to lock Fujinami into a once-a-week role to ease his transition from Japan means the Athletics may be forced to turn to six starters on a regular basis, though the team has yet to clarify its full plans. Assuming he does indeed exclusively pitch on Saturday's, Fujinami's first three outings will be home against the Angels, away against the Rays and home against the Mets.

The Twins reassigned Hoffman to minor-league camp Saturday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Hoffman has an opt-out in his minor-league contract, and this could lead to him deciding to test free agency. The right-hander dealt with elbow troubles in the early part of camp, and he posted a 3.60 ERA over five innings in the Grapefruit League before the demotion.

The Twins reassigned De Leon to minor-league camp Saturday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

De Leon's highlight this spring was 5.2 perfect innings for Puerto Rico against Israel in the World Baseball Classic. The former top prospect will likely head to Triple-A St. Paul to be a part of that club's rotation, and there's very little likelihood of fantasy relevance in 2023.

Thornton was optioned to Triple-A by the Blue Jays on Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Thornton will begin the season in the minors after posting a 6.48 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 8.1 innings in the Grapefruit League. The right-hander was relatively effective with a 4.11 ERA over 32 appearances with Toronto in 2022, but he'll be an up-and-down option for the Blue Jays to begin -- and likely end -- the 2023 campaign.

Otto (lat) has been shut down for three weeks and may wind up on the 60-day injured list, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Otto went down with what was originally referred to as lat tightness in mid-March. His injury is evidently much more serious than that, as it's unlikely he's ready for game action until late May.

Hatch was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays on Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Hatch came up short in his bid to make the Opening Day roster. The right-hander struggled in Florida to the tune of a 9.35 ERA and 2.08 WHIP over 8.2 innings of work, and he'll head to Buffalo to begin his journey as an up-and-down option for Toronto in the 2023 campaign.

Pearson was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays on Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Pearson will begin the season in Triple-A after forging a 3.24 ERA over six Grapefruit League appearances with a 13:5 K:BB and 1.56 WHIP. The talented right-hander will head to Buffalo as a relief option, and if he pitches well in that role he could help the Toronto bullpen in the early part of the season.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Saturday that White is dealing with elbow inflammation, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

It was previously known that White was dealing some a shoulder impingement, but the reason for his absence as of late is elbow trouble. The right-hander is now a lock to start the year on the injured list, and he likely won't be ready to make his debut until the middle of April at the earliest.

Angels manager Phil Nevin said Saturday that the first opportunity to close a game this season will depend on "what the game dictates," Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Estevez appeared to be the frontrunner for closing duties early in camp, but Nevin has yet to commit to any reliever for that role. Estevez has struggled statistically this spring, though he struck out the side in a scoreless inning during his last appearance and has attributed his troubles in Cactus League play to experimenting with pitch usage. Nevin did say that Estevez "is definitely going to get some big outs late in the game most of the year," so the veteran reliever's poor numbers this spring don't seem to have shaken his manager's confidence. However, Nevin elected for a closer committee after the Angels traded Raisel Iglesias last season, thus it's not certain that he'll name a full-time closer at any point in 2023.

Richards has posted a 14:5 K:BB without allowing a home run over 7.1 innings this spring.

The right-hander's elite changeup looks as baffling as ever, but his lack of even an average fastball has led to some erratic numbers in the majors. Richards posted a 5.34 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 2022 despite a 29.2 percent strikeout rate, thanks in part to a career-worst 12.5 percent walk rate. He'll likely fill a lower-leverage role for Toronto this season.