MLB Player News

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.

Lovelady was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Lovelady had an excellent spring, pitching eight innings without allowing an earned run or a walk while striking out 10. Despite the strong showing, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports the Royals want Lovelady to work on building up arm strength after missing most of 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. If the southpaw can continue his strong pitching into the minor-league regular season, it shouldn't be long before he's an option for the major-league roster.

Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Taylor, Josh Staumont and Richard Lovelady all fell short of making the Royals' Opening Day bullpen. After dealing with a back injury for all of 2022, Taylor will be focused on building up arm strength with Omaha to start the year, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Staumont was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Staumont is a surprising omission from the Opening Day roster. He pitched to a 1.13 ERA and 10:5 K:BB across eight innings during Cactus League play, though the walk issues are a carryover from 2022. Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports manager Matt Quatraro told Staumont that he needs to work on getting ahead in counts. It's expected he'll be with the big club again at some point in the season, though the Royals boast bullpen depth that has been lacking in recent years.

Patino was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Patino was in the mix for the Rays' fifth starter spot, but his 11.17 ERA and 1.86 WHIP this spring will cause him to open the year in the minors. Patino has struggled to a 5.10 ERA in 114.2 career major-league innings, including an awful 8.10 ERA in six starts last season, but he's still just 23 years old. A strong month in the minors could easily see him return to the majors for the bulk of the year, but for now, it will be Yonny Chirinos or Josh Fleming who opens the year as the Rays' fifth starter.

Patino was knocked around for seven runs in 2.2 innings in his final spring start Friday against the Mets, raising his Grapefruit League ERA to 11.17.

Patino is fighting with Yonny Chirinos and Josh Fleming for the Rays' fifth starter job, and he hasn't made a very strong case. In addition to his inflated ERA, he also owns a poor 1.86 WHIP and has walked seven batters and hit three more in 9.2 innings. Chrinos hasn't pitched well either, recording an 8.59 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 7.1 frames, while Fleming's 4.91 ERA in 14.2 innings is better but still unimpressive. The Rays could wind up getting creative every fifth day until Tyler Glasnow (oblique) returns, something the organization has plenty of experience doing.

Barlow was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Barlow has recorded double-digit saves in both of his MLB campaigns to date and owns a career 2.81 ERA, so the decision comes as something of a surprise. His ERA estimators, including a 4.73 xFIP and a 4.21 SIERA, tell a much different story about his performance, but he's cruised to a 2.16 ERA this spring while striking out 13 batters in 8.1 innings. Per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, Barlow's decreased velocity this spring is a main reason for the demotion, with the Rangers hoping some mechanical tweaks in the minors will sort things out.

Ort has allowed eight runs on 13 hits and seven walks while striking out seven over 8.1 spring innings.

The Red Sox have stuck by Ort, keeping him on the 40-man roster over winter while jettisoning other pieces. The hard-throwing right-hander could be in jeopardy of being designated for assignment, which would open up a spot for Raimel Tapia or Jorge Alfaro, two non-roster invitees that have raked this spring and have opt-outs.

Jansen (lightheadedness) said he expects to pitch in Sunday's Grapefruit League game, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

He left Friday's exhibition game with a trainer after feeling lightheaded, but Jansen reported improvement Saturday and said he does not believe the issue is related to his heart condition (atrial fibrillation). The longtime closer suggested it may have just been dehydration, per Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican. So long as Jansen returns Sunday or early next week, he should be in the clear for Opening Day.