MLB Player News

Neris told reporters after Tuesday's Grapefruit League appearance that he wasn't concerned about his dip in velocity, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Neris normally works in the mid-90s with his fastball -- typically sitting 94-96 mph -- but Tuesday the right-hander was only in the low-90s with his heater. It was his first appearance since returning from the World Baseball Classic, and it's possible the 33-year-old was working out some rust in the contest. Neris is expected to serve as a bridge option in the middle-innings to closer Ryan Pressly for the 2023 campaign.

Fujinami will start every sixth day this season for the Athletics, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

That's the schedule Fujinami is used to from his time in Japan and the A's want to keep it that way, at least for now. Some early-season off days will allow the club to go with five starters for a while, but eventually it will have to use a six-man rotation and/or a spot starter in order to incorporate the plan for Fujinami.

Rodriguez (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch live batting practice session Tuesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

It was the right-hander's first time facing hitters since August of 2021, as he wound up having right shoulder surgery that November and has faced a long rehab process. Rodriguez was one of the Angels' better young arms prior to the operation, but it remains to be seen how the 24-year-old's stuff will bounce back. He'll begin the season on the injured list and it's unclear when he might be game-ready.

Bass has posted a 7:1 K:BB through six Grapefruit League innings this spring.

The veteran right-hander split 2022 between the Marlins and Blue Jays and had a sub-2.00 ERA at each stop, wrapping up his campaign with a 1.54 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and career highs in wins (four) and holds (23). Bass figured to be one of the primary high-leverage options in the Toronto bullpen this season, and his spring performance suggests he's ready for Opening Day.

Cimber tossed a scoreless seventh inning in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

The groundball specialist hasn't seen much game action this spring, working 3.1 innings over four appearances, but Cimber looked ready for Opening Day on Monday and needed only 10 pitches (eight strikes) to retire the side. After recording career highs with four saves, 10 wins and 20 holds in 2022, the 32-year-old right-hander will serve in a high-leverage role once again with Toronto, but his lack of strikeouts limits his fantasy ceiling in some formats.

Pop has minor-league options remaining and is expected to begin the season with Triple-A Buffalo, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old right-hander is a big-league quality arm and posted a 2.77 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 39 innings last season between the Marlins and Blue Jays, but he'll be a victim of the numbers game coming out of camp. Look for Pop to be one of the first pitchers promoted when injuries or heavy usage necessitate reinforcements for the Toronto bullpen.

The Astros optioned Gage to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The southpaw pitched well this spring, allowing just one run with a 6:1 K:BB over six innings, but he nonetheless finds himself on the outside looking in for a roster spot. With Gage headed to the minors, that means the Astros will open the regular season with no left-handers in their bullpen.

White (neck) threw one inning in a spring game for Double-A Frisco on Sunday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

This was White's first outing since late February, when he was shut down with neck tightness. It was similar to the injury he suffered last season, which was initially thought of as a forearm injury but turned out to be nerve inflammation in the neck that traveled down his arm. The Rangers expect White to be ready for the start of the minor-league season.

Rodriguez has been able to rotate and stretch in the days since suffering a Grade 2 right oblique strain, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The pitcher isn't sure about a timetable for his return but is encouraged by his progress so far. A Grade 2 oblique strain usually costs players at least 3-4 weeks of action, so Rodriguez could still miss a large chunk of April, if not more.

Moll owns a 5.68 ERA and 2.05 WHIP across 6.1 innings in five Cactus League appearances.

The southpaw has allowed four earned runs on nine hits, four walks and a hit batsman in that sample, underscoring the fact his location isn't yet near regular-season readiness. Moll has found a way around his control issues during his first two seasons with the Athletics, however, as he's garnered 16 holds while posting a 3.02 ERA in 53.2 innings over that span despite also issuing 27 walks.