MLB Player News

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.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora believes that Rodriguez (torso) will likely begin the season on the injured list, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Cora said that Rodriguez will undergo imaging in the coming days, but that it's highly likely the left-hander will start the year on the shelf. The southpaw left Saturday's Grapefruit League game with right torso pain, and multiple reporters noted that he appeared to be in considerable pain. With Rodriguez out, Cora mentioned Ryan Sherriff and Oddanier Mosqueda as possibilities to open the season with Boston as southpaw bullpen options.

Bautista will pitch Monday against the Phillies in a Grapefruit League game, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Bautista will follow starter Kyle Bradish at some point in the contest. The right-hander got off to a late start in spring action because of shoulder and knee troubles, but he showed off his impressive fastball in his spring debut earlier in the week and looks ready to roll for the start of the season.

Megill was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Megill made 39 appearances out of the bullpen for Minnesota last season and had a 4.80 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 49:17 K:BB across 45 innings, but he won't make the Opening Day roster after he allowed eight earned runs in 6.2 frames this spring. The 29-year-old should join the big-league club at some point this season but is likely to be limited to low-leverage work.

Munoz (foot) pitched in a B game against the Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex's back fields Thursday as planned, but he's yet to make his Cactus League debut.

Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports Munoz threw 18 pitches and had his fastball sitting at 97-98 mph during his outing against San Diego. However, Munoz also conceded he has some adjustments to make, noting he was "thinking too much about the pitch clock", which caused him to rush his delivery a bit. Most important, there were no reported setbacks with Munoz's surgically repaired ankle, and his next opportunity to make his official Cactus League debut comes Sunday in split-squad action against either the Rangers or White Sox.