MLB Player News

Karinchak allowed two runs on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts over one inning in Sunday's Cactus League loss to the Rangers.

Karinchak enters 2023 after a sharp second half of the 2022 season. After recovering from a shoulder injury, the right-hander logged a 2.08 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, three saves, eight holds and 62 strikeouts over 39 innings. He is poised to again serve as a setup man to closer Emmanuel Clase, though Karinchak will need to clean up his early spring struggles to avoid losing his grip on a high-leverage role.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Monday that Clarke 's throwing progression will be slowed down after the right-hander experienced lower-body soreness in a bullpen session Sunday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Though Quatraro said Clarke's progression will be slowed a bit, the skipper added that the 29-year-old should be ready to pitch in Cactus League games within a week. Clarke was a solid, if unspectacular, performer for the Royals in 2022, accruing a 4.04 ERA and notching three saves while covering 49 innings out of the bullpen. He projects to fill a middle-innings role during the upcoming campaign.

Chapman required stitches on a split lip and suffered a cracked tooth after he slipped and fell at his house Saturday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Chapman doesn't appear to be in any danger of missing extended time after the home accident, as he's expected to throw a bullpen session Tuesday before getting into a Cactus League game soon thereafter. The reliever joined the Royals on a one-year deal last month after spending the last six and a half seasons with the Yankees. The left-hander will look to recapture some of his former glory in 2023 after struggling to a career-worst 4.46 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 36.1 innings in 43 appearances with New York in 2022. Chapman is guaranteed $3.75 million on his deal, but the contract could escalate to a total value of $8.75 million based on performance bonuses for appearances and games finished. The Royals haven't formally clarified their plans for Chapman, but he could challenge Scott Barlow for the closer's role.

Pearson topped out at 100.8 miles per hour with his fastball during his appearance in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Mike Wilner of The Toronto Star reports.

The line in the box score was less impressive, as the right-hander allowed one run on two hits, two walks and a wild pitch over one inning, but Pearson struck out the side while tossing 18 of 31 pitches for strikes. The one-time top prospect has had his development derailed by multiple injuries and the Blue Jays might have given up on the idea of him holding up under a starter's workload, but Pearson still has a chance to make an impact in the majors as a high-leverage reliever if he can stay healthy in 2023.

Jimenez (shoulder) struck out a batter and worked around a base hit in a scoreless inning of relief in Sunday's 11-4 win over the Brewers in Cactus League play.

With Jimenez making his debut in the Athletics' second game of the spring slate, he appears to be operating at full strength during camp after a right shoulder strain shelved him for the final five weeks of the 2022 season. Before succumbing to the injury, Jimenez turned in a 3.41 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while striking out 34 over 34.1 innings. He had a brief run of fantasy relevance as Oakland's closer, bagging 11 saves in 14 chances before injuries derailed him from August onward. The Athletics' closer situation remains unsettled heading into Opening Day, and Melissa Lockard of The Athletic reported earlier in February that Jimenez is "probably the favorite get save opportunities early in the season" in light of his success as a rookie. Lockard suggests that offseason pickup Trevor May as well as Zach Jackson are other possible candidates to claim the ninth-inning role.

Moll (shoulder) is listed as an available option out of the Oakland bullpen for Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Moll appears to be healthy enough to make his spring debut Monday after a left shoulder strain kept him sidelined for the final three weeks of the 2022 campaign. Before picking up the injury, the southpaw compiled a 2.91 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 46:22 K:BB across 43.1 innings for Oakland while collecting two wins and 16 holds. He'll likely settle into a middle-relief or setup role in the Athletics bullpen to begin the 2023 season.

Jackson (shoulder) is listed as an available option out of the Oakland bullpen for Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Jackson closed the 2022 campaign on the injured list with a shoulder strain suffered in early September, but he avoided surgery to address the injury and appears to be back to full strength for spring training. Oakland has yet to formally name a closer for Opening Day, and Jackson should factor into the late-inning mix in some capacity after a strong showing as a rookie a season ago. Over his 54 appearances with the big club spanning 48 innings, the right-hander accrued a 3.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 67:33 K:BB while collecting three saves and 27 holds.

Winckowski allowed one hit and one walk while striking out three over two scoreless innings in Sunday's spring game against the Rays.

Winckowski made 15 starts for Boston in 2022 but is on the outside of the seven candidates being considered for this season's rotation. The right-hander had a 5.89 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and 1.3 HR/9 over 70.1 innings. His FIP (4.94) was nearly a run better, which indicates the defense behind him was lacking, but there was nothing else to excite fantasy managers. The 22-year-old Winckowski should serve as a starting depth option in the organization, likely destined for the rotation at Triple-A Worcester, where his numbers were better than in MLB.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Bautista (shoulder/knee) bounced back well after Saturday's bullpen session, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The right-hander upped his intensity to about 80-to-85 percent for Saturday's session and should continue ramping things up this week. Assuming Bautista is able to pitch at full effort in the near future, it shouldn't take long for him to advance to facing live batters.

Stiever (lat) is listed as the White Sox's probable starter for Tuesday's spring game against the Diamondbacks.

Stiever made only three rehab appearances last season and spent most of the campaign rehabbing from the right lat surgery he underwent in August of 2021. The 25-year-old is now apparently fully healthy and has an outside shot at Chicago's Opening Day rotation, though he's more likely to begin the year in the minors while coming off a lost season.