MLB Player News
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Scott Effross RP | DET
Tigers' Scott Effross: Begins throwing program
Effross (oblique) started a throwing program this week, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Effross was shut down from throwing earlier this month after being diagnosed with a strained left oblique. Once healthy, he's expected to open the season with Triple-A Toledo. The 32-year-old right-hander pitched in 11 regular-season games out of the Yankees' bullpen last season, logging an 8.44 ERA.
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Michael Kelly RP | ATH
Athletics' Michael Kelly: Works scoreless frame
Kelly allowed a hit and a walk across a scoreless inning in Monday's Cactus League win over the Angels. He struck out one.
Kelly entered in the eighth inning and allowed the first two batters to reach but worked out of the jam without surrendering a run. The right-hander has made six Cactus League appearances, allowing three runs on 12 hits and two walks while striking out seven across 5.2 innings. Coming off a 2025 season in which he posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 39.2 innings, Kelly projects to make the 2026 Opening Day roster and could factor into high-leverage opportunities in an Athletics bullpen expected to operate with a closer-by-committee approach.
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Beau Brieske RP | DET
Tigers' Beau Brieske: Injured during workout
Brieske has a left groin strain and will open the season on the injured list, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
He slipped while working on his delivery in a routine workout recently, which is why he was scratched from his scheduled appearance Monday. Brieske will miss at least the first couple weeks of the regular season.
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Robert Garcia RP | TEX
Rangers' Robert Garcia: Sharp in Cactus League return
Garcia struck out two over one scoreless and hitless inning in Monday's spring game against the White Sox.
Garcia pitched for the first time since returning from the World Baseball Classic. The left-hander made quick work of the White Sox in the sixth inning, retiring the side on 13 pitches (nine strikes). Garcia remains in the mix to close games for the Rangers along with Chris Martin.
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Mitch Farris RP | LAA
Angels' Mitch Farris: In running for starting role
Farris is one of several pitchers who may be contending for a spot in the Angels' Opening Day rotation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
The top three spots in the Angels' rotation are set, but there is less certainty at the back end given that both Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah have struggled this spring. Rodriguez seems to be trending toward opening the campaign as part of the starting staff, but there would still be least one open spot if Manoah doesn't get the bid. Jack Kochanowicz has looked good this spring and may have the inside edge in such a scenario, but Farris is in contention as well. The lefty probably hurt his chances when he was blown up in his last spring outing, giving up seven runs on eight hits over 3.2 innings against the Padres last Tuesday, but Bollinger suggests that Farris isn't out of the running.
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Jordan Romano RP | LAA
Angels' Jordan Romano: Still in mix for save chances
Romano is one of several Angels relievers who could factor into the closer mix during the early part of the regular season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Robert Stephenson (shoulder) had at one point been considered a favorite for save opportunities, but he recently had a setback and is likely to open the campaign on the injured list. Ben Joyce (shoulder) probably has the most closer-like stuff of anyone in the team's bullpen, but he's also expected to begin on the IL. That leaves a trio of veteran relievers -- Romano, Kirby Yates and Drew Pomeranz -- in the running for early save opportunities. Yates may be the slight favorite for the closer role, but manager Kurt Suzuki said Monday that the team hasn't yet made a decision in that regard and also indicated that the Angels may "just use the three high-leverage guys and mix and match." Romano has 133 career regular-season saves and has looked good this spring with four scoreless innings and a 3:0 K:BB over four outings, but he is coming off a disastrous 2025 campaign during which he posted an 8.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across 42.2 innings spanning 49 regular-season appearances with Philadelphia. The right-hander's velocity has also been down about 1.5 mph this spring, and he's stated that he'd like to work his way back up to his usual velocity before the start of the campaign.
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Yoendrys Gomez RP | TB
Rays' Yoendrys Gomez: Struggling in Grapefruit League
Gomez allowed three runs on two hits and one walk in one inning during Monday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta. He struck out one.
After representing Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Gomez has since reported back to Rays camp to continue battling for an Opening Day roster spot. However, the 26-year-old right-hander may be falling behind in the competition, posting a 5.14 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 6:5 K:BB over seven Grapefruit League frames so far. Tampa Bay is likely to carry multiple bulk relievers to begin the new year, with Shane McClanahan and Steven Matz under workload restrictions early on. Ian Seymour and Joe Boyle would be the more obvious choices to make the team if not for the fact Gomez is out of minor-league options.
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Kaleb Ort RP | LAA
Angels' Kaleb Ort: Moved to minor-league camp
Ort was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday.
Ort lost his spot on the club's 40-man roster earlier this spring, and after surrendering four runs over 4.2 innings of work while with the big-league club, he'll report to minor-league camp. He's logged plenty of major-league experience during his career, including 46.0 innings a season ago with Houston, so he figures to be a candidate for a promotion at some point during the 2026 campaign.
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Brenan Hanifee RP | DET
Tigers' Brenan Hanifee: Struggling this spring
Hanifee has a 7.71 ERA and 1.93 WHIP across five Grapefruit League appearances.
Counting his appearance Monday against the Phillies, Hanifee has now allowed a run in four of his five appearances this spring. The righty was a fairly dependable reliever for the Tigers last year, posting a 3.00 ERA across 60 regular-season innings, though he only struck out 40 batters. The lack of true swing-and-miss stuff likely limits Hanifee to a middle-relief role if he's able to make the Opening Day roster, and his fantasy impact figures to be limited in that capacity.
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Tyson Miller RP | CHW
White Sox's Tyson Miller: Reassigned to minors camp
The White Sox reassigned Miller to minor-league camp Monday.
Miller signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox back in January after spending the entire 2025 season at Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' organization. Miller has appeared in 74 career games at the big-league level, logging a 3.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 72:28 K:BB across 93 innings.