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Adam Ottavino RP | NYY
Red Sox's Adam Ottavino: Makes bid for closing
Ottavino allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning in Wednesday's spring game against Atlanta.
Ottavino made his spring debut in Grapefruit League play, following starter Matt Andriese in the fourth inning. He's competing to be Boston's closer along with Matt Barnes, who was impressive in his spring debut earlier this week. Ottavino has 19 career saves over 460 relief appearances and briefly served as a closer for a couple of stretches with Colorado in 2015 and 2016. Boston manager Alex Cora reiterated to Ian Browne of MLB.com that a closer will not be named until later in spring training, but the manager said Ottavino will be given the ball for clean innings, facing both righties and lefties.
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Reynaldo Lopez RP | ATL
White Sox's Reynaldo Lopez: On bump Thursday
Lopez is the scheduled starter for Thursday's game against the Reds, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Lopez, who pitched two perfect innings against Cleveland last Saturday, is vying for the final spot in the rotation. He's competition for the job is Carlos Rodon, who has not yet appeared in a Cactus League game.
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Justin Wilson RP | BOS
Yankees' Justin Wilson: Roughed up in spring debut
Wilson retired only one batter (via strikeout) in Wednesday's Grapefruit League appearance versus Pittsburgh, allowing five runs (four earned) on four hits.
It's safe to assume that this isn't how Wilson anticipated his first outing of the spring to go. He struck out the first batter he faced, then allowed a solo home run to Jared Oliva. The next three batters reached base (one via error) before Brian Goodwin ended Wilson's appearance with a grand slam to right field. Despite the rough start, the southpaw has a firm hold on a bullpen spot for the Yankees, especially with fellow left-hander Zack Britton out for an extended period due to elbow surgery.
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Buck Farmer RP | CIN
Tigers' Buck Farmer: Hit hard again Wednesday
Farmer allowed four runs on three hits and a walk while retiring just two batters in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out one.
Farmer allowed two home runs, and he now has a 30.86 ERA across 2.1 innings this spring. The righty is potentially in the mix to close, though he likely projects as more of a setup option. A sluggish performance in the Grapefruit League won't help him move up the bullpen pecking order.
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Kirby Yates RP | PIT
Blue Jays' Kirby Yates: Expected to debut Thursday
Yates is expected to make his spring debut against the Tigers on Thursday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Yates missed most of the 2020 season due to bone chips in his right elbow, but he signed with Toronto in January and feels fully healthy early in spring training. "I feel like it's behind me. I feel like it's ready to move on. It's full go," Yates told Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun. Although the Blue Jays haven't yet named a closer for the 2021 campaign, Yates is the favorite for the role given his past success in the ninth inning.
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Nick Pivetta SP | SD
Red Sox's Nick Pivetta: Locking in rotation spot
Pivetta allowed one run on three hits and struck out three over three innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Rays.
Pivetta, the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, has allowed two runs in five innings over two Grapefruit League starts. He lamented the inconsistency of his curveball to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com, but he was able to get himself back into counts and didn't allow much hard contact. Boston manager Alex Cora described the right-hander's outing as a positive in a game the Red Sox lost 11-3.
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Deivi Garcia RP | MIL
Yankees' Deivi Garcia: Strengthens bid for rotation spot
Garcia pitched three scoreless innings against Detroit in a Grapefruit League game Tuesday, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out five.
The performance was a significant step up from Garcia's spring debut, when he allowed a pair of runs in two innings against Philadelphia. The young right-hander has now struck out eight batters across five spring frames as he seeks to cement his place as New York's fifth starter to begin the campaign.
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Lucas Luetge RP | BOS
Yankees' Lucas Luetge: Making splash in spring play
Luetge has pitched three scoreless innings thus far in Grapefruit League action, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out eight.
No Yankees pitcher has been more dominant than Luetge, who has picked up eight of his nine outs via strikeout. The veteran southpaw is not on the 40-man roster and hasn't pitched in the majors since a one-outing stint with Seattle in 2015, so he remains a longshot to break camp with New York. However, Luetge is at least giving the club a reason to keep his name in mind while proving that he still has something left in the tank as he approaches his 34th birthday.
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Tyler Duffey RP | KC
Twins' Tyler Duffey: Tunes up for setup role
Duffey threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout in Tuesday's spring-training win over Baltimore. He's given up three runs in 2.2 innings with three strikeouts this spring.
Duffey will factor in the late innings again for the Twins, likely setting up both Taylor Rogers and Alex Colome. However, he could get the final outs of a game occasionally as well. Duffey had a 1.88 ERA with an excellent 34.1 percent strikeout rate and an exemplary 7.3 percent walk rate last season. He should offer value in leagues that count holds (12 last year).
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Pete Fairbanks RP | MIA
Rays' Pete Fairbanks: Overcomes bout with food poisoning
Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Fairbanks (illness) is scheduled to make his return to Grapefruit League action Thursday versus the Braves, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Fairbanks was scratched ahead of his scheduled appearance Sunday due to a bout of food poisoning, but Cash indicated that the reliever has since recovered from the ailment and is feeling good again. Though he wasn't among the 12 Rays who recorded saves during the 2020 regular season, Fairbanks picked up three saves during the team's subsequent playoff run. The hard-throwing righty should continue to warrant consideration for end-game duties in 2021, though Cash isn't expected to commit to a primary closer.