MLB Player News

Yarbrough threw 60 pitches over four innings in a simulated game Tuesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander faced Nate Lowe, Mike Zunino and Daniel Robertson while working with Kevan Smith as his battery mate. Yarbrough threw 40 of 60 pitches for strikes and once again made a strong impression in his bid for a spot in the starting rotation. As it turns out, it was Yarbrough's last spring opportunity to do so now that the rest of the exhibition ledger has been wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but manager Kevin Cash took note of how good his potential No. 5 starter looked. "His ball moves everywhere," Cash said. "The late movement that he can create is really, really impressive. You understand why he's had so much success in his first two seasons."

Garcia allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in 3.1 innings in a Grapefruit League game against Miami on Wednesday. He struck out three.

Garcia retired the side in order in the first inning but struggled in the following frame, giving up a pair of runs on two hits and a fielder's choice. The 20-year-old has been competing for the No. 5 spot in the Yankees' Opening Day rotation, but he'll likely open the season in the minors after allowing six earned runs in 8.2 spring innings.

Giles struck out one in a perfect inning of relief during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The two teams combined for eight homers during the game, but the Jays' closer breezed through a scoreless sixth inning. Giles has a 2.25 ERA, 0.25 WHIP and 4:0 K:BB through four spring innings, and he already appears ready for the regular season.

Pearson won't have an innings cap this season, Andrew Stoeten of The Athletic reports.

During a radio interview Tuesday, Jays president Mark Shapiro made it clear that while the club would keep a careful eye on Pearson's workload, the plan was still for the right-hander to get in as many innings as he could handle this year. "The one thing I think that is important and we had a lot of conversation about - both with him and on our own - is [if you] go in with a plan where you're trying to save innings on the back side - that's got a good chance to backfire on you," Shapiro said. "If something happens, (like) a twisted ankle, (or he's) hit by a pitch and breaks a bone, all of a sudden you look up and (it's) another year where you didn't get a lot of innings in. So we're going to go out of the box, treating this guy like everybody else, and letting him amass his innings. And if at some point, if fatigue sets in - we're not setting an innings limit, per se - but if fatigue sets in we'll adjust at that point and back it up." Shapiro's comment about "trying to build a foundation for this guy to establish the routines and physical strength and understanding and knowledge to be healthy at the major league level and be able to pitch 200 innings" is another strong clue that Toronto intends to have him return to Triple-A rather than begin the season in the bigs, but Pearson's performance this spring has made it clear he already has the talent to dominate in the majors.

Graveman (illness) was scheduled to start Thursday's Cactus League game against the Reds, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. The game was later cancelled due to inclement weather, per Johns.

While Graveman won't get the chance to pitch until at least Friday, his inclusion on the pitching schedule for Thursday implies that he's moved past the illness that previously resulted in him being scratched last weekend. Graveman is vying for the fifth spot in Seattle's rotation this spring after missing most of the 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The Rays reassigned Covey to their minor-league camp Thursday, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Though he made 45 starts at the big-league level over the past three seasons, Covey wasn't a serious rotation candidate for Tampa Bay and was signed this winter merely to provide organizational depth. Assuming he accepts an assignment to Triple-A Durham to begin the season, he'll likely work as a starter or swingman for the affiliate.

Brasier set down the side in order, striking out one, in the fifth inning of Wednesday's spring game against the Rays.

Brasier is on the bubble, competing with several relievers for the final few bullpen spots, but he has thrown this spring like the pitcher that surprised Boston in 2018. He's allowed three hits and one run while striking out four without a walk over five spring innings. "Certainly our goal and his goal is to get back to the guy he was in 2018, because he was very, very good that year and really important," Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "It's not to discount the year he had last year, but he wasn't quite himself most of the year." He was an important setup piece for the Red Sox in 2018, when they won the World Series, but a toe injury in 2019 led to kinks in his mechanics.

Chavez (elbow) will open the season on the injured list, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Chavez underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in September. While he was supposedly at full strength to start camp, he saw action in just one Cactus League game and evidently needs more time.

Flynn was assigned to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Flynn was in camp competing for a bullpen spot as a non-roster invitee but won't be winning one, at least not to start the season. With a career 4.41 ERA and a 16.2 percent strikeout rate, he's unlikely to pitch in a high-leverage role if he does eventually crack the big-league roster.

Mengden (elbow) will play catch Friday as he works his way toward a midseason return, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Mengden will throw for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery in mid-February. Reports at the time said he'd be back in 6-to-10 weeks, though manager Bob Melvin's midseason timeline, while somewhat ambiguous, suggests that may be a little optimistic. A more precise timeline should emerge once Mengden begins throwing.