MLB Player News

Heller (back) pitched two-thirds of an inning in a Grapefruit League contest against Toronto on Tuesday, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out one.

Heller was charged with the loss after allowing a leadoff walk followed by a home run in the ninth inning. Despite the rough debut, the right-hander's presence on the mound was a positive indication that the back injury that had been ailing him was indeed minor. Heller remains in the mix for an Opening Day bullpen role, though he'll need to have some effective outings before the end of spring training to earn his spot.

Palumbo (heel) will start Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Giants.

He'll rejoin the Rangers' spring pitching schedule for the first time since Feb. 28 after missing time due to an inflamed right heel. Palumbo looks on track to be ready to go for Opening Day, but he currently finds himself on the outside looking in for a spot in the Rangers' rotation and is most likely to begin the campaign at Triple-A Nashville.

Leclerc allowed one and one walk while striking out four over 1.1 scoreless innings in Tuesday's spring game against the White Sox.

Leclerc, who has not allowed a run this spring, has recorded 10 outs through his first three spring appearances and eight have come by strikeout. Leclerc enters the season as Texas' closer, albeit with very low job security per RotoWire's ranking of closers. That's largely due to wavering command that leads to a surfeit of walks and mislocated pitches becoming hittable.

Akin was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday.

The Orioles added Akin to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, but he was unable to secure a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old had a 4.73 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 131:61 K:BB over 112.1 innings with Norfolk last season, and he could make his major-league debut at some point in 2020.

Kittredge, who allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks over 2.1 innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Blue Jays on Monday, is being stretched out for possible spot starts or bulk-reliever duties this coming season, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander's latest outing wasn't as rocky as his line might imply, as Kittredge also rang up five strikeouts. The 29-year-old made 10 starts for the Rays over the last two seasons, but he's still largely operated as a reliever while logging 60 appearances out of the bullpen over that span. His versatility makes him a good fit as either an in-a-pinch member of the rotation or long reliever following an opener, and it's worth noting that prior to Monday's struggles, Kittredge had been in fine form over his first four appearances with a 1.73 ERA and 6:0 K:BB over 5.2 frames.

Beeks, who fired 2.2 scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Blue Jays on Monday, is being stretched out for possible spot starts or bulk-reliever duties this coming season, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander has fired 9.1 innings across six appearances thus far this spring and looked good doing so, with Beeks generating a 1.93 ERA, 0.54 WHIP and .100 BAA over the modest sample. It's certainly an encouraging body of work for the 26-year-old, who made 33 appearances overall in his first full Rays campaign in 2019, three of those as a starter. The Rays hope Beeks' solid control thus far is a harbinger for the regular season, as he struggled with a 3.5 BB/9 over his 104.1 innings last season.

The Rays optioned Honeywell (elbow) to Triple-A Durham on Monday.

After dazzling between stops at Double-A and Triple-A in 2017, Honeywell looked primed to make his Rays debut early in 2018, but the Tommy John surgery he required that spring has since pushed back his arrival to the big leagues. Honeywell recovered from that procedure by last summer, but he never appeared in affiliated ball in 2019 after suffering a fractured bone in the same elbow that required another procedure. The righty is still in rehab mode and has yet to resume facing hitters, so he'll likely begin the season on Durham's 7-day injured list.

Peters was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday against Seattle due to a sprained ankle, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Peters reportedly suffered the injury while walking down the stairs Friday. He's part of a crowded battle for a spot in the back of the Angels' rotation after posting a 5.38 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 72 innings last season. Any significant time lost to this ankle issue will hurt his chances.

Anderson, who's projected to have a part in closing duties this season, has fired four scoreless, one-hit innings across four appearances in Grapefruit League play.

The right-hander saw his path to closing opportunities open when Emilio Pagan was traded to the Padres, and his performance during the first half of spring training has only reinforced the notion that he's up to the task of high-leverage work. Anderson boasts a high-90s fastball that dovetails nicely with ninth-inning duties, and his elite 110:18 K:BB across 65 innings with the Rays and Marlins last season underscores the excellent control he also brings to the table.

Schreiber was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old righty logged 13 innings in the big-league bullpen last season, but he tallied a 6.23 ERA. His strikeout rates have been promising, however, so Schreiber has a decent chance to pitch his way back to the majors this season.