MLB Player News

Jurado gave up two runs on four hits in two innings against the Royals on Saturday.

Jurado introduced a four-seam fastball, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, which he hopes will prevent hitters from zeroing in on his sinker. However, the new pitch repeatedly drifted over the middle of the plate during a two-run first inning, when Kansas City batters had four hits, all off the four-seamer. "I liked the intent behind his pitches,'' manager Chris Woodward said. "Obviously, the first inning and lack of execution caused a couple pitches to be hit hard.'' The right-hander came back with a perfect second inning. Jurado is expected to open the season at Triple-A Nashville and will be a depth option as a starter. The Rangers' projected five rotation members all enter the season with questions about health, so there's a chance Jurado gets a significant number of starts in the majors.

Brasier (toe) returned to camp but has not resumed normal activities, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Brasier flew to Boston earlier in the week to have an infected pinkie toe on his right foot examined. On Friday, he was limited to indoor activities, such as work in the pool and conditioning. "Nothing yet as far as going out there and moving around," said manager Alex Cora.

Hill added a changeup to his repertoire over the offseason, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Hill exclusively used his fastball and slider last season. That combination helped him hold lefties to a .572 OPS, but righties managed a .774 mark against him. A changeup is traditionally a strong weapon against opposite-sided hitters, so the pitch could make Hill a more well-rounded reliever, though it of course remains to be seen how successful the pitch will be and how often the southpaw will use it.

Alvarado is unlikely to be used as a traditional closer by the Rays in 2019, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Manager Kevin Cash doesn't plan to officially name a closer this season, but Alvarado is a likely candidate to see ninth-inning opportunities depending on game flow and matchup. Given the Rays' utilization of the opener strategy, it comes as little surprise they plan to eschew traditional late-inning roles as well. Alvarado is expected to see minimal work this spring after a career-high 64 innings during 2018. Regardless of his official title, the 23-year-old lefty's 2.39 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 11.2 K/9 last season should still provide plenty of fantasy value as Tampa Bay's likeliest option for high-leverage work.

Gibaut will be shut down a few weeks after a specialist determined that he suffered a mild lat strain Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The team is breathing a sigh of relief, as there were some thoughts the injury could've been worse. Gibaut doesn't have a great chance to break camp with the Rays if this issue lingers too deep into camp, but he could find his way to the majors at some point given the 2.09 ERA he posted in 56 innings at Triple-A Durham last season. A firmer return date will likely take shape as he ramps up his activity again.

Tests revealed that Smith suffered a torn UCL during his live batting practice session Wednesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Smith was a long shot to break camp with the Tigers as things stood before, but now it seems like he's in danger of missing the entire 2019 season, if not more. No official word has come out from the Tigers, though this is the kind of injury that frequently needs Tommy John surgery to fix. More information will likely come out in the coming days as Smith and the team determine his next steps.

Peters is scheduled to start Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Giants, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Peters, who was claimed off waivers by the Angels earlier in the offseason, will open up spring action for his new team. The southpaw is expected to serve as rotation depth in 2019 after struggling across seven appearances (five starts) for the Marlins in 2018 (7.16 ERA and 17:15 K:BB in 27.2 innings).

Jimenez has been nursing some minor muscle soreness in his right arm since reporting to spring training last week and will be eased into Grapefruit League action, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Jimenez was at least able to complete his third bullpen session of the spring Tuesday, so the arm issue shouldn't be viewed as a major concern. He'll still need to progress to facing hitters in live batting practice before the Tigers sign off on his spring debut, which could happen as soon as next week. Jimenez is projected to serve as the top setup man for closer Shane Greene this season.

Manaea (shoulder) is beginning his throwing program well ahead of his original timeline, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Manaea underwent shoulder surgery in mid-September and was originally expected to miss all of 2019. Reports in December suggested that he could be back around the All-Star break, and this development lends more credence to that more optimistic timetable.

Smith had his shoulder checked out Wednesday after feeling something during a live batting practice session, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The severity of the issue is not yet clear. The 30-year-old is a long shot at best to break camp with the Tigers, with just four big-league games under his belt. Any time lost to injury this spring would only serve to decrease his already slim chances.