MLB Player News

Brasier (toe) could return to the Red Sox's spring training facility Wednesday night or Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

As initially suspected, Brasier's infected toe doesn't appear to be of any long-term concern. He figures to be back in camp soon with his eyes on the vacant closer gig.

Jurado will toe the rubber to start the Rangers' spring training opener Saturday against the Royals, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 23-year-old is in the mix for a rotation spot this spring after making the jump from Double-A straight to the big leagues last season. Jurado is seemingly facing an uphill battle, however, as the Rangers have plenty of veteran starters in camp to fill out the rotation. The right-hander will have to prove he's better than the 5.93 ERA he produced in 54.2 frames (eight starts, four relief appearances) with Texas last season if he wants to break camp with the major-league squad.

Yacabonis is viewed as a starter by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde but could also be used in long relief, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Yacabonis has started seven games and relieved in 19 so far in his two-year big-league career, but he hasn't had much success in either role. He owns a 4.76 ERA as a starter and a 5.29 ERA out of the bullpen. He doesn't appear to be a favorite for a rotation spot and is unlikely to make much of a fantasy impact in either role.

Brasier went back to Boston on Tuesday to get an infection on his pinky toe looked at, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

It doesn't appear that the issue is a serious one, so Brasier should be able to remain in the closer conversation for the Red Sox. If he does end up missing time, Matt Barnes could win the job by default unless the team brings in a proven closer.

Chavez credits a tweak he made in his delivery that produced a career-best 2.55 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 2018, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

While he was with the Rangers early in 2018, at the behest of pitching instructor Hector Ortiz, Chavez lowered his arm angle slightly and released the ball more like an infielder. This resulted in an uptick in velocity and more movement on his fastball. From that point until he was traded to the Cubs on July 19, the right-hander compiled a 2.31 ERA while holding hitters to a .215 batting average in 35 innings. The success continued with the Cubs, for whom he had a 1.15 ERA in 39 innings. Back with the Rangers in 2019, Chavez figures to be a key piece in the bullpen.

Harvey (forearm/shoulder) threw a short live batting practice Monday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Harvey faced hitters for the first time since June. He threw half as many pitches as other Orioles pitchers, as the team is being cautious with a player who has been hit with a long list of injuries. The 24-year-old only made nine starts last season, though that represented his highest number since 2014.

Fulmer (personal) returned to the Tigers' spring training facility Monday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Fulmer left camp late last week and returned to his home state of Oklahoma to be with his father, who underwent quadruple bypass surgery. The 25-year-old right-hander said his father is recuperating well, so it's not expected that Fulmer will miss much further time during spring training. He was absent for only two workouts while he was back in Oklahoma, so he won't be too far behind his fellow pitchers during camp.

Hand was confirmed as Cleveland's closer by manager Terry Francona on Saturday, Nick Camino of Newsradio WTAM 1100 reports.

The announcement is hardly a surprise, as Hand is clearly the best reliever in Francona's bullpen. The Indians haven't been afraid to use their best reliever earlier in the game in the past few years, thanks to Andrew Miller's flexibility, but the team still had a dedicated closer in Cody Allen during that time. With both of those pitchers now gone, Hand will be called on to fill Allen's role, not Miller's.

Gibaut tweaked his right lat early in camp, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Gibaut will see a doctor, though the Rays don't believe the issue to be a serious one. The 25-year-old was shielded from the Rule 5 draft over the offseason and is a candidate to make his debut at some point this year after recording a 2.09 ERA in 56 innings of relief for Triple-A Durham last season.

Fulmer has been away from the Tigers for a few days for personal reasons, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Fulmer is reportedly attending to a family issue. The delay is unlikely to affect his preparation for Opening Day, as he's expected back as soon as Sunday.